When it comes to the art of wine, Washington State’s combination of soil, climate and geography along with the skills of winemakers allows Washington to produce some of the best wines in the world. The follow are some of the unique characteristics of Washington States wine growing environment that make these wines so exceptional:

Weather

• Sun – 17.5 hours of sunlight in summers, 300+ Clear days
• Dry Growing Season – Means fungus free, few chemicals
• Daytime Air and Soil Temperature - Consistently warm daytime air and soil temperatures during the growing season are critical to producing, the Cold during the winter months are ideal for vine dormancy, allowing the plant to rest and restore along with reducing exposure to pests and disease.
• Day to Night temperature Variability – up to 40 degrees – Preserves Acid which adds freshness and Balance
• Different Microclimates - Exceptional diversity of grapes grown in the state

Water

• Mountain Rivers:  The Columbia Basin benefits in having quality water from snow melt runoff
• Underground aquifers run through levels of basalt lava flow, and can be tapped via wells for water reservoirs.  World class, technologically controlled/timed irrigation systems are utilized to influence the growth of many vineyards.

Soil

• Various Soil Types - Types include loess, basalt, clay, silt, loam, sandy loam. This means excellent drainage
• Poor Nitrogen Content – Requires vines to work harder to send nutrients s to the grape and not the leaves
• 100% Own rootstocks – Vine Killing aphid ( Phylloxera ) cannot survive in sandy soil thus no grafting of vines. All Washington Vines are 100% of the grape variety planted. Only 5% of all the world wine regions can claim this.

World Class Wine Growers

• Passion for Quality
• Exposure to World
• Top notch Vineyard practices
• Water Management
• Vine and Grape Cloning understanding

Washington Represents Quality & Value

• 469 wines received 90+ points from Robert Parker’s Wine Advocate (2010)
• Wine Spectator reviews across 2010 (percent of wines rated 90 points+) : Washington State – 50%, Oregon – 49%, California – 29%, France – 41%
• Washington Wine Average price is 58% lower than wine from France