2014 marks 3rd record Washington wine grape harvest in a row

YAKIMA — The 2014 wine grape harvest in Washington totaled a record 227,000 tons, an 8 percent increase over the year before, the industry reported.

Last year was the third record harvest in a row, and if the weather cooperates, the industry group Washington State Wine expects 2015 will be another top year, The Yakima Herald-Republic reported Tuesday.

The wine industry is growing, and new plantings are beginning to produce fruit, said Steve Warner, president of Washington State Wine. The organization based in Seattle represents licensed wineries and grape growers in the state.

White grapes made up 53 percent of the harvest. White Riesling was the state’s top grape, with 50,500 tons harvested, according to the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s annual crush report. White varieties jumped 16 percent in production over 2013, compared with only 1 percent in reds.

Meanwhile, prices paid to growers held steady between 2013 and 2014 at an average of $1,110 per ton, the report said.

Grenache was the most lucrative grape for growers, fetching an average $1,674 per ton. Gewurztraminer was the cheapest variety at $737 per ton.