Industry funds new grape vines at WSU

Grape growers and vintners raised more than $20,000 to help fund the purchase of 6,400 grape vines for the WSU grape research vineyard in Prosser during the Washington Wine Industry Foundation’s Angel Share auction held during the annual banquet of the Washington Association of Wine Grape Growers in early February in Kennewick.

The banquet and auction attracted over 400 leading growers and winemakers.

Funds raised will allow researchers to acquire 1,600 each of Washington’s ‘big four’ grape varieties — Chardonnay, Riesling, Cabernet Sauvignon and Merlot — for planting at WSU’s new research vineyard near the Irrigated Agriculture Research and Extension Center in Prosser.

Development of the new vineyard, also funded in part by contributions from the Washington Wine Industry Foundation, the Wine Advisory Committee and the Washington Association of Wine Grape Growers, along with the Washington State Department of Agriculture, is underway and will be ready in May for planting of the new vines.

At maturity, the plants will provide enough fruit to allow research from each variety, as well as experimental winemaking.

Proceeds from the Angel Share auction benefit the Foundation, which is home to multiple scholarships available to viticulture and enology students.

Past proceeds have also made possible support needed for projects such as the Latino Ag Education Program, Ag in the Classroom, Vinewise® and Winewise and the WSU Virus Indexing Greenhouse at Prosser.

The Washington Wine Industry Foundation is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organized in 2001 to facilitate industry needs for scholarships, educational events, outreach, research and information to support the Washington wine grape industry. The foundation works in partnerships to accomplish the activities identified as priorities by the industry.