We promote cooperatively together. We wish them good luck in the search for a new executive director. Both states have strong agricultural programs. At a time when some agricultural products are declining in sales, growing grapes turns out to be very profitable, prompting some farmers to rip out apple orchards and plant grape vines. The value of the wine grape crop in Washington increased by 62 percent from 1995 to 1999, while the value of the apple crop declined by 14 percent, according to recent statistics.
Wine is the highest-value agricultural crop in America today.
Motto said the region has experienced four periods of economic recession since 1974 and in each case, wine sales continued to grow. People have a higher quality of lifestyle, and with that comes the appreciation of better wines, he said. Burns said varietals grown in Washington and Oregon mirror the consumer's palate as taste preferences change. Twenty years ago, consumers in the Northwest were sipping more white wines. As Washington and Oregon produced more premium red wines, the industry shifted.