Western Washington Commercial Grape Production

Grape Production West of the Cascades

 

Western Washington is home to the Puget Sound AVA, and Washington’s maritime grape production region. Typified by mild winters and cool summers, the climate is appropriate for many cool climate Vitis vinifera wine grapes, as well as sparkling wine production.

While the Cascade Mountains provide the physical separation from the vastly different climate conditions in eastern and western Washington, general grape production principles are the same across these two regions; it is the translation of those principles into practices that can differ as dramatically as the climate.

To highlight region-specific information, certain links are emphasized with the “WESTERN WA” tag. This does not mean that the other listed resources are not relevant for the region, but rather, those that are tagged are specifically useful for western Washington growers.

For those who are growing less than two acres of vineyards, we encourage you to visit our Backyard Vineyard webpage, which has a specialized focus on small vineyards that rely predominately on hand labor.

Available Grape Production Topics

 

Resources specific to Western Washington are also highlighted on the topic pages below with the “Western WA” tag.

Vineyard Production

• Vineyard establishment and management
• Nutrition & soils
• Pests, diseases, nematodes and weeds
• Disorders & other issues
• Pesticide application information & licenses

Supporting Resources

• Economics
• Clean Plant Center – Northwest Grapes
• AgWeatherNet – Weather information

WSU Viticulture & Enology Certificate Program

Expand your knowledge by taking one class or an entire program online through WSU. Choose from courses on General Grape Production, Economics, Irrigation, Disease and Insect Management, and Soils and Nutrition.

Need a Consultant?

Washington Winegrowers Association, an industry organization in Washington, has a list of private consultants that can help you with the details of vineyard establishment. Visit the Washington Winegrowers Service and Supplier webpage for more information.