Predicting wine grape crops

Crop estimation, an important practice for vineyardists and wineries, can be accurately done using a modified lag phase procedure developed for Washington State conditions, says winemaker and consultant Dr. Wade Wolfe. Wolfe, of Thurston Wolfe Winery in Prosser, Washington, helped to adopt a modified lag phase procedure for crop estimates during his years at Hogue Cellars. He shared the formula during the annual meeting of the Washington Association of Wine Grape Growers which was recently held in Kennewick. “Crop estimation is a critical cultural practice used to forecast grapes to sell or crush,” he said. Crop estimation helps growers adjust […]