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State Facts

National rank:

2nd largest premium wine producer in the United States

Number of wineries:

540+

Number of wine grape growers:

350

Nine Appellations :

Washington has nine major American Viticultural Areas (AVA) 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

Varieties produced:

20+ varietals

Leading red varietals:


  • Merlot
  • Cabernet Sauvignon
  • Syrah
  • Cabernet Franc
  • Sangiovese

Leading white varietals:


  • Chardonnay
  • Riesling
  • Sauvignon Blanc
  • Semillon
  • Viognier

Ratio of red to white:

57% red / 43% white

Wine Production:

20.073 million gallons*

Wine Grape Acreage:

31,000+ acres or 12,545+ hectares

Record Harvest:

2007 with 127,000 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 US 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:


  • 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)*

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
  • Today - 540+ 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