Going into spring, the cool trend continued. “We thought we might have another 2011 on our hands,” one winemaker said, referring to the recent, historically cool vintage. As a result, bud break in 2017 was behind historical averages and significantly behind the most recent warm vintages of 2013-2015. Bloom was also slightly delayed.
The early part of summer saw average temperatures in the Columbia Valley followed by above average temperatures in July and August. As a result, heat accumulation was a bit above average for the season, despite the cool start. Harvest began right on schedule, perhaps even a bit early, in late August.
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