According to a story at GreatNorthwestWine.com, Washington state winemakers are excited about the final two weeks of this year’s wine grape harvest.
For the two men responsible for making more wine than anyone else in Washington state, the 2013 harvest could not be wrapping up more gracefully.
“We’re getting some beautiful weather here,” said Bob Bertheau, head winemaker at Chateau Ste. Michelle, as he walked through Cold Creek Vineyard on Thursday afternoon.
Juan Muñoz-Oca, head winemaker at Columbia Crest in Paterson, agreed.
“We live for days like this in late October,” Muñoz-Oca said of the past week, which has seen cloud-free skies and highs nearing 70 degrees on a daily basis. “We could not have asked for anything better.”
Combined, the two winemakers are responsible for more than 4 million cases of wine as part of Ste. Michelle Wine Estates in Woodinville. And each focuses on his own program. Bertheau and his team craft more Riesling than any other winery in the world, while Muñoz-Oca produces large amounts of Merlot, Cabernet Sauvignon and Chardonnay for Columbia Crest’s many tiers and brands.
Read more of the story at Great Northwest Wine