The Cascade Mountain range slices Washington into two distinct climate zones. In the west, the land is hilly and evergreen, embracing the waters and islands of Puget Sound. In the east, the Columbia Valley-which comprises one-third of Washington State's land mass and produces 98 percent of its wine grapes-is protected from rainfall.

The result is warm, dry, sunny days with cool nights in the summer and crisp cold winters that allow the vines to go dormant and store nutrients. Eastern Washington vineyards are planted on gently rolling hills that are bordered on the north by the Okanogan Highlands, on the east by the Palouse and on the south by the Columbia River and Oregon's Blue Mountains.

Washington has five major viticulture appellations, as designated by the U.S. government. The appellations define specific geographic regions. Three of them, Red Mountain, Yakima Valley and Walla Walla Valley, are located within the larger Columbia Valley appellation. The Puget Sound appellation is the only officially recognized grape-growing area located in Western Washington.

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