Vineyard soils require adequate nutrients for growing healthy grapes, but testing plants for nutrients is a cumbersome, outdated process that takes considerable time and effort.

A four-year, $4.75 million Specialty Crop Research Initiative (SCRI) USDA-NIFA grant will fund a national team of researchers and extension educators to improve plant testing and fertilizer recommendations for grape growers.

“The fertilizer guidelines that were developed 50 years ago are outdated, and the industry needs to realize that relying on these old guidelines is not going to give them the best return on investment,” said Markus Keller, Chateau Ste. Michelle distinguished professor for WSU’s Viticulture & Enology program, and the project leader.

The current testing process often requires leaves or fruit tissue samples be sent to a lab. Results can take weeks, by which time it’s often too late to change nutrient supply for the current growing season. It can also be expensive and unpredictable.

“We want to give grape growers the chance to sample earlier, make decisions immediately, and be able to act on those decisions before the following growing year,” Keller said.

The High Resolution Vineyard Nutrient Management Project  includes 14 scientists from seven institutions across the US and Mendoza, Argentina. WSU researchers involved in the project include Qin Zhang, professor of Agricultural Automation, Manoj Karkee, associate professor for Precision and Automated Agricultural Systems, Jim Harbertson, associate professor for Enology, and project manager Thomas Groenveld.

The team’s goals include plans to build remote sensors able to assess plant nutrient status from the air, and the creation of new guidelines on how to measure and adjust the nutrient status of grapevines.

Camera sensors mounted on a tractor driving up and down vineyard rows, or on a drone flying over the vineyard, might give growers near-real-time data. That would allow more informed decisions on what nutrients their grapevines need and where in a vineyard they are needed most, rather than sampling just one plant or section of a large vineyard plot.

“If we fertilize the entire vineyard as a one size fits all approach, it could lead to an imbalance in fertilization that could damage crops or end up polluting local groundwater,” said Keller. “We want to minimize the environmental impact while improving the quality of the fruit.”

The project’s social science and extension focus group sent a survey to grape industry stakeholders nationwide to see what growers are currently doing for vineyard nutrition. Despite less than 10% of their annual budgets being spent on vineyard nutrition, 75% of the over 300 respondents said soil nutrition was either ‘extremely’ or ‘very’ important’ for the yield and quality of wine and grape products.

“Macro nutrients like potassium and nitrogen allow vine growth and development. However, it can be hard to measure their presence in the plant, since the amount of nutrients can change during the season,” said Pierre Davadant, a PhD student at WSU and research assistant for Markus Keller’s lab.

Davadant, along with postdoctoral scientist Nataliya Shcherbatyuk, have collected scores of samples from commercial vineyards of wine and juice grapes for use in the study.

It will likely take a few years before results are available.

The team is fertilizing and observing blocks of Sauvignon Blanc, Syrah, and Chardonnay grapes at cooperating Ste. Michelle Wine Estates vineyards from winter until harvest. They’ll ferment the grapes at the WSU Wine Science Center to study how differences in vine nutrient status affect wine quality.

The Auction of Washington Wines, Washington State University, and all Washington state wine grape growers and wineries through the Washington State Wine Commission provided seed money for the project to help leverage support of USDA-NIFA and continue to provide supplemental support for the project.

To learn more about the vineyard nutrition project, visit the . Visit WSU’s  to learn more about the V&E program.

By Lauren Paterson, College of Agricultural, Human, and Natural Resource Sciences

An exclusive wine created by seniors of the WSU wine science program will be available for purchase at this month’s Auction of Washington Wines Private Barrel Auction for wine traders, April 19 and 20.

Currently aging in French oak barrels, the wine is a red blend featuring 60% Petit Verdot, 25% Cabernet Sauvignon, and 15% Merlot. All proceeds of the auction benefit the WSU Viticulture & Enology Program.

“This is an exciting blend with a big tannic structure but beautiful, dark fruit aromas,“ said Thomas Henick-Kling, V&E Program Director.

