The Rising Impact of Washington State’s Wine Scene

Success, by the numbers

While California’s premier wine regions were busy taking all of the air out of the room with respect to media coverage, Washington State amassed a serious resume of wine success stories. Washington Wine’s growth has been astonishing: the state now boasts 20 AVAs, over 400 growers, and 1000+ ** wineries (the vast majority of which are boutique, producing fewer than 5,000 cases annually). Since the 1990s, wine grape plantings have grown from just over 11,000 acres to 60,000, *** which is unlikely to occur unless the local economy is a benefactor of real success stories and capital growth. The 17 million cases of wine produced in the state annually contribute more than $8 billion in state economic impact every year.

Lower land costs than regions like Napa or Sonoma make Washington wines an excellent value play, but the state’s most impressive muscle-flexing can be found at the top of the quality ladder. The critics at Vinous, for example, found dozens of 2019s that earned 96 points and above. In October of 2021, Wine Spectator awarded a 90 or higher score to more than 25 Washington wines, over 20 of which were above 93 points. James Suckling was similarly wowed, writing, “In our excitement over Washington’s current releases of wine, we took our ratings game to another level and uncorked 600 bottles to get the full flush of what the state has to offer,” and exclaimed that the state offered “the best grenache bottlings in America.” Nearly 50 wines from the 2019 vintage earned 95 points or above from Suckling, including a handful of 99s and a perfect 100-point score for Hors Categorie Syrah from Walla Walla Valley. Whether you subscribe to points or not, it helps illustrate the point that Washington Wines are forces to be reckoned with—especially when the world’s top critics feel that they owe it to themselves, and their readers, to taste through over 600 wines! 

Another sign that Washington state wine has officially arrived is revealed in the auction market, where the most exclusive lots are seriously hot. Since kicking off in the late 1980s, the Auction of Washington Wines has raised nearly $60 million, which supports growth opportunities for Washington Wines, much like how the Napa Valley Vintners supports the community of Napa and its grower members, in the form of marketing, while also setting aside money to support local charities. In 2019, their Private Barrel Auction raised a record $300,000, and in 2022 auction activities garnered in excess of $4.2 million.

The future looks bright… and sustainable

What might be most exciting about the Washington State wine scene is that it doesn’t show any signs of letting off the gas pedal. When tasting Washington’s 2019 releases, Vinous remarked that “Winemakers in Washington State are full of energy and enthusiasm. Very rarely do I witness so much positive attitude visit after visit, or a willingness to experiment tirelessly, to think outside the box, or reinvent the box altogether.” 

The experimentation Vinous referred to is evident in the grape growers who are exploring all lanes of vine training to mitigate the hot climate—like bush-training, to maximize canopy cover, and ultimately to coax out even higher quality levels from their grapes. 

Master Sommelier Nate Ready at Hiyu Wine Farm and Morgan Lee, the winemaker for Two Vintners in Woodinville, are now pioneering orange wine production. Sustainable WA, the first statewide certified sustainability program, was recently launched, an endeavor built by and for the state’s wine industry and specifically targeted at Washington vineyards.

The bottom line: Washington State may be the home of Chateau Ste. Michelle and is the spot that attracted personalities-turned-vintners like actor Kyle MacLachlan, NFL great Drew Bledsoe, and rock stars Geoff Tate and Brandi Carlile—but it is also so much more. Washington is now home to incredible value plays and terroir-driven, world-class wine offerings. If you aren’t familiar with the Washington wine scene, now is the time to get acquainted.