Washington's prime wine regions are located at 46° north, along the same latitude as the famed French wine districts of Bordeaux and Burgundy. The similarity does not end there, as Washington's long summer days (with an average of 17.4 hours of sunlight - 2 hours more than California's prime growing regions) result in some of the Northwest's finest wines. Washington winemakers are able to produce a wide variety of wines due to the state's two distinct climate zones - the damp, mild west and warm arid east - and its range of soils. Washington's wine production is second only to California's, accounting for 5% of America's total.

• The Northwest's largest appellation, comprising approximately 1/3 of Washington State's land mass
• Produces 98% of Washington's wine grapes
• Over 13,000 planted acres / 5,200 planted hectares
• Over 10 million acres / 4 million hectares available for future plantings
• Climate: warm, dry, sunny days and cool nights in summer, cold in winter, allowing vines to store nutrients in dormancy
• Shared with Oregon

• Washington's oldest appellation
• 11,150 planted acres / 4,460 planted hectares
• Boasts the state's highest percentage of vineyard plantings per square mile
• Irrigated by a water network formed by the Yakima River and two major canals
• Climate: Yakima Valley is located within the Columbia Valley, and enjoys a similar climate

• 800 planted acres / 320 planted hectares
• Climate: Walla Walla Valley is located within the Columbia Valley, and enjoys a similar climate
• Shared with Oregon

• Washington's newest appellation
• 50 planted acres / 20 planted hectares
• The only grape growing region in western Washington
• Climate: long, warm summer growing season, with temperate winters that rarely incur prolonged freezing

Click here for varietal listing from Washington.