After several very warm vintages, grape growers and winemakers in the Willamette Valley appreciated the return to a more typical Oregon growing season. Mild frost in late April 2019 led to a slightly cooler growing season with few heat spikes. Then significant precipitation during late June and early July kept everyone on their toes. Sunshine without high temperatures through the rest of July and August was just what we all wanted, including the grapes!

However, by September, the rain had returned to the valley, bringing with it cooler temperatures and disease concerns. As the 2019 harvest neared, grape growers and winemakers fretted about over-ripening and just when to pick their fruit. Weather like this causes angst and nail-biting in Oregon’s wine industry but similar vintages in the past have proven that they offer the ultimate reward– elegant, highly ageable wines.