Washington Wineries
November 16th, 2008 by Greg Everett, under Vacations. No Comments
Washington has increased its number of wineries by 400 percent in the last decade. Connoisseurs and the average wine consumer have found a new place to get great wines.
Modern technology has made the process of making wine more sophisticated but the talent to produce great wine is all in the hands of the vintner who uses skills developed over generations of great wine makers sharing their knowledge to have some of the best wines now available at the wineries in Washington.
No, you aren’t in France in the region of the great Bordeaux and Burgundy wines, you are in Washington where the same latitude applies to give the same great growing ability for the grapes to produce fabulous wine. Many of the areas of Washington have been designated as American Viticulture Areas with more under consideration.
No crowds, no hurry, no pressure. Isn’t that what a vacation should be? You will experience the peace and pleasure of great countryside and great wine on a wine tour in Washington. Find the wine you like by going to the wine tastings offered by the different wineries. Find a great place to stay while in the area and make it the most relaxing and enjoyable vacation you have ever taken.
It may be dinner time at your house and what better way to set a relaxing environment than to have a wonderful glass of wine with dinner. Perhaps you are having something that a dry white will enhance or maybe you want a full bodied red to wake up your taste buds. Either can be obtained from one of the wineries in Washington.
It’s swirling, sniffing and slurping time when you get a good glass of wine. Swirl the beautiful wine in your glass to get the full color beauty and incorporate some air into the wine. Now it’s time to sniff, what a pleasure to smell the wonderful fragrance the wine gives off. With slurping you get the air mixed with the wine to bring out the full flavor of the choice you have made. Just remember to slurp gently and quietly, it still works and doesn’t drive your guests or family mad with the noise.
With 1% of the wine being produced in the state of Washington being grown on the eastern side you would think that it was a poor area for such a production. Not so, the soil is right, the growing season long enough for full flavored wine grapes to be produced and the climate is nearly perfect. It will soon see a large increase in the wineries in that area of the state.
The French, Italians and Germans began planting wine grapes in the state as early at 1825 for their own use when they were settling the area. Commercial planting of wine grapes didn’t being in Washington until the 1960′s with rapid expansion of the industry occurring in the mid-70′s. Now there are new wineries opening every couple of weeks for your enjoyment.
