OVERVIEW
OF THE WASHINGTON WINE REGION
Washington State may be
a relatively young wine industry, beginning
in the early 1980’s, but it has already
become the nation's second largest wine
producer and is ranked among the world's
top wine regions. Washington wines are found
nationally in all 50 states and internationally
in more than 40 countries.
With nearly 30,000 acres of grape vines
planted, the state has ideal geography and
conditions for growing premium wine grapes
with consistent quality, resulting in strong
vintages year after year. While the majority
of wines produced are Chardonnay, Riesling,
Sauvignon Blanc, Merlot, Cabernet Sauvignon
and Syrah, Washington also produces a wide
range of other spectacular whites and reds.
When was the last time you had a Lemberger
(wine, not the cheese)?
Winemakers from all over the world have
begun to establish themselves in Washington
where they can create wines reflecting this
region's unique characteristics, with maritime
climate in the west and continental climate
(hot/dry summers and cold winters) in the
east. Their hand-crafted wines are receiving
wide acclaim from critics regionally, nationally
and internationally for their consistently
high quality. Many of them have received
scores of 90 and above from the major wine
media. Overall, this is a higher percentage
than other leading wine regions.
Ideal growing conditions and quality wines
are the key elements making Washington a
world-class wine industry.
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WASHINGTON
AVA’S (AMERICAN VITACULTURAL AREA)
What is an AVA?
Washington state has Nine major American
Vitacultural Areas as recognized and defined
by the US Treasury Department’s Bureau
of Alcohol, Tobacco, & Firearms. An
AVA has a unique climate, soil and physical
features, which distinguishes it from surrounding
areas.
Yakima Valley:
-Established 1983, Washington’s first
appellation
-Nearly 10,000 vineyard acres
-More than 40 wineries
-Top varieties produced: Chardonnay, Riesling,
Merlot, Cabernet Sauvignon
Columbia Valley:
-Established 1984, Washington’s largest
appellation
-More than 17,000 vineyard acres
-More than 15 wineries
-Top varieties produced: Merlot, Syrah,
Chardonnay, Cabernet Sauvignon, Riesling
Walla Walla Valley:
-Established 1984
-More than 1,200 vineyard acres
-More than 55 wineries
-Top varieties produced: Cabernet Sauvignon,
Merlot, Syrah
Puget Sound:
-Established 1995
-More than 80 vineyard acres
-There are nearly 35 wineries
-Top varieties produced: Siegerrebe, Pinot
Gris, Pinot Noir
Red Mountain:
-Established 2001
-Over 710 vineyard acres
-More than 12 wineries
-Top varieties produced: Cabernet Sauvignon,
Merlot, Syrah
Columbia Gorge:
-Established 2004
-Approximately 300 vineyard acres
-No fewer than eight wineries
-Primary grape varieties: Chardonnay, Gewurtztraminer, Riesling and Pinot Gris
Horse Heaven Hills:
-Established 2005
-Approximately 570,000 growing acres with
only about 6,040 planted
-Currently only 4 wineries
-Distinguished by receiving 30 percent more
wind than the Columbia Valley
-Primary graape varieties: Chardonnay, Sauvignon Blanc, Riesling, Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot, and Syrah
Wahluke Slope:
-Established 2006 (effective January 6th)
-81,000 acres
-More than 20 vineyards
-Currently only one winery and two wine
production facilities
-Top grape varieties: Merlot, Syrah, Cabernet Sauvignon, Riesling, Chardonnay, and Chenin Blanc
Rattlesnake Hills:
-Established 2006 (effective March 20th)
-68,500 acres (1,500 acres bearing vines)
-17 wineries and 29 vineyards
-Beginning elevation is 850 feet and rises
up to 3,085 feet
-Varieties include Cabernet Sauvignon, Malbec, Merlot, Syrah, Chardonnay and Riesling
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WASHINGTON
WINE FACTS
National rank:
2nd largest premium wine producer in the
United States
Current number of wineries:
460+
Number of wineries in 1981:
19
Number of wine grape growers:
350
Varieties produced: 20+
varietals
Leading red varietals:
Merlot, Cabernet Sauvignon, Syrah, Cabernet
Franc, Sangiovese
Leading white varietals:
Chardonnay, Riesling, Sauvignon Blanc, Semillon,
Chenin Blanc, Viognier
Ratio of red to white:
57% red / 43% white
Grapevine acreage: 30,000+
Record harvest: 2005 with
116,760 tons
Average hours of summer sunlight:
17.4 hours per day, about 2 hours more than
California's prime growing region
Annual rainfall: Eight
inches (20.32 cm) in Eastern Washington
(the major grape growing region) 48 inches
(121.92 cm) in Western Washington
Total economic impact on Washington
State: $3 billion
Wine-related wages paid:
$466.4 million
Full-time equivalent wine-related
jobs: 13,725
Total wine produced: 18.0
million gallons (68.3 million liters)
Estimated total retail value:
about $700 million
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