History

Wine Advisory Committee Research Projects WAC reviews research proposals and recommends funding to WSU based on priorities and available funding.  2009 Approved Projects

In the 1960’s Walt Clore and Charles Nagel received funds for wine research from the Washington Wine and Grape Growers Council and various state and federal sources.  After Clore’s and Nagel’s retirements, funds to support wine research dried up and it wasn’t until the late 1970’s that an informal industry group called the Washington Wine Society (made up of Wade Wolfe, Bob Betz, Walt Clore, Max Benitz, Mike Wallace and others) decided to approach the Washington legislature for research funding.

In 1981, Senator Max Benitz sponsored legislation that provided research funding through a ½ cent per liter tax on all Washington wine sales, collected by Washington State Liquor Control Board and sent to WSU and UW.  The legislation also identified an industry oversight committee made up of representatives of the Washington Wine Society.  The Society was later renamed Wine Advisory Board and between 1982 and 1998 the WAB was made up of 10-12 interested and informed industry volunteer members internally selected.

After concerns of governance and structure, the WAB sought affiliation and in 1998 the group was formalized as a subcommittee of the Washington Wine Commission and the name changed to Wine Advisory Committee (WAC).

Currently, the Wine Advisory Committee (WAC) provides recommendations to WSU for the expenditure of State wine/grape related research funding.  As a subcommittee of the Washington Wine Commission, all state sponsored wine and wine grape research is overseen by the Wine Advisory Committee. Five members are appointed by WAWGG (viticultural) and the Washington Wine Technical Group (enological) appoints five. WAC is chaired by a Wine Commission appointment.  Administrative support is contracted from Vicky Scharlau through the Wine Commission.

The Committee meets on a calendar schedule to set research priorities, call for research proposals (primarily from WSU with a few from ARS), review proposals as well as status of ongoing research and finally make funding recommendations to WSU.

Funding includes $160,000 (depending on wine volume sales) created by the original legislation and $525,000 per biennium as a line item in the WSU budget added circa 1998 by the Washington legislature.  These two sources provide about $400,000 per year for research with other sources available to researchers including:

·         Northwest Center for Small Fruits Research

·         WA State Commission on Pesticide Registration

·         American Vineyard Foundation

·         Viticulture Consortium West

·         Federal grants

Juice grape research is overseen by the Washington State Concord Grape Research Council, which is made up of juice processor representatives and is funded by a self-assessment on juice grapes processed in the amount of approximately $100,000 per year.

Research Successes

The following lists some of the benefits of the past research funding:

·        Mildew biology & control: Dr. Gary Grove has identified the over-wintering source of WA’s powdery mildew and developed models and cost effective control programs.

·        Insect biology & control: Dr. David James work has provided the basis for a sustainable pest control program by expanding our knowledge of the biology of major grape insect pests, the beneficial insects that control them and the impact of various pesticides on the beneficials’ health.

·        Leafroll virus and its spread: Several researchers have contributed to our knowledge about the prevalence and spread of grape leafroll virus by mealy bugs and programs for its control

·        Managing stuck fermentations: Dr. Charles Edwards has contributed to our knowledge about the interaction between yeast fermentations and lactic acid bacteria and the nutritional requirements for healthy yeast fermentations.

·        Impact of cultural practices on grape cold hardiness and wine quality: Drs. Sara Spayd and Robert Wample cooperated on several research projects over 20 years that investigated the impact of irrigation, nitrogen fertilization and crop load on cold hardiness and wine quality.

·        Deficit irrigation: Drs. Bob Evans and Robert Wample developed the basis for current deficit irrigation strategies to optimize wine quality through long term experiments at IAREC and Ste. Michelle.

·        Grape cold hardiness: Dr. Markus Keller and his predecessors developed a program for monitoring grape bud and cane cold hardiness and communicating to growers for protective actions.

Research at the National Level

In August 2003 twenty leaders and key stakeholders from the California grape and wine industry and the University of California at Davis Department of Viticulture and Enology met to address a growing crisis in research funding, and to develop a process for establishing research priorities that would mutually benefit the wine industry and academic and research organizations.

This eventually led to the National Grape and Wine Initiative (See www.ngwi.org). This was set up to be an industry-driven partnership with academic and government representatives, designed to focus emphasis on research and extension as a means to strengthen the competitiveness of America’s grape and grape product industries. All segments of the grape industry are represented and engaged in taking responsibility for the future of the industry.

These NGWI Theme Committees have developed a set of action steps for both the short and long term. Below is a list of the five theme areas and a brief description of the kinds of topics addressed under each theme.

Understanding and Improving Quality

o   Understand the relationship between the components of grape and grape products and their sensory quality attributes (quality targets). 

o   To deliver grape and grape products according to specifications (Clean Plant Material).

Consumer Insights, Nutrition and Community

o   Identify the nutritional components and health effects of consuming grapes and grape products.

o   Understand consumer insights in the development and production of more targeted grape and grape products to secure increased market share.

Processing and Production Efficiency

o   To improve and optimize vineyard efficiency

o   Optimize vineyard production systems for cost, quality and the environment.

o   Optimize the efficiency of grape processing facilities for cost, quality and the environment. 

Sustainable Practices

o   Manage in a sustainable manner the waste streams of grape and grape product processing/packaging facilities. 

o   To manage in a sustainable manner the nutrient/mineral cycle and soil health and quality in the vineyard.

o   Maximize the productivity and efficiency of our financial and human resources through skills training and technology.

o   To reduce the energy use of the growers and processors throughout the grape and grape product industry.

o   To understand and enhance the vineyard ecosystem and the interaction of the grape industry with community to contribute to improved quality of life in rural communities.

o   Promote and enhance vineyard sustainability through development and optimization of integrated pest/pathogen management practices.

Extension/Education

o   Communicate fundamental knowledge and production principals. 

o   Facilitate adoption of best management practices.

o   Develop and implement new education and communication tools.

Research to Build Washington's Future

The economic value of the wine and grape industry in Washington State is estimated to exceed $3 billion per year. Nationally, the economic value from Washington State wine and grape production is nearly $5 billion per year. Tax revenues to the State are nearly $145 million per year. If national growth goals for the wine and grape industry are met (tripling industry value by 2020), the economic value could approach $10 billion per year and tax revenues could approach $500 million per year.

Growth in the industry is closely related to the state’s soils, water, climate, the entrepreneurial spirit of its citizens, and the research, which shows how these resources can be utilized. Without this underlying research it is doubtful that the wine industry would have developed. Continued growth will be enhanced by additional research in high payoff areas.

In January 2006, a task force was formed to identify critical research needs. Paul Champoux, then Chairman of the Washington Association of Wine Grape Growers, invited representatives of the Washington Wine Commission, the Washington State Grape Society, the Concord Research Council, the Washington Wine Institute, the Washington Association of Wine Grape Growers, as well as WSU researchers and educators plus “at-large” industry members as participants of this task force. 

The Research Task Force (RTF) met every month for nearly 18 months.  The approach taken by the Task Force was to first list virtually every subject that could affect wine and juice production and quality. Every item was ranked according to its importance to achieving the central goal of tripling the economic value of the wine and juice industry by 2020. The result was a ranking of leading tasks.  They include: