Washington State’s 2014 wine grape harvest was the largest on record and posted the third consecutive year of growth, reports the U.S. Department of Agriculture. Washington grape growers produced 227,000 tons last year, up 8 percent from the previous year.
“We’re in a period of strong growth,” said Steve Warner, president of the Washington State Wine Commission. “Barring any weather events, this will likely be a continuing trend.”
In 2014, white varieties slightly outproduced reds by 53 to 47 percent. Tonnage from white varieties was 16 percent higher in 2014 than the year before. Riesling was the top variety in the state at 50,500 tons, or 22 percent of the state total. Chardonnay was second with 43,800 tons and the red variety, Cabernet Sauvignon, was third with 42,200 tons.
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