There's no question that extreme weather is taking its toll on crops. What's in store for the wine industry in the Pacific Northwest? A symposium slated for March 17 has this topic as a focus. The one-day event, "Climate Extremes: Is the Pacific Northwest Wine Industry Ready?" starts at 8 a.m. March 17 in the East Auditorium at Washington State University Tri-Cities in Richland, Wash. The symposium is hosted by the WSU viticulture and enology program and will bring together researchers and industry leaders to discuss climate trends, impacts of extreme weather, solutions for mitigating damage and available resources. Wine and grape industry members and students are all invited to take part.

Cost of the program is $100 per person and includes a social reception to follow. Discounts are available to students on a first-come, first-served basis, with priority given to WSU viticulture and enology students. You can get more information about registration at www.wine.wsu.edu/climate-extremes.

Extreme conditions, big trouble
Some of the changes noted by WSU include warmer spring and summer temperatures in the region that have led to earlier harvests. The region has also experienced early fall frosts before vines are fully dormant, then generally mild winters (with the exception of several cold snaps so far this winter) followed by sharp declines in temperature through early spring.

Grapevines can see damage from heat and cold extremes, which can also affect winemaking decisions. The aim of the symposium is to provide growers with the information they need to manage vineyards amid these changing conditions. Here's a rundown of speakers:

• Hans Schultz, president of Hochschule Geisenheim University in Germany and an international expert on grapevine physiology and climate. Schultz has conducted viticulture research in Germany, France, Australia and California.
• Greg Jones, director of the Division of Business, Communication and the Environment and professor and research climatologist in the Environmental Science and Policy Program at Southern Oregon University. Jones' research specializes in the climatology of viticulture, with a focus on how climate variation influences vine growth, wine production and the quality of wine produced.
• Markus Keller, WSU professor of viticulture. Keller's research focuses on developmental and environmental factors and vineyard management practices that influence the crop physiology of wine and juice grapes. He is also the author of the textbook “The Science of Grapevines.”
• Roger Boulton, professor, chemical engineer and Stephen Sinclair Scott Endowed Chair in Enology at the University of California, Davis. Boulton studies the chemical and biochemical engineering aspects of winemaking and distilled spirits production.
• Steve Ghan, climate scientist at the Climate Center, Pacific Northwest National Lab. His research has made important contributions to the influence of complex topography on microclimate and has used that understanding to simulate the impact of climate change on mountain snowpack across the Earth.

The symposium is a part of the Ravenholt Lecture Series, which brings grape and wine industry professionals to WSU to share their research and professional perspective. The series is made possible through an endowment from the Albert R. Ravenholt Foundation. Ravenholt, an early pioneer in Washington’s wine industry, was founder of Sagemoor Vineyards.

Source: Washington State University