Washington State, with its northern latitude and concomitant long summer days and its diverse soils, climates and unique geography, is recognized as a premium viticultural region of the world. Vineyardists in the state have capitalized on the diverse growing regions while learning to manage cold injury—a primary industry limitation—to consistently produce premium grape crops year after year.   This viticulture section encompasses maintenance of the vineyard, harvest, and vineyard productivity. Other topics related to the production of wine grapes, including development of the vineyard, irrigation, soil management, and pest management are covered in depth in other sections. Viticultural practices followed in the state reflect the uniqueness of Washington’s wine grape production and industry goal of creating a sustainable wine grape industry.