Wine Region - Washington State

Washington is the second largest wine producing state in the USA, behind California. Washington currently has 37,000 acres of grapes and 542 wineries in 2010. Washington is unique in its wine climate because it is divided into east and west by the Cascade Mountains. Because of two active volcanoes in the Cascades it has created soil in the eastern part of the state that is perfect for growing superior grapes. In the east the state has dry, hot, and very arid summers which are ideal conditions for growth. The Western side of the state is completely different, it averages sixty inches of rainfall along the coast as opposed to eight inches across the state. Because of this difference in climate across the state and the excellent growing conditions in the eastern part of the state that is where most of the wineries are located. As wine growing has increased in the United States clearly so has the production of wine, and given eastern Washington's near perfect climate the number of wineries in the state has grown by 532 wineries in 40 years. The state has 13 AVA established wineries they are: Yakima Valley est. 1983, Walla Walla Valley est. 1984, Columbia Valley est. 1984 is responsible for 95% of wine production, Puget Sound 1995, Red Mountain 2001, Columbia Gorge 2004, Horse Heaven Hills 2005, Wahluke Slope 2006, Rattlesnake Hills 2006, Snipes Mountain 2009, Lake Chelam 2009, Naches Heights 2011, and Ancient Lakes of Columbia Valley 2012. As you can tell many of these regions have been established in the past 10 years, this speaks to the quality of the wine being produced in this area as it is growing rapidly. The wine production in the state is 54% white and 46% red wine. The major grapes grown in the state are: Chardonnay 5,992 acres, Riesling 4,404 acres, Sauvignon Blanc 993 acres, Gewurztraminer 632 acres, Cabernet Sauvignon 5,959 acres, Merlot 5,853 acres, and Syrah 2,831 acres. Washington is the number one producer of Riesling in the United States, and it is known as one of the best Chardonnay producers in the USA. The state currently produces approximately 12 million cases of wine a year, and the wine industry employees 19,000 people across the state. As wine making continues to advance in the US Washington will continue to compete with California as the nations best producer of wine. Due to unique land formations and a well rounded climate Washington State wine is on the rise in the world and will continue to garner national recognition as the state gets more world exposure.