Washington Wine

Washington State has become the second largest wine producer in the US, however its quality wine history is fairly new. The first wine grapes were planted in Fort Vancouver by the Hudson Bay Company in 1825. By the early 20th century, many European immigrants were producing wines of decent quality. By 1914, vineyards were dotting Yakima and Walla Walla Valleys. 

 

But the Prohibition halted commercial production considerably, even though this also forced a wave of home wine-making. After the Repeal, strict laws were set in place that isolated Washington’s wine industry. Even though some vinifera wines were being produced for private consumption, what emerged from Washington was only sweet and dessert wine made from Concord grapes. These same laws also prohibited California wines, so the majority of Washingtonians only drank what they knew, those sweet Concord wines. 

 

Then in the early 1960s scientists Walter Clore and Chas Nagel won an appeal to overturn the wine restrictions. They argued that Washington had enormous potential for quality vinifera wine production and could easily give California some steady competition if given the opportunity. They reasoned that Washington shares the same latitude as many of Europe’s renown regions, has long direct sunlight hours (two more than California) and isn’t prone to the same diseases and insects. The only downside is susceptibility to frost, but at least the vines could be salvaged for the following season. The laws were overturned.

 

The Cascade Mountains create a rain shadow effect, blocking the wet conditions on the other side from the Pacific Ocean. The Columbia, Walla Walla, Snake and Yakima rivers provide much-needed irrigation, air circulation and cooling conditions. Ice Age floods left behind layers of sandy, volcanic soils which favor grape-growing and repel Phylloxera (along with the cold winters). This means grapes are grown from single root stocks instead of the hybrids found in most of the world to prevent the spread of Phylloxera. 

 

Syrah, Merlot, Cabernet Sauvignon, Riesling and Chardonnay are the most popular varietals cultivated. These benefit from a long growing season that promotes proper phenolic balance in the grapes. 

 

The regions within Washington State are:

-Columbia Gorge

-Columbia Valley (which includes the AVA’s Horse Heaven Hills, Lake Chelan, Wahluke Slope, Walla Walla Valley and Yakima Valley)

-Puget Sound

-Spokane County

 

~Amanda Schuster