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northwest wines and
the awareness of pacific
northwest wine regions.
Showcasing the best of northwest
wines and the awareness of pacific
northwest wine regions.
 
Idaho Winegrape Crop Bounces Back from Small 2015 Harvest

Idaho Winegrape Crop Bounces Back from Small 2015 Harvest




Idaho's winegrape industry has rebounded from a November 2014 freeze that sharply reduced the 2015 crop.

With only a few acres left to pick, growers and vintners are reporting winegrape yields 50 to 100 percent higher than last year and slightly to well above normal.

"We had a super crop. We had a banner year," said Bill Ringert, owner of Cold Springs Winery in Hammett. "In fact, we're not even picking the end of the crop because everybody seems to have had a pretty good crop and outside sales are not exceptional."

Ron Bitner, owner of Bitner Vineyards in Caldwell, is also not picking some of his crop and will let about 10-15 percent go to the birds.

"Most of the wineries ran out of tank space," he said. "I wish I could have got it all but I'm happy with what I got. I got more than I needed."

For the complete story see: Capital Press