In my blog of September 5, I wrote that winemakers and growers were excitied about the prospects for the 2013 grape harvest, using words such as "fantastic" and "incredible." Now, with cooler weather and more rain, things are looking more worisome. Maturing grapes can handle rainfall so long as it is intermittent, allowing the clusters to dry out, keeping the skins intact. But the sunbreaks have become less frequent, to the point that there is real concern about moisture diluting the intensity of the grapes. The harvest is about 50% completed at this point, with most white grapes and some reds (mostly Syrah and Merlot) brought in. If the current weather patterns continue, the situation may become problematic for later ripening varieties such as Cabernet Sauvignon. For more about the concern about grape dilution, see Andy Perdue's post of September 28 in greatnorthwestwine.com. As of today, the Walla Walla weather forecast is for partly cloudy or sunny for the next ten days, with temperatures in the 60's and 0 to 20% chances of rain. There are similar forecasts for Sunnyside in the Yakima Valley. Hopefully, this respite will give grapes time to dry out and get more hang time for full maturity. Lets keep our fingers crossed and remember that it still too early to make predictions. As I stated in my previous Harvest Update, "It ain't over 'til it's over."