Columbia Valley

If you like bold, fruity, elegant, hast burgundy reds, then you'll love the Columbia Valley AVA wines. This statement may seem counterintuitive at first, because admit it, you've probably seen Washington as a place where the sun does not shine but the eastern side of the state receives about 300 days of sunshine per year. (Compare that to the Napa Valley, which receives about 260 days a year.) Washington also often enjoys a long, consistent growing season so great for Cabernet Sauvignon, Syrah, Merlot and there's even limited plantings of Petit Verdot, Mourvèdre and Petite sirah!

A number of leading American winegrowers realized the potential of this area, which currently has about 240 vineyards with a potential of $2.4 billion. In the early 1990s they consciously invested in quality and now wines from the Columbia valley are winning prizes and Washington is the second wine state in the US after California. Quilceda Creek with its iconic Cabernet Sauvignon (always good for 97-100 Parker points) is a good example.

6 facts about the Columbia Valley
1.The Columbia Valley AVA was founded in 1984 and is located on the eastern side of Washington State and a small portion of Oregon.
2.The region contains 50,316 acres of vineyards representing 99% of Washington's wine country, making it just slightly larger than Napa Valley (45,000 acres).
3.The Columbia Valley contains 12 other AVAs, including the well-known Walla Walla Valley, Horse Heaven Hills, Red Mountain, and Yakima Valley.
4.The annual rainfall in the Columbia Valley averages 15-20 cm. To put that in context, that's about as dry as the Gobi Desert in Mongolia, which sees about 7.6 inches!
5. The Columbia River and the snowmelt of the Cascade Mountains provide the region's water for agriculture (including apples, of which Washington is the largest producer in the world).
6.The soils in Columbia Valley are predominantly loess (wind-blown silt and sandy soils created by the Missoula Floods) and result in wines with heightened aromas.