How good are wines from Washington state?

I was told that Washington state is extremely underrated as a place for great wine ; the place has produced vintages that rival those from the well known wine making states and even countries.Is this true ?

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LamontCranston · M

It is entirely true. The hero of Washington winemaking was Dr. Walter Clore.

"Walter J. Clore (July 1, 1911 – February 3, 2003) was a pioneer in wine growing and agricultural research in Washington state and has been formally recognized by the Washington State Legislature as the "Father of Washington Wine".[1] Among his contributions to wine growing in Washington state was his extensive research into what areas of the state that premium wine grapes (particularly Vitis vinifera) would most thrive in."(from intro to Wikipedia article.)

DavidT8899 · 22-25, M

@LamontCranston So ,it seems that the area is indeed underrated .Do you think the state is due for a " wine moment" in the public eye?

LamontCranston · M

@DavidT8899 My advice is to be among the cognoscenti: buy the WA wines now. Chateau Ste Michelle is the largest producer and pretty good for day to day drinking (Their headquarters in Woodinville (not far from Seattle) is pleasant to visit.) My personal favorite, among many possibilities, is Desert Wind : I regularly serve their Ruah red blend at Thanksgiving. They have a wine club where you can get a few botttles sent several times a year.

DavidT8899 · 22-25, M

@LamontCranston So ,you think the state will eventually be " discovered" as the hot ,new " place to go " and before it happens ,stock up on as much of the wine as you can.

LamontCranston · M

@DavidT8899 As one know for my savoir faire, except for the occasional Bordeaux and the Oregon pinots noir and gris (a Washingtonian's concept of "imported wines:) I exclusively drink the WA products.
When I'm back east I raise an eyebrow when some benighted fellow serves a California wine.

DavidT8899 · 22-25, M

@LamontCranston I've always suspected that the California wines were somewhat overrated.