March 2023 - 9

GROWER FEATURE
Sagemoor Vineyards grows winegrapes on hills above the
Columbia River north of Pasco, Washington. The bluffs aid
grape production through " wind air drainage, " which helps
keep the grapes warmer and less susceptible to frost.
help reduce disease and pest pressure and foster
quality. Powdery mildew is the single-biggest obstacle
for Washington winegrape production, Waliser said. The
fungal disease accompanies vinifera.
" If growers aren't on top of their spray programs or if
the weather throws us a curveball, we could have some
crop losses due to powdery mildew, " Waliser said. " With
insect pests, you have to look out for them and manage
and tolerate them through spraying, but, in general, you
won't lose your crop to them. We have seen complete crop
loss due to powdery mildew. "
Each Sagemoor vineyard block is irrigated separately,
with viticulturists determining when and for how long
based on needs of the variety, specifically red or white.
" There was a time when we didn't distinguish that much
between the two, but we are doing more of that all the
time, " he said. " It has an impact on quality at the end of
the year. "
Grape phylloxera, tiny aphid-like insects that can
destroy plants, are a concern but not a crisis for some
growers, Waliser said. Industry-developed resistant
rootstocks have helped stem the problem. With the
discovery of phylloxera, progressive growers are planting
resistant rootstocks, he said.
As disease and pest pressures change, growing
practices change, and Sagemoor has fine-tuned
chemicals used and their rotations, along with updated
irrigation processes and vineyard care protocols.
" You must continue to adapt to technology, " Waliser
said. " Just having people observant in the vineyards
and using the tools available, we have gained better
cultivation and canopy management tools that work
very well. "
In Washington, most wineries don't grow their own
grapes, but the situation is changing. " It is a gradual
process that wineries are buying or starting vineyards, "
Waliser said. " It is a small percentage where this is
happening on both sides. Growers making wine is
happening, but also slowly. " Only a handful of growers a
year are making the change, but this wasn't happening
20 years ago, he said. " It takes profit on both fronts to
vertically integrate, " Waliser said.
Vineyards works with its customers by keeping in
contact via email and telephone is also important. As the
season progresses, many winemakers make trips to the
vineyard to check on Sagemoor's work and the grapes,
which becomes more frequent during harvest. " Many
winemakers trust us and their winery may be too far
away to make trips, so we use email or phone or text to
communicate, " Waliser said. In some cases after harvest,
Waliser visits wineries to see how the wine turned out.
Nurturing flavor
A favorite saying at Sagemoor is that flavors are
nurtured in the vineyard. The different wine flavor
profiles originate in the vineyard, with wineries
shepherding those flavors.
" A winery is not a hospital, " Waliser said. " Wine
doesn't get better there. You don't take the grapes to the
hospital to make them better. You take them to wineries
to preserve what's there. "
Otherwise, wineries would receive grapes from
everywhere and produce similar tasting wines.
Sagemoor's land was purchased by four partners
in 1968 and the first vines were planted in 1972. The
original owners, Alec Bayless, Albert Ravenholt, Winslow
Wright and Syd Abrams, are credited with pioneering
Washington's early wine industry with their vision.
In 2002, Waliser joined Sagemoor. The 30-year apple
industry veteran, who grew up on his family's apple
farms in nearby Milton-Freewater, Oregon, worked
in operations, sales and marketing for companies
including Dole in Wenatchee, Washington. In 2014,
Allan Bros. purchased Sagemoor from its founders and
other investors. Allan Bros. carried on with the same
employees and business plan.
Waliser puts a premium on people. He points to Lacey
Lybeck, Sagemoor's vineyard operations manager, as
a young viticulturist who's attuned to technology and
adapting different growing methods to control costs and
harvest quality grapes.
" At the end of the day, it's all about people, " Waliser said.
" You can be in the right spot at the right time with the right
varieties, but if you haven't invested in the right people and
the right team, you won't rise above average. "
FRUITGROWERSNEWS.COM | 9
http://www.FRUITGROWERSNEWS.COM
March 2023

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