We recently came back from a quick trip to Palm Springs, where we were surprised to find a dearth of Washington state wines sold in stores. During our short visit, we stopped by five different grocery stores and drug stores where wine was sold. One store had just opened a beautiful wine cellar, where we spent the good part of an hour browsing through different labels.

As expected, there were dozens of California wines at all the stores we visited. There was also lots of wine from Australia and France. But the only Washington state wines that were available were whites from Hogue Cellars and Chateau Ste. Michelle. No reds at all!

Now, regular readers of this blog will know how much we love Hogue’s Terroir wines, from Cabs to Malbecs. And Chateau Ste. Michelle is a staple around this state and well-known across the country. But c’mon SoCal — there are more than 500 wineries here. Washington state is the second-highest wine-producing state in the country.

The absence of so many fine Washington state wines on the shelves in Palm Springs was shameful.