Why Washington?
Washington is the second largest premium wine growing region in the United States. It has over 900 wineries and over 350 grape growers growing over 40 varieties. The top five are Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot, Syrah, Chardonnay and Riesling.
Washington’s vineyard areas are located in virtually the same latitude as France’s greatest regions: Bordeaux and Burgundy. Yet the micro-climates differ dramatically owing to the Cascadia Mountain range that lies to the east. The towering mountains create a rain shadow effect that keeps most of Washington’s appellations arid to semi-arid. The resulting dry climate and long daylight hours during the growing season provide ideal wine growing conditions for grape ripening, allowing for more concentrated, complex fruit flavors, good acid levels and pleasing aromas to its wines.
Washington’s wine territory is geologically diverse and unique. The Missoula floods that engulfed the territory after the last Ice Age deposited a wealth of gravel, silt and a visible trail of massive granite boulders, while eroding the volcanic basalt that forms the bedrock. Finally, Washington is one of the few places on earth not affected by phylloxera.
Washington has 14 sub-appellations, many of which are encompassed within the state’s macro-AVA, the Columbia Valley:
Yakima Valley
Rattle Snake Hills
Red Mountain
Walla Walla Valley
Milton Freewater
Horse Heaven Hills
Wahluke Slope
Snipes Mountain
Naches Heights
Columbia Gorge
Ancient Lakes
Lake Chelan
Lewis-Clark Valley