This is the sixth year of the Private Barrel Auction. The event began with eight wineries, raising $48,000 for the WSU program in its first year. This year, the auction features 29 of Washington’s premier wineries, and the event will be virtual for the first time.

“The Private Barrel Auction works to solidify relationships with the trade buying audience while supporting Washington State University and the industry through research and education,” said Executive Director Jamie Peha.

Zachary Green (’20) was a senior in the V&E program and an intern at J. Brookwalter Winery when owner and Auction of Washington Wines co-chair John Brookwalter offered to donate a barrel of wine to the auction.

“It was the perfect opportunity for the seniors to showcase their winemaking skills and create their own barrel,” said Henick-Kling.

V&E students prepared the wine blend with the assistance of Brookwalter Wines head winemaker, Caleb Foster.

Using grapes donated from Dionysus Vineyard, the students helped prepare several fermentation lots, taking samples to their university winemaking course, titled “Blended Learning.”

“We blended and sampled everything from Merlot to Cabernet Sauvignon and Pinot, to get everyone’s opinion on what style they liked the most,” said Green. With the assistance of assistant winemaker for Brookwalter Chance Cruisin, Green, fellow student Caleb Foster, and Henick-Kling created the final blend.

“It has heavy Petit Verdot characteristics, a deep rich fruity taste with a spice behind the palette,” said Green.

Green’s internship turned into a full-time job as a cellar master in mid 2020. After the auction, he will assist with bottling the V&E blend for whoever ends up making the private barrel purchase.

“The fact that we have a WSU student and alumni who were involved, and we have proceeds going back to V&E research at WSU really brings this collaborative event full circle,” said Peha.

The event attracts local and national wine buyers from retail, online, and hospitality establishments who bid for exclusive ownership of these one-time only wines to present to their top clientele.

Due to COVID-19 restrictions, this year’s event will be virtual. Wine samples were sent by mail to representatives from wineries to taste during the virtual auction bidding on April 19 and 20. The virtual auction will be livestreamed and bids are placed by mobile phone.

“Research secures the future of the Washington wine industry,” said Peha. “Whether it’s focusing on growing healthy vines or working to adapt amid climate change, it is paramount to the success of our wine and grape industry.”

For additional information about the Private Barrel Auction, visit the .

By Lauren Paterson, College of Agricultural, Human, and Natural Resource Sciences

Extreme heat, and too much water in response, affects a delicate balance in wine grape quality.

WSU researchers are studying the effects of heat, and developing an electronic, open-source cooling system to protect plants and wine quality, supported by the U.S and Washington State Departments of Ecology and recent grant awards from the U.S. and Washington State Departments of Agriculture and the Northwest Center for Small Fruits Research.

Markus Keller, professor of viticulture at WSU, is examining the effects of heat stress on grapes.

Heat causes physiological reactions in plants that affect growth rate and sugar content, and ultimately influence the flavor of wine.

“If grapes develop too rapidly, there will be too much sugar at harvest and too much alcohol in the wine,” Keller said. “Acidity also decreases with too much heat, making the wine taste bland.”

Vineyards that get too hot can also affect the color of the wine. To predict and prevent heat damage, WSU offers growers an online  (GDD) tool.

“We track temperatures and make the data available through GDD,” said Keller. The tool estimates growth and development of plants during the growing season by comparing average heat throughout regions of Washington.

Since 2011, when the GDD tool was launched, each growing season has been unseasonably warm.

“Every year, the average moves up a little,” Keller said. “It’s getting warmer.”

Evaporative cooling in vineyard canopies

Keller is now focusing on mitigating heat stress.

In his research, he discovered that fruit quality is more influenced by temperature than water.

“That was something unknown to us before,” he said, and runs against prevailing wisdom.

“When we water stress the plant, it grows less. It turns out, the effects of this water deficit in terms of fruit quality is really about temperature,” he said.

