Mother Nature Strikes Again

by Jay DeWitt, Managing Partner and Vigneron

The Walla Walla valley was visited by a polar air mass in February. Sub-zero temperatures killed over 95% of the 2024 fruit buds. As of now, there are a few clusters scattered about our estate vineyards, but not enough to make much wine. Fortunately, there is enough new growth to repair the spur positions without cutting the plants off at the ground, so the 2025 crop should produce normal yields.

You might recall that we also lost the 2022 Birch Creek Estate grapes to a freak August hailstorm. Fortunately both the 2021 and 2023 vintages provided us with plenty of outstanding fruit from Birch Creek. In 2022 we made limited quantities of Walla Walla Valley wine using fruit from Breezy Slope, Minnick Hills, and the new vineyard that Dirk and his family own, Hidden Stone. We don’t have that same opportunity in 2024 since the whole valley was affected by the freeze.

The loss of two crops in three years is a difficult pill to swallow. We take comfort in the fact that we can pull back from the wholesale market and still will have enough great wine from our library to share with you, our loyal wine club members through the coming years.