The Best Washington Wines

Washington wine tends to fly under the radar of the average winelover, but the state is doing some exciting things with both red and white varieties. It is also the second largest producer of wine in the United States.

Riesling, Merlot and Cabernet Sauvignon are almost universally lovely from this region. It doesn't end there; however, thanks to the unique conditions just about every variety thrives. We've recently been extremely impressed with Malbec and Syrah on the red side as well as white varieties like Pinot Gris and Chardonnay.

Columbia Valley covers 99% of the vineyard area in the state of Washington and offers a fascinating study in what wine geeks like to call "terroir". Terroir is a French term associated with wine that means a "sense of place". It essentially refers to the special conditions of a specific place. These conditions can include climate, soil type, and even unique plant characteristics.

In the Columbia Valley the terroir includes conditions like 300 days of sunshine a year and a desert-like annual rainfall of just 6–10 inches. (This is due to the rain shadow effect from the Cascade Mountains.) The area also boasts a 40 degree diurnal shift, which is the difference between daytime and night time temperatures. Large differences in daytime and nighttime temperatures are wonderful for growing grapes.

Columbia Valley also has extremely unique soil types caused by the Missoula Floods during the Ice Age 20,000 years ago. These soils allow vines to thrive and also impart unique mineral characteristics to the grapes.

Read on for our list of The Best Washington Wine Under $20!

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