Washington Wine

Washington state is located in the Pacific Northwest of the USA. Although this is a relatively young wine industry, only starting to grow Vitis Vinefera vines in the late 1970’s, it is now the country’s second largest wine producer. 99% of wine production occurs in the hot desert like eastern part of the state while there is one AVA and a small amount of grapes grown in the cool, wet, western areas surrounding the city of Seattle.

The Cascade Mountain Range defines the geography of the region by acting as an effective barrier between the wet Pacific influenced west and the hot dry east. The mountains create a rain shadow effectively blocking most precipitation, meaning that eastern Washington and the Columbia River basin only receive about eight inches (200mm) of annual rain. This creates a continental climate and makes the rivers that the wine regions surround all the more important because without irrigation grape growing would not be possible. The most notable rivers are the large Columbia River, the Walla Walla, Yakima and the Snake River. These rivers also play another very important part, as they are able to moderate temperatures in both the summer and the winter. In summer, a continual flow of cool moist air rises off the rivers to blend with the dry desert air freshening the surrounding areas and cooling vines. In winter, overnight temperatures in eastern Washington can drop as low as −15F (−26.1C). The rivers keep the air circulating and help to moderate this effect. Some vineyards employ wind machines and use more open trellising to help stop the frost settling and freezing the vines.

Ice Age floods created much of the Columbia River basin leaving behind layers of gravel, sand and silt that has mixed with volcanic derived soils. The combination of predominantly free draining sandy soils and cold winters suits viticulture and has repelled any outbreak of phylloxera. This means that most grapes are grown on their own roots, which has also been advantageous from a quality point of view. Grape growing is also influenced by the state’s northern latitude, which produces on average seventeen hours of sunlight per day in the growing season, this is two hours more than California. Add to the mix extreme diurnal temperatures and a reliable recipe results with vines capable of producing quality ripe grapes while maintaining the vital acidity. Chardonnay, Riesling, Merlot, Cabernet Sauvignon and Syrah are the main grape varieties grown but the region also produces a wide range of other high quality wines from many different varieties.