Washington’s wine producers have summed up the 2020 vintage. The volume was slightly smaller than in 2019, but they are delighted with the quality. In addition to the pandemic, there were weather problems to deal with, e.g. rain and wind during flowering and fires at harvest time.
Cabernet sauvignon accounted for 29% of the total harvest, with chardonnay in second place with 16%, followed by riesling, merlot and syrah. These five together accounted for 80%. Many more grapes, around 65 in total, are grown in small areas in the state.
The grape price was slightly higher than in 2019. The grape growers received an average of 1.50 USD per kilo, a pretty good price globally if one disregards Napa and Champagne, which have exceptionally high grape prices. Cabernet franc was the highest valued grape at 2.17 USD per kilo.
Cabernet franc is currently planted on just under 300 hectares in Washington, but the area has grown six-fold in recent years. It seems that this grape has everything going for it right now, all over the world.
Read more about the 2020 harvest in Washington here winebusiness.
