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About Washington Wines

The growth of Washington wines has been beyond exponential, from what John last heard there are some 700 wineries, when he first started to explore the region there were maybe 30 or so.

One cannot mention Washington wine without acknowledging some of pioneers. There is of course Walter Clore, he has been officially recognized by the Washington State Legislature as the "Father of Washington Wine". As far as producers are concerned some of the pioneers are, and in no particular order, Alex Golitzan from Quilceda Creek, Rick Small from Woodward Canyon, Gary Figgins from Leonetti Cellars, Chris Camarda from Andrew Will, and the late David Lake MW.

They sparked a generation of new producers who have catapulted the Washington region into a bonafide tourist destination. In its early years Walla Walla was a literally a ghost town, something of the twilight zone, its turn of the century buildings vacant but still intact were reminders of a bygone era. Some 20 years later there are now 177 plus wineries in Walla Walla alone, when there used to be four or five.

Some of the new entries and stars into the Washington region are Cayuse, Amavi, Dusted Hill, Norm Mckibbon with the passionate Jean Francois Pellet, North Star, and Long Shadows. Great wines are being crafted and of course better ones are on the horizon.

One does not have to drive the seven hours from Vancouver to Walla Walla to explore Washington State wines. Recognizing the market for wines was on the west side of the Cascade Mountains, Woodinville Wine Country was developed for tourists and locals alike. It offers the weekend visitor to Seattle or Bellevue a chance to taste some of Washington's great wines without traveling four hours east. Delille, Isenhower, Kestrel, Matthews, Columbia, Chateau Ste. Michelle and Tefft are some of the wines you can taste.