ADVERTISING: Advertorial — The roots of Washington wine
Laura Olson
As we celebrate Washington Wine Month, it's the perfect time to take a deeper look at the rich history and rapid rise of the wine industry in the state. While Washington may not have the centuries-old heritage of renowned regions like Napa Valley and Bordeaux, its wine story is a fascinating one of pioneering spirit, diverse terroirs, and outstanding vintages earning global acclaim.
The first wine grapes were planted in the territory of Washington in the 1820s at a mission in what is now Kennewick. Commercial vineyards followed in the 1860s around the areas of Walla Walla and the Yakima Valley. However, it wasn't until the repeal of Prohibition and the later establishment of the Yakima Valley and Columbia Valley American Viticultural Areas (AVAs) in the 1980s that the modern Washington wine industry truly took root.
Today, Washington is the nation's second largest wine producer after California, with over 1,000 wineries and an economic impact of $8.4 billion. The state boasts 20 distinct AVAs spread across the rain-shadow desert lands east of the Cascade Mountains, where long sunlight hours, low rainfall, and well-draining soils create near-perfect conditions for viticulture.
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