Washington Winners

The state’s Cabernets, Merlots, and Syrahs deserve a place at your table.

- Ray Isle,GREG DUPREE

ONE OF THE ENDURING MYSTERIES of wine is why Washington reds don’t get more love (enduring to me, at least). They offer everything you can find in Napa Valley and other top California regions, often at a more moderate price, and yet, somehow, they’ve never captured national attention in the same way as wines from the Golden State have. Maybe it’s because our visual idea of Washington state is Seattle and the Puget Sound, drizzly and Pacific Ocean–adjacent. Not exactly ideal vineyard conditions.

But the truth is that almost all of Washington’s wine grapes are grown east of the Cascade Range, in the vast Columbia Valley appellation, which covers more than a quarter of the entire state (and in which many smaller appellations are nested: Walla Walla Valley, Horse Heaven Hills, Yakima Valley, and more). It’s neither drizzly nor salt-sprayed here but warm and dry, with a mere 6 to 8 inches of rain yearly compared to Seattle’s almost 40. Want to grow some wine grapes? You’ve picked the right place.

In terms of red varieties, Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot, Syrah, Grenache, and Mourvèdre all grow well here, offering lovers of red wine an abundance of options. (Pinot, not so much: It’s too warm.) So do yourself a favor: The next time you’re in a wine store, check out one of the following 12 Washington red wines, or—always an option—just reach out to the winery directly.

CABERNET SAUVIGNON, MERLOT & BORDEAUX-STYLE BLENDS

2022 BOARD TRACK RACER THE VINCENT RED ($20)