Weather makes for sweet grapes, early harvest at wineries

(KMTR) - Some wine critics have said that this year’s early grape harvest in Oregon might produce some of the best wine this year.

Grape gurus like Amanda Cihler, the vineyard manager at Sweet Cheeks Winery, agree that Oregon’s wineries have a tasty crop to work with.

“We're looking at a slightly smaller crop, however it's been a very warm summer with some colder nights, so our grapes are ahead of schedule anywhere from 2 to 3 weeks,” Cihler said.

While that may only push their harvest time forward a couple weeks, Cihler said that storms from Oregon’s early fall season can quickly damper any harvest.

Sweet Cheeks has already received a batch of grapes from their growers in Monroe and she said they plan to start harvesting their own crop in the coming week.

Oregon State University horticulturist Steve Renquist said the weather has made this year’s harvest is one of the best in years.

“We had some weeks like earlier in the season that were 90-degrees for a couple days… so that really sped up the ripening of the grapes,” said Cihler.

She added that the riper the grapes get, the sweeter they taste. Vintners usually work to find the perfect balance between sweet and sour, and having the right grapes can make all the difference.