Washington State Wine Research Priority Survey 2026

2026 Washington Wine Industry Challenges and Research Priorities

We need your input!

The Washington State Wine Commission and Washington Wine Technical Group again have combined forces to reduce duplication in the number of industry surveys. Your responses to this survey will help the Washington Wine Commission update research priorities and ensure program relevancy as well as help the Technical Group identify technical wine challenges. Please fill out this short survey or share with the person on your staff (vineyard manager, winemaker, etc.) that would utilize research and technical information. Thank you!

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1. Check the box(es) that best describes you:

Vineyard

Winery

Vineyard and Winery

Researcher

Advisor/consultant

Other

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2. For wineries: check the box that best describes your annual wine production:

Less than 5,000 cases of wine

5,000 to 50,000 cases

Between 50,000 to 100,000 cases

Over 100,000 cases

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3. For growers: check the box that best describes your wine grape acreage:

Less than 10 acres

10 to 50 acres

50 to 200 acres

More than 200 acres

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4. What is the primary AVA of your vineyard/winery?

Ancient Lakes

Candy Mountain

Columbia Gorge

Columbia Valley

Goose Gap

Horse Heaven Hills

Lake Chelan

Lewis-Clark Valley

Naches Heights

Puget Sound

Rattlesnake Hills

Red Mountain

Rocky Reach

Royal Slope

Snipes Mountain

The Burn of Columbia Valley

Wahluke Slope

Walla Walla Valley

White Bluffs

Yakima Valley

Other

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5. Are you aware of the WA State Wine Commission's research program that guides WSU research, funds research directly and helps disseminate research results to industry?

Yes

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6. Where do you prefer to receive information about research supported by the Washington wine industry? (check your top four)

Trade Publications and Journals (Good Fruit Grower, Wine Business Monthly, etc.)

WAVE (Washington Advancements in Viticulture & Enology) or WAVEx research seminars/webinars

WAVE Research Report newsletter (Wine Commission research newsletter)

Wine Commission Website Research Library

WA Wine Technical Group events/meetings

Statewide wine/grape conventions

WSU (field days/workshops/newsletters, etc.)

Wine Minute weekly radio program (AM 580/610)

Social media

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7. GROWERS: Did you gain any knowledge about grape mealybug mating disruption technology from workshops, field days, presentations in recent years that were supported by the WSDA Specialty Crop Block Grant received by the Washington State Wine Commission?

Yes

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8. GROWERS: If yes to the above question, would you consider adopting mating disruption to control grape mealybug if the technology is economically feasible?

Yes

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9. WINERIES: Research priorities are grouped by categories. Rank the current ENOLOGY research priority topics in order of importance (1 is highest priority).

Fermentation Management - includes topics such as yeast/bacteria impacts; microbiological spoilage; phenolic management; pH management; nutrient management practices; fermentation monitoring; management at winery of diseased/disordered fruit; rapid analysis of juice, must, wine chemistries

Wine Aroma and Flavor Compound - includes topics such as optimize sensory compounds in wine; mitigate environmental issues of smoke, freeze impacting wine quality; vineyard derived sulfur off aromas; identify flavor impact compounds in grapes and wine fermentation

Wine Maturation and Stabilization - includes topics such as sulfur dioxide minimalization and management; protein and cold stabilization to minimize flavor scalping, color loss, energy usage; microbial stabilization; pH management; impact of filtration, fining methods, calcium instability on wine sensory qualities

Winery Sustainability - includes topics such as reduce winery water and energy usage; develop methods for wineries of all sizes to recycle, reuse, repurpose harvest biomass, winery waste and wastewater, including glass wine bottles, impact of alternative packaging and materials

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10. GROWERS: Research priorities are grouped by categories. Rank the current VITICULTURE research priority topics in order of importance (1 is highest priority).

Vineyard Sustainability - includes topics such as vineyard floor; soil fertility; carbon sequestration; nutrient management; rootstock management and selection

Production Efficiency and Profitability - includes topics such as water use/efficiency to optimize wine quality; canopy management for mechanization

Pest Management - includes topics such as detect and manage grapevine viruses and vectors; sustainable management for all pests of economic importance (e.g. spider mites, phylloxera, mealybugs, fungal diseases, nematodes, crown gall, weeds, vertebrate); management of trunk diseases

Climate Impacts on Site/Viticulture - includes topics such as develop guidelines for light and heat exposure on fruit; understand climate variability impact on viticulture (phenology, ripening, pest and diseases); winter trunk injury and secondary infections (crown gall); develop decision support system for inversion, frost protection

Mechanization/Precision - includes topics such as develop/evaluate tools to reduce reliance on hand labor in vineyard or winery (crop estimation, irrigation precision scheduling and variable rate application; canopy and crop management, pest management, sorting, MOG removal, cellar tasks)

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11. List any research topic(s) not listed above that should be on the priority list:

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12. What technical challenges are you facing now in the vineyard or winery?

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13. Please share specific winery/vineyard topics that you want to learn more about in 2025.

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14. If you would like to be included in the WA Wine Technical Group's email list, please share your email here.

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15. If you have a wine trial you'd be willing to present to the Wine Technical Group, please share a brief summary and your contact information here.

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16. Thank you for your time. Please share any comments here.

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100% of survey complete.