Celebrate Washington Wines by Visiting the State’s Wineries

Although August is almost over, I feel it is part of my job to let you know that this is Celebrate Washington Wine Month.

I’m not entirely sure how this proclamation came to be. It could have been dreamed up by attention-starved Washington wine drinkers. Or perhaps a coalition of Washington wineries wanted the rest of the world to know that we’re out here. Or, most likely, the Washington Wine Commission decided to get the word out to consumers through wine shops, retail stores and people like me.

No matter the source, we do indeed have much to celebrate about the wine industry here in Washington.

I enjoy traveling around the state and visiting wineries and tasting rooms firsthand. One of my catch phrases that I like to pass along to anyone who’s caught the wine bug is, “go taste wine.”

My editor has even joked that I should carry a card that says, “Have winery? Will travel.”

And why not? We’ve got a good thing going on here. With the Cascade Range dividing the state into two very distinct geographical and climatic regions, the scenery on either side is as diverse as the wineries that now cover virtually every corner of the state.

And yet, I’m amazed at how many “west side” wine drinkers I’ve spoken with who have never ventured across the mountains. Most of these same people travel no further than the tasting rooms that have congregated around the Seattle/Woodinville area and consider this to be a trip to the Washington wine country.

But I think half the fun is going to the source, standing out in the vineyards (the overwhelming majority of which are located in Eastern Washington) and meeting with the winemakers. If you don’t take advantage of this opportunity you’re skipping out on the main course of the wine tasting menu and going straight to dessert.

Today we’re up to 13 different, federally recognized wine grape growing regions and somewhere in the vicinity of 800 wineries. My best guess is that I’ve been to about 150 wineries so far, and at the rate we’re growing I’ll never come close to seeing them all.

That’s fine with me. It’s this growth that keeps things vigorous and vibrant. It makes traveling to Washington wineries a new adventure every time one prepares to go on the next getaway. It makes the entire experience as fresh as each new vintage that’s ready to taste.

Have I gotten you enthused? I hope so. Now, Celebrate Washington. Go taste wine.