Washinton State Wines

Washington State is the United States second largest growing area. It is at the same latitude as Bordeaux and Burgundy. Washington has an average of two more hours of daylight than most growing regions in California. Although it has abundant sunshine, its cool nights allow for slow ripening, imperative for the grapes to retain their acidity.
      Washington State whites are refreshing, exciting, and polished. Look for riesling, Müller Thurgau, chardonnay, pinot blanc, pinot gris, sauvignon blanc, and chenin blanc. Explore Washington State bubbly too. Sparkling wines introduce the evening with pre-dinner mingling. They also go well with appetizers and can incite the palate.
      Look for Bordeaux blends. Cabernet sauvignon, merlot, and cabernet franc are three Bordeaux grapes found in Washington reds. Syrah is the fastest growing category in Washington for good reason; their syrah is sultry and dense, like it came from the Northern Rhone Valley.
      While Washington State can claim the same latitude as Bordeaux and Burgundy, its growers boast better weather than the legendary French regions. Washington State has a style that is characteristically French, yet offers ripe fruit flavors in a new world fashion.
      Most of Washington's wine grapes are grown east of the Cascade Mountains. This area is very arid, even more arid than Colorado. When grapes struggle for moisture they produce better fruit. Controlled run off from the Cascade Mountains offers Washington grape growers managed irrigation, enabling them to grow better quality grapes.
      Some of Washington State's American Viticultural Areas (AVAs) are Yakima Valley, Columbia Valley, Walla Walla Valley, Puget Sound, Red Mountain and Columbia Gorge. Exploring these AVAs can be an interesting adventure in all price ranges and as time unravels these regions will continue to improve and find there identity in our market. For now, many of these wines are undiscovered gems.