Confusing Times for Grape Growers

YAKIMA COUNTY -- Fluctuating temperatures are presenting grape growers more questions than answers.

At Bonair Winery, the vines are covered with snow, but Bill Mechem's glass is still "half full."

"Our (grape) quality gets better every year," he says. "We're learning how to work with our vines and work with our wines."

Mechem is also learning how to work with unpredictable temperatures. After last winter's cold streak, temperatures this season have been all over the map, and that's leading to a giant guessing game ahead of the grape-growing season.

"You get nervous, but in the end there's really nothing you can do about the weather, so you have to deal with it," Mechem tells Action News reporter Ryan Simms.

Single-digit temperatures in early December did cause some concern with local growers. Since then, however, moderately cold weather is boding well for a strong harvest in 2010.

"We had no freeze, so we're safe," says Lynda Opiela, of Bonair Winery.

Most vines can survive temperatures as low as negative five degrees. Last year, Bonair Winery was zapped by cold temperatures, and ended up short 60 tons of grapes.

"We had less than expected," says Mechem. "It's just another thing that happens."

But as long as temperatures hold up, it won't happen again this year.