Washington State

During the grape growing season, Washington State experiences over 17 hours of sunlight.  Despite such long exposure to sunlight, since Washington is located in the northwestern part of the United States, the nights are cool.  The combination of long sunny days and cool nights, help the grapes to fully mature and maintain a high level of natural acid.  This results in both excellent red and white wine.  The passion for wine in Washington State is growing very fast, over 100 new wineries have been opened since 2005 and currently ranks second in the United States in wine production.

Washington State has three main wine growing regions: Columbia Valley, Walla Walla Valley, and Yakima Valley.  All three are located in the eastern part of the state, away from the rains that consistently pound the coast. 

Columbia Valley is the largest wine region in Washington State, consisting of more than 100 wineries and over 16,000 acres of vines.  Several vineyards from other regions fall within its borders.  The region is best know for Merlot and Syrah, as well as excellent Cabernet Sauvignon, Chardonnay, and Riesling.

Walla Walla Valley has over 90 wineries but is much smaller with only 1,200 acres of vines.  The region is best known for its reds, most notably Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot, and Syrah.

Yakima Valley has over 50 wineries and more than 11,000 acres of vines.  The region is best known for high quality Cabernet Sauvignon, Chardonnay, Merlot, Riesling, and Syrah

In our opinion, red wines from Washington State are as good, if not better than those from California.  They are fantastic!