Happy New Year! As we begin 2017, it’s time for our annual Top Washington Wineries List. Why 65 wineries? The list grew to 65 from 60 last year, and from 50 the year before, as we were introduced to new wines or new wine experiences.

The way to get on our list is fairly simple; we only have two criteria: wineries must offer great juice and good people who provide an excellent wine experience. Perhaps we had fun or learned something in a tasting room or at a wine event such as Taste Washington, Taste of Tulalip, Seattle Wine and Food Experience, Bellingham Bay Rotary Grape and Gourmet or Bellingham Northwest Wine Festival. Perhaps someone from the winery gave us a call, or sent us a personal note or samples. Or perhaps we were invited to an incredible winery party.

These people might be the winemakers or the winery owners; in some cases, they are the hard-working staff in a tasting room who went out of their way to make us feel welcome or the amazing workers in the vineyards where it all begins.

We welcome ten newcomers to our list this year, and thank you for the 2016 wine experiences you brought us — Ambassador Wines of Washington, Canvasback, DeLille Cellars, Matthews Winery, Mullan Road Cellars, Savage Grace, Spring Valley Vineyard, Tildio Winery, Upchurch Vineyard and Two Vintners.

Write for Wine’s Top 70 Washington Wineries (in alphabetical order):

1. Alexandria Nicole Cellars
2. Ambassador Wines of Washington
3. Andrew Will
4. Avennia
5. B. Leighton
6. Barrage Cellars
7. Barrister Winery
8. Bartholomew Winery
9. Betz Family Winery
10. Boudreaux Cellars
11. Buty Winery
12. Canvasback
13. Chateau Ste. Michelle
14. Columbia Crest
15. Cooper Wine Company
16. Cote Bonneville
17. Darby
18. DeLille Cellars
19. DiStefano
20. Double Canyon
21. Dunham Cellars
22. Dynasty Winery
23. Efeste
24. Ensemble Cellars
25. Fall Line
26. Fidelitas
27. Fielding Hills
28. Figgins
29. Force Majeure
30. Forgeron Cellars
31. Gard
32. Gorman Winery
33. Guardian Cellars
34. Hard Row to Hoe
35. JM Cellars
36. L’Ecole 41
37. Lauren Ashton
38. Leonetti
39. Long Shadows
40. Maryhill
41. Matthews Winery
42. Mercer Estates
43. Mullan Road Cellars
44. Obelisco Estate
45. Otis Kenyon
46. Passing Time
47. Quilceda Creek
48. Reynvaan
49. Ross Andrew
50. Savage Grace
51. Seven Falls Cellars
52. Sinclair Estate
53. Sleight of Hand
54. Spring Valley Vineyard
55. Stottle Winery
56. Tildio
57. Two Vintners
58. Upchurch Vineyard
59. Va Piano
60. Vin du Lac
61. Walla Walla Vintners
62. William Church
63. Windy Point
64. Woodward Canyon
65. Woodhouse Wine Estates

To these people, we thank you; we support you. Cheers to Washington state wine!

Happy new year!
Margot and Dave
Write for Wine — it’s Wine O’clock Somewhere!