To avoid overwatering plants while keeping them cool amid heat waves, Keller and his team have developed a cooling system for vineyard canopies.

“Heat waves in Washington can reach temperatures of 110 degrees Fahrenheit or more,” said Ben-Min Chang, a doctoral candidate in WSU’s Department of Horticulture who works alongside Keller. “This is a very hot region.”

Over-watering in response to heat can cause plants to become oversaturated with water.

“It eventually penetrates to the soil and reaches the roots, which can cause excessive growth out of sync with the normal season,” Chang said.

Chang said the Cabernet Sauvignon grape, which usually has a complex flavor ranging from blackcurrant to cedar, might end up tasting like a green pepper. “That is a sign of excessive growth,” Chang said. “Growing grapes is a balancing act. Growers need to ensure their response to heat doesn’t tip the balance.”

Over the past two growing seasons, Chang developed a mechanized machine to lower the temperature of vineyard canopies.

He used a sensor from an infrared thermometer gun to read the temperature of the canopy, and an electronic micro-controller to activate misters installed throughout the vineyard.

“I use the micro-controller as the brain, and I use the infrared thermometer as the eye to measure the temperature,” Chang said. The device automatically runs the water misters when the canopy reaches 95 degrees Fahrenheit.

Using a sensor to measure water saturation on canopy leaves, Chang was able to improve his device. When the sensor detects that leaves have reached their saturation point, the mist stops.

To protect his sensors from ultraviolet rays, Chang uses a shiny aluminum wine can.

“Aluminum is a great reflector, so the sensor inside is protected,” he said.

The software that runs the electronic cooling system is open source. Chang plans to do the same with his canopy cooling device, so any grower can build their own.

“It’s a good way to pay it forward,” he said.

Following this season’s harvest, both Keller and Chang will see the results of their temperature control techniques.

In preliminary research, the team found that the evaporative cooling technique caused grapes to grow differently.

“The cooled grapes are already larger than the control group,” Chang said. While the control grapes take the brunt of the sun’s rays, those cooled with Chang’s device have fared better so far. Now comes the taste test.

“This experiment started in the vineyard and will end with us testing grapes and tasting the wine,” Chang said. “We’ll be able to see how the heat and evaporative cooling have affected the grapes and their overall quality.”

Wine-making normally takes four weeks after harvest, so Chang hopes to have more answers by the end of the year.

“We are thankful to the donors who allowed us to continue this important research,” Keller said. “We are hoping we can develop our cooling approach as a practical solution for growers and winemakers.

By Maegan Murray, ���سԹ�

RICHLAND, Wash. – recently signed an agreement with to explore educational opportunities for international collaboration in the field of wine science.

Valdemar Family Wine Estates has in both Walla Walla, Washington, and Rioja, Spain. It is the first non-American winery to establish a location in Walla Walla.

“We are delighted to forge an agreement with Valdemar Family Wine Estates, as it will provide extensive learning opportunities for students,” ���سԹ� Chancellor Sandra Haynes said. “These opportunities include internships, research and hands-on experiences that provide an in-depth look at the wine industry here and in Spain.”

The agreement specifically encourages the exploration of:

• Ways that international students could participate in experiential learning such as internships at Valdemar Family Wine Estates in Walla Walla, Washington, and in Rioja, Spain
• Ways to recruit Spanish students to the Tri-Cities and vice-versa
• Joint research efforts including grape and wine production
• Opportunities for collaborative programs relating to wine business professional development and related research programs

“There are two things that excite us the most about this partnership, and those are the possibility of giving local students an international experience in Rioja, which is something that will enhance their career, as well as the project bringing Rioja grapes, such as Maturana or White Tempranillo, something that would enrich the grape diversity of Washington state,” said Jesús Martínez Bujanda Mora, CEO of Valdemar.

André-Denis Girard Wright, dean of WSU’s College of Agriculture, Human and Natural Resource Sciences, said Washington is the new epicenter of wine, and WSU’s Viticulture and Enology Program fosters the state’s $4.8 billion wine industry with research, education and outreach.

