As new vineyard sites are planted, and the resulting grapes and wines are evaluated, vintners discover which micro-climates are most suitable for particular varietals. Washington's vineyards include several sites that have distinguished themselves by producing perfect fruit and, ultimately, exceptional wines.

On the north banks of the Columbia River near the small town of Paterson lies a rapidly emerging premium grape growing area.  The areas unique topography offers many advantages, such as steep south facing slopes and mitigation of temperature extremes because of its proximity to the Columbia River.

The outstanding sites that have been developed in this area are Canoe Ridge, Alder Ridge, and Zephyr Ridge.  Alder Ridge shares the same soil composition as Canoe Ridge but with areas of fractured basalt and caliche.  Also inland from the river ridges on the Horse Heaven Hills are a variety of more established vineyards such as the Champoux Vineyard (formerly Mercer Ranch), Destiny Ridge Vineyard and the Andrew Vineyard.

ALDER RIDGE
One of Washington's higher vineyard locations, Alder Ridge is a steep slope rising 1,000 feet from the bank of the Columbia River.  Its proximity to the river also makes it one of the warmest vineyard sites.  It shows promise for Washington's signature variety, Merlot, as well as other Bordeaux varieties and Syrah.  Alder Ridge shares the soil composition of Canoe and Zephyr Ridges.

CANOE RIDGE
Canoe Ridge is an optimal growing region. Some of the state's top wines are produced from fruit grown on the wide south-to-southeast facing slopes sited above the Columbia River, west of Paterson. Major varietals planted are Merlot, Cabernet Sauvignon and Chardonnay.

ZEPHYR RIDGE
Directly overlooking the Columbia River, Zephyr Ridge is a unique slope with varied exposures producing both high quality red and white wines. It is a moderately warm site with sandy loam soil providing good drainage and control over the vines.

COLD CREEK
A southerly facing slope of the Columbia River which enjoys on of the longest growing season in the Columbia Valley.  The low rainfall and meager silt loam soils produce very intense and concentrated  fruit.  Cold Creek is part of a high plateau that runs along the south side of the Columbia River and is particularly noted for its distinctive Chardonnay and Cabernet Sauvignon.

COLUMBIA BASIN / SNAKE RIVER
This is where the Columbia, Yakima and Snake rivers meet.  The area surrounding the Tri-Cities and including the broad hills bordering each side of the Snake River is blessed with a good climate and ample irrigation.  Several large vineyards have achieved reputations for excellent Merlot, Sauvignon Blanc, Semillon and other varietals.

WAHLUKE SLOPE & MATTAWA
Sloping gradually toward the north side of the Columbia River from Vantage to Othello, is a high plateau known for producing distinctive varietal character.  The Wahluke Slope on the north side of the Columbia actually includes Mattawa, one of the warmest sites in the state, known for Merlot and Cabernet Sauvignon.  Its south facing slopes are bounded on the west by the Columbia River, on the north by the Saddle Mountains, and on the east by the Columbia River again.  Further north on the next south facing slopes is the area that extends from the Frenchman Hills to Radar Hill near Othello

Washington Wine Quality Alliance (WWQA)
In 1999, the Washington Wine Quality Alliance (WWQA) was formed by a diverse committee of wine industry members within the state to spearhead development of industry standards in winemaking and labeling.  Under the WWQA umbrella, the nation's first definition of the term "reserve" was defined.  In Washington this will translate to no more than 3,000 cases or 10% of a wineries' production as a reserve wine and indicates the winemaker's designation of this wine as higher quality than most wines from the winery.

Wines labeled as being from Washington State must be 100% from the state or a Washington American Viticultural Area (AVA) or the label must identify the percentage of wine from each source.  Varietal labeling will require that wines contain at least 75% of that varietal.  In addition, the generic use of Champagne, Burgundy, Bordeaux and Chablis on labels will be disbanded.  Participation in the WWQA by Washington wineries is voluntary and will begin with the 2000 vintage.  Wineries following WWQA guidelines will be identified by use of the WWQA logo.

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