Oregon Wheat Farmer Brings $25 Million Annual Wine Business to the Columbia River Gorge

小麦葡萄酒为什么
Wheat to Wine and Why: A bright spot for a dull Oregon economy.

(THE DALLES, Ore) - Is wine recession-proof?

The Oregon Wine Industry has reported doubling wine revenues during this recession and exports look very good as Red Wine sales in Hong Kong has doubled just this past year, as the fast-increasing affluent Chinese are demanding quality imported wines. Capitalist Hong Kong now has more than 100,000 millionaires - a 33% increase since 2008.

There are close to one million millionaires now in Mainland China, average age of only 43. Dining Chinese seem to be saying, “Waiter, forget the beer, and bring us a 2000 yuan ($126.00) bottle of Oregon Pinot!”

No better example of going after that increasing world demand can be found than in the Oregon-Washington Columbia River Gorge where former wheat farmer Jack Hay is converting 400 acres of wheat land over to vineyards.

With today’s high tech computer controlled viticulture, (that's a fancy name for growing grapes), each grape stock is carefully monitored and given just the right amount of nutrients and water that each plant wants and needs. No more asking the heavens to start or stop raining.

Experts agree, Columbia River Gorge - World's best place to grow premium wine grapes

Jack brought in world experts such as Ph.D. Viticulturist Jessica Cortell and Ph.D. Geologist and soil expert Alan Busacca to develop his vineyards and in so doing discovered that the Columbia River Gorge with its diversity of rainfall and climates, excellent soil and rolling hills and an abundance of pure water from their own wells provides one of the best places in the world to grow a wide variety of fine premium wine grapes.

It's the type of change in agriculture that may be responsible for raising the income on this 400 acres of wheat land from $25 thousand a year to $25 million a year annual income.

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Mike September 29, 2011 10:28 am (Pacific time)

Gloria look at the historical grape/wine production in the area of England 2,000 years ago. It was quite succesfull, then it got cold, then even colder through the 14th century, and wine production of any commercial size ceased. Of course this was before the Industrial Revolution, but even today with advanced grape hybrids, it's too cold for commercial wine production of any size in this area that at one time was much warmer. Thus, consider that warm and cooling climate cycles are a natural function, and have nothing to do with man's "macro" influences, in my opinion, and that of tens of thousands of highly trained scientists. Please see this link for proof of last statement: http://petitionproject.org/

Gloria September 29, 2011 1:07 am (Pacific time)

Global warming is real and this entire story about grapes growing in areas always believed to be too cold is proof in itself. I bet they do grow great there, but what does that mean to the west coast? Napa?

A Curious Investor September 28, 2011 5:35 pm (Pacific time)

That is interesting, I have not considered this area for investment and will now. The future of the wine industry is very promising.

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