Washington Wines

Washington State is the second largest producer after California, although it is still way behind in terms of volume. Grapes were first planted at Fort Vancouver by the infamous Hudson's Bay Company in 1825, and by 1860 they had spread across the state. In the early 1900s, Italian and German immigrants planted their native varieties in the Yakima and Columbia Valleys, and soon the first annual Columbia River Valley Grape Carnival was held in 1910.

After prohibition, real scale was slow to come and it wasn't until 1969, when the state legislature passed a bill to end restrictions on wine imports from outside the state that competition forced the Washington producers to improve. The state's largest and most successful winery, Chateau Ste. Michelle, was born from this in 1976, and is absolutely tied to the economic success of grape growers in the state. It accounts for over half of the entire production here.

Within Washinton state, there are 21 AVAs distinguished by various features. Most of the vineyards are to the east in the Columbia Valley region on the east of the Cascade Mountains but a few regions like Puget Sound are located to the west of the mountains too.

Important Grape Varieties And Wine Styles Of Washington

Truthfully, there isn't really one dominant grape here. Over 85 different varieties are planted with a pretty equal weighting between white and black grapes. If you were to pick one champion here, it would have to be Riesling however. There has been a recent trend to experiment and make all sorts of Riesling, from bone dry to sweet, but the general style is off dry.

In terms of winemaking, Washington is pretty diverse as well. You'll find a mixture of producers using typical American-classic new oak in maturation and those using old oak. Orange wines, ambient yeast, lees ageing and more are also done all over. It really depends on how well you know the producers!

Washington State Wine Regions

With 21 AVAs to choose from, there is evidently a lot to explore in Washington, more than many people realise. Unfortunately, most of Washington's wines are sold in state and foreign exports are very small, meaning that if you see a Washington wine you should really take your chance to snap one up! Here's the most important names to look out for:

Columbia Valley AVA

• Walla Walla Valley AVA
• Yakima Valley AVA
• Red Mountain AVA
• Rattlesnake Hills AVA
• Horse Heaven Hills AVA
• Wahluke Slope AVA

AVAs Outside Columbia Valley

• Columbia Gorge AVA
• Puget Sound AVA