Washington State is located in the Pacific Northwest of the United States, immediately north of Oregon. Although the history of the wine industry is relatively Short, Washington's 900-plus wineries and 350-plus independent winemakers, with more than 50,000 acres of vineyards, now produce more wine than any other state except California. Almost all wine production is in the hot, desert-like eastern Part of Washington, although there is some Grape growing and an AVA (Puget Sound) in the cooler, wetter west. White Chardonnay and Riesling grapes, and red Merlot, Cabernet Sauvignon and Syrah grapes are the main varieties grown in Washington, but the region produces quality wines from nearly 70 different grape varieties.
About 58% of the fruit crushed is red grapes. The Cascade mountain range defines the geography of the region by acting as a barrier between the two parts. The mountains create a rain shadow, effectively blocking most of the rainfall. This means that the Columbia River basin to the east only receives about 200 mm of rainfall per year, resulting in a continental Climate.
Petit Verdot noir is a grape variety that originated in France (southwest). It produces a variety of grape specially used for wine making. It is rare to find this grape to eat on our tables. This variety of grape is characterized by small bunches and small grapes. Petit Verdot noir can be found in several vineyards: South-West, Languedoc & Roussillon, Cognac, Bordeaux, Rhone valley, Provence & Corsica, Loire valley, Savoie & Bugey, Beaujolais, Armagnac.
