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September 8, 2017 CapitalPress.com California grape grower puts experience to work By JULIA HOLLISTER For the Capital Press Fifth-generation Sonoma County grape grower Steve Dutton knows a lot about stewardship of the land; his family has been farming in the county since the 1800s. “My brother, Joe, and I never wanted to do anything else,” he said. “We have al- ways wanted to be farmers, we never had another job. We both worked on the ranch as teenagers, and started full time in 1987.” Dutton is a co-owner of Dutton Ranch alongside his brother, a business started by their late father, Warren Dut- ton, in the 1960s. Currently, they farm 1,400 acres — 1,200 acres of winegrapes and 200 acres of organic apples. He is also a partner in Dut- ton-Goldfield Winery with winemaker Dan Goldfield. The Sebastopol winery pri- marily produces Chardonnay and Pinot noir. “Our days are long,” he said. “In the spring and sum- mer we work 10 to 11 hours, at harvest 13 to 15 hours, and in the winter eight hours.” All the grapes are hand- picked. The Pinot noir grapes are harvested at night, starting at 2 a.m. and finishing most days at 12:30 when the weath- er heats up. “The 2017 harvest looks good so far,” he said. “It’s on track to be a good year.” Although he says Pinot noir grapes are hardest to grow, the varietal has gained in popularity, and the demand continues to grow, he said. Grape growing has steadi- ly evolved over the past 10 years because growers have a better understanding of which rootstocks and varietals grow best in each American Viticul- tural Area, he said. He has some advice for someone considering a career Sonoma County Farm Bureau Steve Dutton, a fifth-generation grape grower in Sonoma County, Calif., has some advice for anyone considering a career in viticul- ture: Pay attention to detail. in grape growing: “Pay atten- tion to detail and grow the varieties that sell best from your AVA,” he said. “For ex- ample, foreign competition is something we are aware of but not a real problem. We are fortunate to grow Chardonnay and Pinot noir in the Russian River Valley AVA. They both have a lot of demand.” He is also concerned about agriculture in general, serving as president of the Sonoma County Farm Bureau. “It’s important to me to keep Sonoma County as open space,” he said on the organi- zation’s website. “It’s import- ant to protect agriculture and protect the right to farm. The Farm Bureau is the only enti- ty fighting for property rights, farming rights, water rights and to protect agriculture in Sonoma County while repre- senting all agriculture.” He says challenges face not only Sonoma County grape growers but California viticulture in general. “In my opinion, there are two challenges,” he said. “A severe shortage of labor and over regulation of the agricul- ture industry.” Dutton has served on the county Farm Bureau board 13 years. For the last four years, Dutton also chaired the mem- bership committee. In his “spare time” he has served on the boards of Sonoma County Farm Trails and the Russian River Valley Winegrowers Foundation, where he is currently presi- dent. 15 Washington educates viticulturists By SHERYL HARRIS For the Capital Press In Washington state, five college or technical school programs are available to launch students into careers in the wine industry. Once prepared, students can enjoy many careers in the industry. Washington State Univer- sity offers a bachelor’s, a mas- ter’s and a doctoral degree in viticulture and enology-related fields. Courses are taught at the Pullman campus and at the Richland campus, where WSU has the largest research win- ery in the Pacific Northwest. WSU offers a major, minor, and certificate in Wine Busi- ness Management through the College of Business. Pro- fessional certificates are of- fered in viticulture or enology, each a one-year program with hands-on camps at Richland or Prosser. Central Washington Uni- versity’s program offers a bachelor of science in Global Wine Studies and a minor in Wine, Trade and Tourism. Fac- ulty-guided field experience throughout Europe is required. In the future, they hope to offer a Wine Trade Certificate and a Sommelier Certificate. South Seattle College, through its Northwest Wine Academy, features Puget Ridge Winery, the only com- plete operating winery at a col- lege in Western Washington. Three professional certificate programs are offered: Wine Making, Wine Marketing & Sales and Food and Wine Pairing. The associates of ap- plied sciences degree and the transfer degree (associates of applied science-T) cover the same three major areas. Yakima Valley Commu- nity College offers degrees in Agribusiness, Food Tech- nology, Vineyard Technolo- gy, and Winery Technology. Transfer degrees are offered in Associate of Applied Science Agribusiness, Associate of Ap- plied Science Vineyard, and a Technology Transfer Degree. YVCC currently offers a pro- fessional certificate program in Wine Sales, but is in the process of adding two certif- icates (Vineyard Technology and Winery Technology) in collaboration with South Se- attle College and Wenatchee College. Brad Smith, Certified Sommelier II with the Yakima program, says all classes are available in the evenings, and all resources are available on- line. He also says the program has nearly 100 percent job placement. Walla Walla Community College’s Institute for Enol- ogy and Viticulture includes a state-of-the-art winery at College Cellars and 5 acres of teaching vineyards. Students, under the direction of the Di- rector of Viticulture, take care of these vineyards. Danielle Swan-Froese says, “WWCC is a Workforce Education pro- gram well known for hands-on experiences. We prepare stu- dents to work in the industry.” WWCC offers an AAAS in Enology and Viticulture, AAAS in Wine Business, AAAS-T Enology and Viticul- ture. An internship is required where students experience working in the college winery and one other. IRRIGATION EQUIPMENT BOUGHT. SOLD. RENTAL. Design of Effluent Handling Systems - Gates, Valves & Aerators New & Used Parts • Aluminum Pipe • Certa-lok • Siphon Tubes • HDPE • Sand Media Filters • Wheel Lines • Pumps www.pacsouthwestirr.com Carlos (209) 481-7677 Jim (209) 986-0099 V17-2/#18 V17-1/#5
