Our recently published report on Washington told you everything you need to know about what the state has to offer. There’s so much diversity available at incredibly reasonable prices that Brennon Leighton, the winemaker at K Vintners and House of Smith, went so far as to say, “For $15 to $25, no one in the world can beat us. No one can even compete.”
There’s a lot of quality wine produced in the state falling in that sweet spot, including plenty of syrah, which is among the best in America and even the world. Because the state is so large, with climatic, soil and aspect-driven differences that allow for real diversity of character, syrah can turn out boldly spice-driven or with a more mineral or herbal character.
And in such a big state lies one of the largest AVAs in the U.S.: the Columbia Valley, which spans 11 million acres, or a quarter of the state. The wines made here vary widely, none more so than those from the Walla Walla Valley AVA, which is part of the Columbia AVA.
