Producing everything from Riesling to Cabernet Sauvignon, trying to define Washington State’s diverse wines is about as easy as baking the perfect soufflé.
The first vines were planted in the state in 1825 and it is now America’s second-largest wine-producing state, with more than 1,000 wineries. It wasn’t until the 1970s, however, that commercial-scale winemaking was attempted and its recent expansion has been rapid: 40% of Washington’s vines were planted in the last decade.
The state’s vineyards are located in the east, enjoying protection from the rain-bearing winds that mean it’s often soggy in Seattle. Beyond the Cascade Mountains lies Washington’s most important wine region, the Columbia Valley, which receives more sunshine than Napa and a similar amount of rainfall to the Gobi desert.
The region spills over the state’s southern border into Oregon and includes the diverse AVAs of the Yakima Valley, the historic Walla Walla Valley (which is home to Cayuse Vineyards, the first biodynamic producer in the area), and Horse Heaven Hills (home to Quilceda Creek's Champoux Vineyard, which has produced several perfect Cabernet Sauvignons, according to Robert Parker).
The majority of Washington State’s winemaking is small-scale but its quality has attracted overseas interest in the form of the Mosel’s Ernie Loosen and Tuscany’s Marchesi Antinori who both run joint ventures with Chateau Ste Michelle, Eroica and Col Solare respectively.