The Grape Post - August 2026
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Wildfire Recovery Resources
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As wildfires continue to burn across the state, Winegrowers continues to provide the industry with information on resources available to assist with recovery. Click here for list of resources.
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Farm Bureau Healthcare: Benefits Built for Agriculture
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Give your team benefits designed with agriculture in mind. For Washington Winegrowers members, it’s a benefit that can help you attract and retain employees while making quality coverage more affordable. WFB Healthcare specifically serves wine production and other agricultural businesses, including small groups. Click here for more info.
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Nominate an Industry Member for a Winegrowers 2026 Award!
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Nominate a fellow industry member for Grower of the Year!
Last year's winner Ryan Flanagan was chosen for his leadership, his openness, his craftsmanship, and his unwavering commitment to quality.
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Do you know someone who demonstrates viticultural skills that provide impact in the vineyard and in the bottle?
Also accepting nominations for Grand Vin and Industry Service! Full award descriptions and past winners can be found here.
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Two important developments are taking shape in Washington agriculture. One involves a newly re-filed emergency rule addressing an ongoing plant pest issue, while the other could have significant implications for agricultural workers and employers across the state.
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A number of significant federal developments are unfolding as Congress heads into the fall. From funding and farm policy to international trade, pesticides, organic standards, and Washington’s wine industry, several issues are worth watching in the weeks ahead.
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That's a Wrap on 2026 Sustainable WA Audit Season
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Thank you to all participants — new and returning — for an incredible summer.
Sustainable WA welcomed 51 participants across Washington's winegrowing regions — including 9 growers joining the program for the first time. Together, they enrolled 190 vineyards spanning 18 American Viticultural Areas, from the Yakima Valley to the Rocks District of Milton Freewater to Lake Chelan and nearly everywhere in between. Read more...
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Is Your Business in Compliance?
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New WA Law--Transportation of Firewood into Washington*
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Chapter 16-476 WAC establishes a quarantine regarding the transportation of untreated firewood from outside the state into Washington for sale or use. This restriction, which became effective on August 18, 2026, also establishes heat treatment, labeling and record keeping requirements for firewood harvested outside of Washington.
Why does this matter to the winegrape industry? Firewood can contain invasive insects and pests, including the spotted lanternfly, a planthopper which can cause significant damage to grapevines, including vine death. Among other transportation methods, RV campers staying in vineyard and winery campsites may unknowingly be transporting these threats.
Violators of the WAC quarantine are subject to civil penalties of up to $5,000. The quarantine does not apply to firewood harvested within the state of Washington or to packaged firewood that has been certified by USDA.
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Review Your Excise Taxes Paid to Ensure Correct Filing Frequency
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As your wine business evolves, your federal excise tax filing requirements may change with it. A periodic review of your tax activity can help ensure you’re on the right filing schedule and staying ahead of important deadlines. Read more...
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Current and Future Research Directions: Establishing Threshold Levels
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The West Coast Smoke Exposure Task Force has released the latest installment in its ongoing research series, highlighting continued efforts to better understand smoke exposure and its impact on grapes and wine. Read more...
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New 1-Year Wine Industry Sales and Management Cert.*
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Walla Walla Community College announced the launch of its new Wine Industry Sales and Management Certificate, a one-year program designed to support working professionals and provide a flexible, career-focused pathway into the wine industry. Read more...
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Washington Wine Industry Announces Recipient of Allen Shoup Memorial Fellowship*
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The Washington wine industry named Dennis Fraley of Florence, South Carolina, as the recipient of the 2026 Allen Shoup Memorial Fellowship for Writers and Communicators. Fraley was selected out of a talented pool of applicants by a committee composed of writers and industry leaders. Read more...
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Industry told us what matters most: learning, connections, and meaningful conversations. We listened.
For WineVit 2027, we're reimagining the traditional trade show. Gone are the rows of pipe-and-drape booths. In their place is a dynamic Partner Pavilion designed to bring the industry together.
This open-concept space is where growers, wineries, allied businesses, researchers, and industry leaders connect, celebrate innovation, exchange ideas, and discover what's next. Whether you're showcasing new solutions, forging new partnerships, or sharing breakthrough research, the Partner Pavilion is where the conversations that move our industry forward begin.
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Members – Join us for an evening of post-harvest networking and our Annual Meeting of the Membership!
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What: Thank you Treveri Cellars for graciously hosting the Washington Winegrowers Association Board of Directors and Membership for an afternoon of social networking, plus a brief Annual Meeting update. Annual meeting to include state of the organization update, financial overview, and confirmation of new board members.
When: Thursday, November 12, 2026
RSVP: Email julie@wawinegrowers.org or call/text her at 509-293-9255
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Be Confident, Be Compliant Recordings Available to Washington Winegrower Members!
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The Washington Wine Institute and Washington Winegrowers Association are pleased to have partnered again to make both Washington State Liquor and Cannabis Board and Alcohol and Tobacco Tax and Trade Bureau regulatory experts accessible to our members through the 2-part Be Confident, Be Compliant Webinar Series. Members - Click here for recordings.
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LAEP Program Registration Is Open!*
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Registration is now open for the 2026–2027 Latino Agriculture Education for Viticulture (LAEP) Program – Level 3, offered through the Washington Winegrowers Association in partnership with Wenatchee Valley College and Yakima Valley College. Click here for more info and to register!
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Winegrowers Visits Members in Ongoing Outreach*
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In July, Winegrowers Executive Director Sara Higgins traveled to connect directly with members, learn more about their operations, and discuss issues important to them. Her visits included conversations with John Bookwalter at the J. Bookwalter Tasting Room in Richland, Steve Rothwell at Badger Mountain Vineyard in Kennewick, Katii Deaton and Ashley Young at Columbia Label in Benton City, Andrew Martinez at Martinez & Martinez in Prosser, and Dan Fulton at Angiolina Farms in Zillah.
These one-on-one visits are part of Winegrowers’ ongoing effort to stay closely connected to members, better understand current industry conditions, and ensure member priorities help inform the association’s work.
Sara will continue member outreach this fall, with travel to Chelan planned in October.
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The Washington Winegrowers Association calendar now features industry events from nonprofit, academic, and government organizations, highlighting educational opportunities in viticulture and enology across Washington and beyond. Visit the calendar to see upcoming events—or submit your own industry event for approval directly through the site. Click here to view
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