Published in Washington State University, Viticulture and Enology Extension News
By Melissa Hansen, Washington State Wine Commission
Spring 2019
The Washington State Grape and Wine Research Program will award approximately $1 million in research grants this fiscal year (July 2019 – June 2020). This is the third year in a row the program has hit the million-dollar milestone, thanks to strong financial support from the Auction of Washington Wines and the Washington State Wine Commission.
The Washington State Wine Commission approved the funding recommendations of its subcommittee, the Wine Research Advisory Committee, to award 18 grants through the Washington State Grape and Wine Research Program.
The research program’s funding has grown about 20 percent in the last five years, covering a diverse range of vineyard and winery issues. Vineyard projects deal with a new leaffolder moth that can defoliate Washington grapevines, powdery mildew fungicide resistance, grapevine diseases and insects that transmit the diseases, nematodes, crown gall, irrigation management and vine heat stress. Winery research projects include controlling wine spoilage, impact of pH on wine microbial ecology, tannin management, potential impacts on grapes and wine from smoke exposure, and sensory characteristics of wine.
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