Where the Magic Happens

For me, May began in the vineyards of the Walla Walla Valley, which straddles the Washington-Oregon state line and the winding Walla Walla River. With sweeping blue skies, typical gusty winds and views for days, the picture-perfect AVA was a beautiful backdrop for the U.S. Sustainable Winegrowing Summit.

The event kicked off with a tour of sustainably farmed vineyards, including Seven Hills, Ferguson and Les Collines (shown above). Despite one lovingly described as a “hostile site for grape-growing” (and by extension, the grape-growers who take care of the vines there) it was clear that the viticulturists and vineyard managers at each location felt passionately about their work and their sustainability mission. They waxed poetic about the Missoula floods, glacial erratics and rearing practices for leaf-cutter bees—words and concepts I was hearing about for the first time. But these are the unique yet everyday challenges that make sustainable farming fun for them. It’s an interesting puzzle (with a few of the key conventional pieces removed and local, seasonal curveballs thrown in) that they get to piece together anew every year. The high regard for and value of their prized fruit proves that, in this special place and others, I’m sure, sustainable winegrowing drives quality—and price.

As we progressed through the tour stops, it occurred to me that I could only name a few famous vineyards not attached to a winery. If winemaking begins in the vineyard, how can this be? Sure, vineyard designations are sometimes given on the label. And the local winemaking community in any given region certainly knows where the best fruit is grown. But even though talented and committed people around the world are pouring their hearts and souls into growing premium grapes, vineyards seldom rise to the cult status that wineries do. (And don’t even get me started on the generations of farming families and vineyard workers tending table grape, raisin and juice grapes.) The thought made me appreciate media coverage of and awards for the best-managed magical vineyards that much more. (See Wine Enthusiast’s May 2023 story, “10 Vineyards Behind the World’s Most Famous Wines,” for example.)

Most of the research NGRA initiates and supports focuses on production viticulture, through the lens of our research theme areas: genetics and grapevine improvement, integrated production systems, natural resources and environment, and extension and outreach. Sustainability underlies these themes, not as a certification, standard or set of principals, necessarily, but with the goal of sustaining the grape and wine industry—and our vineyards—into an uncertain future.

So, to those who’ve made grape-growing their life’s work, please know we’ve got your back. Priority research is already tackling tomorrow’s problems. We know the vineyard is where the magic happens.

Donnell Brown
President