Columbia Valley, WA

Eastern Washington comprises today 11 appellations. The Columbia Valley is the largest AVA, stret-ching in the South to Oregon, in the East to Idaho. The Cascades protect the area from the heavy rainfalls in the West of the State. The climate in the East is arid, with only 15-20 cm of rainfall per year. The Columbia River is therefore, a very important source for irrigation. The vine acerage is 40.000 . The soil is quite sandy and offers low levels of nutrients therefore, the vines are stressed which enhances quality. The growing season is 180-200 days. Due to the location between the 47th and 48th latitude – same like Bordeaux – there are two hours more sunshine than in California. The most important AVA‘s are Wahluke Slope, Yakima Valley, Red Mountain and Walla Walla.