Washington State is the second largest wine producing region in the United States.
You may be surprised to learn that Washington State is the second largest wine producing region in the United States. California is, of course, #1; Oregon comes in at #3, New York at #4 and Texas at #5. Other states produce wine as well!
Because the state has been producing wine for over 125 years, Washington State’s wineries have a wealth of experience and an unparalleled knowledge of the area’s grape-growing regions.
Wine grapes are grown throughout 13 American Viticultural Areas (AVAs) in Eastern Washington’s Columbia Valley AVA—the state’s largest AVA, encompassing 11 million acres.
As of 2018, there were over 900 wineries in Washington State.
The number of wineries in Washington State has grown rapidly in recent decades. As of 2018, there were over 900 wineries in the state. In fact, there are now wineries in every county! The growth has been so rapid that the number of wineries is increasing even faster than the number of vineyard acres.
The reason for the increase is simple: winemaking has become a significant industry in Washington State, with an economic impact of over $4.8 billion annually on our state’s economy. Washington wines are also becoming more sophisticated and well known as our wine industry expands and grows.
Most of Washington’s vineyards are planted on loess topsoil which gives rise to a soft and fruit forward style of wines.
Loess is a combination of silt and clay particles that have been picked up by the wind from other areas. Most notably, the best loess soils are found in Eastern Washington, which is where most of Washington’s vineyards are planted. These soils provide some key benefits for growing wine grapes:
- Loess soils are low in nutrients (but not as low as sand or granite)
- Loess soils drain well
- Loess retains water during dry periods, but also prevents vines from being over-hydrated by rain in wetter periods
The first commercial vineyards in Washington State were planted near Benton City in 1867 by Dr. Henry Schmier, a German immigrant with vines from his homeland.
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In 1960 there were only 23 wineries in Washington and they produced around 400,000 gallons of wine a year.
Did you know that the first wineries in Washington State began with humble beginnings? In 1867, Dr. Henry Schmier planted the state’s first commercial vineyards in Prosser.
In 1960, there were only 23 wineries operating across the state, producing around 400,000 gallons of wine per year. However, by 1965 the industry was growing so fast that the number of wineries had doubled and production had increased by tenfold! Fast forward to 2018 and Washington is now home to more than 950 wineries that produce over 13 million cases of wine annually.
Between 1977 and 1982 wine production exploded in Washington State and by 1983 there were over 200 wineries producing 2 million gallons annually.
I find myself returning to Washington State wine regions again and again, not just because of the beauty of the region, but because of the quality of their wines. In fact, I think it’s safe to say that the overall quality has been steadily increasing since 1982. That’s when a series of events took place which helped bring about an explosion in winemaking in Washington State.
In 1977, the Washington State Wine Commission was established, and with it came promotion for wines from Washington State. The same year was also when the first American Viticultural Area (AVA) in Washington State was created: Yakima Valley AVA. In 1982, another step forward was taken by the Wine Commission when they began to offer a wine competition. Also in 1982, the Wine Commission helped establish the Washington Wine Institute as an organization accountable for representing wineries from Washington State in legislative matters and other issues related to industry growth.
There are now hundreds of wineries throughout Washington State producing tens of millions of gallons of wine.
Washington State is the second largest wine producing region in the United States, exceeded only by California. There are now hundreds of wineries throughout Washington State producing tens of millions of gallons of wine. The best wines of Washington State can command prices well over $100 per bottle, rivaling some of the most expensive wines from Bordeaux, Napa Valley and Tuscany.