Washington State Wine Country

Washington State may be best known for coffee, apples software and airplanes, but it's also one of the top two wine-producing states in the country. It has a relatively young wine industry - the first grapes weren't planted until 1825 by the Hudson's Bay Company. The first commercial-scale plantings didn't occur until 1960, though there were wineries as early as 1938. Today, there are at least 200 wineries in the state and more than 100,000 tons of grapes are harvested annually.

Let's take a look at just a few of the award-winning wineries.

Founded by Gary and Nancy Figgins, Leonetti Cellar was the first winery in the Walla Walla Valley, east of the Cascade Mountains. Gary's maternal grandparents settled in the area after leaving Italy and made small amounts of wine in their dirt floor cellar. Primarily self-educated in the art of wine-making, Gary planted an acre of grapes on a hillside above the original family homestead in 1974 and the first wines were produced in 1978. The winery is not open to the public, but its wine is available at retail shops and restaurants in several US states as well as in Canada and Japan.

Founded by Casey McClellan, one of the oldest wineries in the Walla Walla region is Seven Hills Winery. With an emphasis on Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot and Bordeaux red blends, Seven Hills has developed wines with exceptional quality that have placed in the Seattle Wine Awards, the San Francisco Chronicle Wine Competition, and the annual Northwest Wine Festival. They have also been rated as "very good to excellent" by the International Wine Cellar. The tasting room is open from 11-4 Thursday through Sunday and can be contacted at 509-529-7198

K Vintners winery can also be found in Walla Walla and is the home of Food & Wine's 2009 winemaker of the year, Charles Smith. The winery opened its doors in December of 2001 and through its distributor, Vehrs Inc, its wine can be found almost everywhere. The tasting room is closed during the winter months, but Smith is said to have recently purchased a building in Walla Walla where he plans to open a casual restaurant that will feature more than 150 K wines.

Just west of Walla Walla, in Frenchtown, is the family-owned L'Ecole Nº 41. The winery produces 30,000 cases of Semillon, Chardonnay, Merlot, Syrah and Cabernet Sauvignon annually and was named the Winery of the Year by Wine & Spirits for eight consecutive years. The tasting room is located in one of two classrooms of a restored schoolhouse originally built in 1915. There is also a library where you can find a book to read by the fireplace, enjoy the Falkenberg stained glass windows and gaze upon the preserved hand-painted children's Christmas pageant mural. It's open daily from 10-5 and can be reached at 509-525-0940.

Lowden, Washington, also in the Walla Walla valley, is home to Woodward Canyon Winery. The first grapes were planted in 1976 and the winery was founded in 1981 by Rick and Darcey Small. Rick is another self-taught winemaker who began concentrating on hands-on oversight when Kevin Mott was hired as Winemaker in 2003. The winery produces award-winning Cabernet Sauvignons, Merlots and Chardonnays, limiting production to 10,000 cases a year. Another 7,000 cases are produced under the Nelms Road label, which features affordable Merlots and Cabernets produced from young vineyards. The tasting room is open daily from 10-5 and private tastings can be arranged for groups of up to 20 people by calling 509-525-4129. There are also shaded perennial gardens designed by Darcey for guests to enjoy and picnic tables are available for no charge.

Probably the most tourist-friendly winery in the state is also the oldest. Chateau Ste. Michelle was built on the estate formerly owned by Seattle lumber mogul, Frederick Stimson, and its roots lie in the merger of the Pommerelle Wine Company and the National Wine Company in 1954. The new company, American Wine Growers, began a new line of premium wines called Ste. Michelle Vintners and when a French-style chateau was build on the property, the name was changed to Chateau Ste. Michelle. The first grapes were planted in 1972 in Cold Creek Vineyard and this Eastern Washington vineyard is still one of the most celebrated in the state.

Chateau Ste. Michelle is located in Woodinville, near Seattle, and has two distinct wineries, one devoted to reds and the other to whites. Joshua Maloney joined the organization in 2005 as the red winemaker, managing operations at Canoe Ridge Estate near Paterson, Washington. Wendy Stuckey came to the winery in 2007 as the white winemaker in the Woodinville location. Originally from Australia, she worked at the Wolf Blass Winery where she was responsible for the Wolf Blass Gold Label Riesling. Bob Bertheau is the head winemaker and he has been with Chateau Ste. Michelle since 2003.

The Chateau is open from 11-5 daily and offers a variety of tasting experiences. April through October, the historic grounds can be toured with the Master Gardener and every summer the Chateau hosts concerts usually featuring internationally known acts. More information about the entire menu of Chateau events can be found by calling 425-488-1133 or 1-800-267-6793.

Washington offers some breathtaking scenery and since most of the wineries and vineyards are located in picturesque locations, they're worth visiting even if you're not a wine enthusiast.