Weather break heralds good Ore. vineyard harvest

PORTLAND, Ore. (AP) -- A cool spring and a dry autumn has Oregon winemakers thinking this year's harvest may produce superb wines, possibly one of the better vintages of the decade for the state's $1 billion wine industry.

Frosts and late rains often dictate when grapes must be harvested, but winemakers say weather this year allowed them to pick the grapes at their peak.

Oregon's 1999 vintage is considered one of Oregon's best, with almost no autumn rain and cool, constant temperatures.

Similar results have been reported this year in most of the state's major wine-growing regions, led by Yamhill County with 11,910 tons in 2007, twice the harvest of runner-up Polk County.

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