Wine | Washington State

Washington is the second-largest wine producer in the United States and the one most often mistaken for its neighbour. It is not a cooler Oregon. Almost all of Washington’s vineyards sit east of the Cascade Range, in a high desert that gets around eight inches of rain a year and sits at the same latitude as Bordeaux and Burgundy — which buys the fruit nearly two extra hours of summer daylight than California vineyards get. Hot days, genuinely cold nights, irrigation controlled to the litre.

What that produces is a specific and recognisable style: Cabernet Sauvignon and Merlot with Napa-scale ripeness but noticeably higher acidity, firm structure, and a blue-fruit and herb character that is Washington’s own. The wines tend to cost less than California equivalents of similar quality, largely because the region has less name recognition to charge for.

Where to start

Woodward Canyon Cabernet Sauvignon Artist Series #30 ($59.99) is the reference bottle in this collection. Woodward Canyon was the second winery bonded in Walla Walla, back in 1981, and the Artist Series has been its Cabernet flagship for four decades — a new label commissioned from a Northwest artist each vintage. Expect dark cherry and cassis, cedar and graphite, and the tannin structure to hold it for a decade.

Long Shadows Pirouette ($68.09) comes from a project with an unusual premise: Allen Shoup, who ran Chateau Ste. Michelle for two decades, invited a different world-class winemaker to make one wine each from Washington fruit. Pirouette is the Bordeaux-style blend — layered, polished, and the bottle to open when you want the room to notice.

Pursued by Bear Cabernet Sauvignon ($64.99) is the actor Kyle MacLachlan’s Columbia Valley Cabernet, named for the most famous stage direction in Shakespeare. The novelty wears off fast and the wine stands on its own: dark, savoury, with more black olive and dried herb than a California Cabernet at the price.

For a white, Chateau Ste. Michelle Sauvignon Blanc Horse Heaven Vineyard ($14.99) is the single best value here. Horse Heaven Hills is a designated AVA above the Columbia River, and the Sauvignon Blanc from it is crisp, grassy and citrus-driven — the kind of bottle you buy three of.

What to pour it with

Washington Cabernet is a steak wine, but the acidity means it also handles things a softer California Cabernet would flatten — lamb with rosemary, a mushroom ragu, aged cheddar, anything off a charcoal grill. The Sauvignon Blanc goes with oysters, goat cheese, and most things that come out of the Pacific.

It is also a genuinely good holiday-table category: enough structure for the roast, enough acid for the sides. If you are planning ahead, our Thanksgiving buying guide walks through the full eight-bottle table, and our harvest explainer covers what vintage variation actually changes in a Pacific Northwest bottle.

Related collections

Compare against the cooler, Pinot-led side of the Northwest in Oregon wine, or browse the wider red wine and white wine shelves. Everything here is part of our full wine selection, and ships in 2–3 business days with adult signature required.