Oregon Public Broadcasting

This week Northwest winemakers are wrapping up a time known as “crush.” That’s when all the grapes in Washington, Oregon and Idaho have been picked and pressed to make wine.

Winemakers are calling this year one of the best vintages yet.  Richland correspondent Anna King reports.

Rob Griffin flips the switch on his massive grape press at Barnard Griffin Winery in Richland, Washington.

Griffin says keeping the hectic crush season running smoothly is like juggling chainsaws and watermelons.

This year’s fresh-pressed red wines have winemakers like Griffin thrilled. The lengthy, cool and dry fall allowed for slow ripening and lots of hang time.

That’s when the fruit doesn’t have to be picked right away and can develop more subtle fruit flavors. Griffin admits that almost every year Northwest winemakers say they have a good vintage but this year – wow.

Rob Griffin: "We had -- at least in the vineyards I worked with -- a storybook fall. The days were warm and the nights were warm. It was nothing short of a miracle."

Of course consumers will have to wait a bit to try out this year’s wine for themselves. Most 08 reds, like Griffin’s, will be aging until the winter of 2010.