“Partnering with Valdemar Estates, who pioneered the first internationally-owned winery in Walla Walla, brings global connections that are truly exciting for our students, scientists and wine industry partners,” he said.

Washington State University is a , featuring the state-of-the art and all-encompassing – one of only a handful of full-fledged wine science centers in the United States.

For more information about the wine science program at WSU, visit . For more information about Valdemar Family Wine Estates, visit .

By Maegan Murray, ���سԹ�

RICHLAND, Wash. – Bernadette Gagnier hadn’t found her ideal career path post life in the U.S. Marine Corps until she discovered that Washington State University Tri-Cities had a wine science program.

Gagnier served in the Marine Corps for five years, where she traveled the world, made life-long friends and overall enjoyed her experience.

“But when I got out, I hit a wall and I didn’t know what I wanted to do after that,” she said.

She enrolled in a community college in western Washington, intending to major in nursing, but realized that the path wasn’t for her. After searching the internet for what else would be a good fit, she found ���سԹ�’ Viticulture and Enology program, where students can study the science of wine, winemaking and how to grow wine grapes and manage grapevines.

“I have a hippie heart and my friends call me a plant mama,” she said. “Wine science seemed like a perfect fit.”

So on the last day to drop classes, she left. A week later, she found herself touring the ���سԹ� campus and decided to transfer.

“Most of the students were serious about their classes, had already declared their major and the average age was 25, and I really liked that,” she said.

She said transferring to ���سԹ� was one of the best decisions she’s made to date.

Learning to grow grapes and make wine

Through her viticulture and enology courses, Gagnier is gaining hands-on exposure in the

vineyards and the winery. Learning from professors who are passionate about what they do, she said she is receiving a world-class education.

Pair that with the ���سԹ� residing in Washington wine country and being able to study at the university’s Ste. Michelle Wine Estates WSU Wine Science Center, which features state-of-the-art equipment, she said she couldn’t imagine picking a better place to attend college.

“We live in one of the best places in the country to grow wine grapes,” she said. “WSU has a nationally-acclaimed wine science program. It’s been a fantastic experience.”

Career experiences while still in school

Since coming to ���سԹ� and declaring her major in wine science, Gagnier has already had the opportunity to work in multiple local vineyards and in a tasting room, learning more about the industry through hands-on experiences, even alongside fellow WSU Cougs.

She said her career experience in the vineyard and in the tasting room pair perfectly with her classes.

With her goal of becoming a viticulturist and specializing in the program for vineyard management, she said there are really few other places that would be able to accommodate her goals with the same hands-on experiences.

“I really found my place and my people here,” she said. “We’re one big family. And then I can go out into the world and work with my other family – my other fellow Cougs in the industry.”

Premier Washington Wine

Washington is currently the second largest producer of wine grapes in the nation and the Tri-Cities was recently highlighted as “” by CNN.

With its 300 sunny days per year, its dry growing season, its soil type and ideal daytime air and soil temperatures, it makes it perfect for grape growing.

Combine that with the Northwest’s passion for wine and wine terroir, or tourism pertaining to the climate and growing factors that make for premier wine products, Gagnier said it’s the perfect place to study wine science.

For those who would like to go into the business side of wine and wine-related tourism, ���سԹ� also offers a wine and beverage business management degree program and hospitality business management program – one of the top programs in the country, in addition to a degree in business administration.

“It’s rare that a university offers all of these degree programs in one place,” she said.

Future in wine

After graduating from ���سԹ�, Gagnier said she hopes to land a position as a vineyard manager locally in the Tri-Cities region.

“It’s my dream to be well-respected in the field and to have a successful career with in the wine industry,” she said. “���سԹ� is helping me get there. I’d say if you’re serious about continuing your education, you have to check this place out. You’re not going to be disappointed.”

For more information on ���سԹ�’ wine science degree program, visit .