Decanter - Harvest 2023 in the Pacific Northwest

Harvest 2023 has begun in the Evergreen State, depending on the site. Growers are largely picking for either sparkling wine or early-ripening white varietals like Sauvignon Blanc and Chardonnay.

"Harvest is just getting underway," reported Gilles Nicault, the director of winemaking for Long Shadows. "We picked Sauvignon Blanc from a 1972 block at Bacchus Vineyard (White Bluffs AVA) on 29 August and will pick Stone Tree Vineyard Syrah from the Wahluke Slope on 6 September."

Elsewhere in the state, winemakers are making preparations for a harvest just around the corner.

Budbreak in Washington was spotted in the Walla Walla Valley in late April. It was a cool spring in Washington state, but things heated up considerably in May. The hot days pushed 2023’s cool start, which was tracking two to three weeks behind towards more recent norms, with bloom seen across the state’s vineyards around 23 May.

After back-to-back unusual vintages, winemakers look forward to the kind of vintage that they’ve come to expect in Washington state.

Read Decanter's full report on the 2023 harvest.