The day after Taste Washington, I found myself reading the event program on a plane to San Jose. Sure, I had poured over the program during the Grand Tasting to find the locations and the offerings of wineries and restaurants. But I missed a page titled “Washington Wine Fun Facts.”

So that’s what I read on the plane, and I’m such a Washington wine geek that I simply had to share this information with you! Credit for these facts goes to the Washington Wine Commission.

• Washington state is the second-largest premium wine producer in the United States.
• There are more than 700 wineries in Washington state and 350+ grape growers.
• More than 60 varietals are produced.
• The leading white varietals are Riesling, Chardonnay, Pinot Gris, Sauvignon Blanc, Gewurztraminer, Viognier, Semillon and Chenin Blanc.
• The leading red varietals are Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot, Syrah, Cab Franc, Malbec, Sangiovese, Pinot Noir and Lemberger.
• The ratio of white to red wine is 54% white to 46% red.
• The average hours of summer sunlight: 17.4 hours per day, about two hours more than California’s prime growing region.
• The annual rainfall is eight inches in eastern Washington (our state’s major grape growing region) and 48 inches in western Washington.

We hope you enjoyed these factoids as much as we did!
Cheers!