State Facts

Downloadable AVA Map

National rank:

2nd largest premium wine producer in the United States

Number of wineries:

650+

Number of wine grape growers:

350+

Appellations:

Eleven American Viticultural Areas (AVAs), as recognized and defined by the United States Treasury Department; Alcohol & Tobacco Taxes & Trade Bureau

1. Yakima Valley - 1983
2. Walla Walla Valley - 1984
3. Columbia Valley - 1984
4. Puget Sound - 1995
5. Red Mountain - 2001
6. Columbia Gorge - 2004
7. Horse Heaven Hills - 2005
8. Wahluke Slope - 2006
9. Rattlesnake Hills - 2006
10. Snipes Mountain - 2009
11. Lake Chelan - 2009

Varieties produced:

30+ varietals

Leading white varietals:

1. Chardonnay
2. Riesling
3. Pinot Gris
4. Sauvignon Blanc
5. Gewurztraminer
6. Viognier
7. Semillon
8. Chenin Blanc

Leading red varietals:

1. Cabernet Sauvignon
2. Merlot
3. Syrah
4. Cabernet Franc
5. Malbec
6. Sangiovese
7. Pinot Noir
8. Lemberger

Ratio of white to red:

54% white to 46% red

Wine production:

20.073 million gallons*

Wine grape acreage:

36,000+ acres or 14,568+ hectares

Record harvest:

2009 with 156,000 tons

Estimated retail value:

Winery Sales = $437.64 million*

Retail and Restaurant Sales = $135.782 million*

Distributor Sales = $37.34 million*

Full-time equivalent wine-related jobs :

19,000 in Washington, 29,000 nationwide*

Wine-related wages paid :

$579 million in Washington, $850 million nationwide*

Total economic impact on Washington State:  

$3 billion*

Total economic impact on U.S. economy:  

$4.7 billion* 

Wine market segment:

Washington State is focused on the premium wine market segment (wines sold for $8 and higher).

Average hours of summer sunlight:

17.4 hours per day, about 2 hours more than California's prime growing region

Annual rainfall:

Eight inches (20.32 cm) in Eastern Washington (the major grape growing region) 48 inches (121.92 cm) in Western Washington

Wine grape acreage growth:

Acreage data provided by the Washington Association of Wine Grape Growers (WAWGG) unless otherwise noted

• 1993 - 11,100 acres (4,492 hectares)
• 1997 - 17,000 acres (6,880 hectares)
• 1999 - 24,000 acres (9,712 hectares)
• 2002 - 28,000 acres (11,331 hectares)
• 2003 - 29,000 acres (11,736 hectares)
• 2004 - 30,000 acres (12,140 hectares)
• 2005 - 30,000 acres (12,140 hectares)
• 2006 - 31,000 acres (12,545 hectares)*
• 2007 - 31,000 acres (12,545 hectares)
• 2008 - 34,000 acres (13,759 hectares)
• 2009 - 36,000 acres (14,568 hectares)

Winery growth

• 1981 - 19 wineries
• 1996 - 80 wineries
• 1997 - 101 wineries
• 1998 - 129 wineries
• 1999 - 160 wineries
• 2000 - 163 wineries
• 2001 - 170 wineries
• 2002 - 208 wineries
• 2003 - 240 wineries
• 2004 - 300 wineries
• 2005 - 360 wineries
• 2006 - 460 wineries
• 2007 - 540 wineries
• 2008 - 580 wineries
• Today - 650+ wineries

Wine production growth

• 1981 - 2.0 million gallons (7.5 m liters)
• 1996 - 5.3 million gallons (19.9 m liters)
• 1997 - 9.6 million gallons (36.3 m liters)
• 1998 - 10.9 million gallons (41.5 m liters)
• 1999 - 10.0 million gallons (38.0 m liters)
• 2000 - 14.0 million gallons (52.7 m liters)
• 2001 - 15.5 million gallons (58.5 m liters)
• 2002 - 17.7 million gallons (67.3 m liters)
• 2003 - 17.3 million gallons (65.5 m liters)
• 2004 - 16.5 million gallons (62.9 m liters)
• 2005 - 19.0 million gallons (72.0 m liters)
• 2006 - 20.0 million gallons (75.8 m liters)

*According to Economic Impact Study performed by MKF Research using 2006 data