Best Washington State Wines to Add to Your Bucket List

I realized I’d been unknowingly curating a list of the best Washington state wines. During my quest to try all the Pacific Northwest wine regions, I started keeping a running tab of all the wines that left a serious impression. Before I knew it, I had a large list of wines I keep going back to.

Rather thank keep it to myself, I thought I’d share my running list of the best Washington state wines. Most wine lists tend to be curated by sommelier types and include a lot of jargon, so hopefully this is an easy-to-follow list of the best wines in Washington in human terms!

I’ll update it regularly, so save this to Pinterest for later so you can keep your home stocked with the best Washington wine. Now, let’s get drinking.

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Washington state is the second largest producer of wine in the US behind California. There are more than 1,050 wineries, 400 vineyards, and 20 recognized American Viticultural Areas (AVAs), according to our state’s Wine Commission. The AVAs include:

Columbia Valley
Yakima Valley
Walla Walla Valley
Puget Sound
Red Mountain
Columbia Gorge
Horse Heaven Hills
Wahluke Slope
Rattlesnake Hills
Lake Chelan
Snipes Mountain
Naches Heights
Ancient Lakes of Columbia Valley
Lewis-Clark Valley
Royal Slope
Candy Mountain
The Burn of Columbia Valley
White Bluffs
Goose Gap
Rocky Reach

Most of these are in the southeastern quadrant of the state where there’s a lot of sun. Most of these AVAs are near each other and familiarly referred to by people as just the “Lake Chelan”, “Columbia Gorge”, “Seattle”, “Yakima”, and “Walla Walla” areas.

Best Washington State Wines

Here is my running list of best Washington state wines. Note that wines change year to year as the terroir changes between each grape harvest.

Most of my favorite wineries honor these changes in the seasons, so one vintage might taste different every year it’s released. Some may try to keep similar characteristics over the passing time through their aging or blending process, so if you can’t find a specific year I recommend trying a newer vintage and see what you think!

Best white wines in WA

You can find riesling, pinot gris, sauvignon blanc, chardonnay, and other popular white varietals around Washington. Here are my favorites.

Locus Wines Mod0 White

website | location: Seattle | size: ~1,500 cases/year

Locus Wines is a tiny winery based in the Pioneer Square neighborhood of Seattle. It’s run by partners Rich and Ton, where Ton is the chef and Rich is the winemaker.

Rich focuses on Rhône-style wines, which means he sources grape varietals common to this region in France: syrah, grenache, mourvèdre, viognier, etc. Most of his grapes come from vineyards in the Naches Heights AVA of Yakima, Washington.

His Modo White (~$18) is super interesting. The 2018 vintage I tried was crisp and light when I took the first sip, but then it starts exposing a floral complexity that got more and more interesting as it lingers.

The secret to Rich’s wines is that he sources grapes when they’re young from high altitudes so that they produce a wine with a lot of acid characteristic of affordable European wines.

I include Locus in my guide to the best Seattle urban wineries, where you can learn more about them and the food they serve out of their tasting room. You can also visit them as one of the stops on some of the best Seattle wine tours.

Tunnel Hill Estate Riesling

website | location: Lake Chelan | size: ~1,100 cases/year

Tunnel Hill is a tiny winery in Lake Chelan, an area about 3.5 hours east of Seattle that has become one of my favorite wine destinations in Washington. It’s perfect for a weekend getaway exploring the best Lake Chelan wineries and restaurants in Lake Chelan.

This family winery grows all their own grapes and turns them into beautiful, drinkable wines. While I tend to love everything I try at Tunnel Hill, I especially love the rieslings. Note, they shut their tasting room and so the only way to try them is by buying directly from their website or retailers!

They’re bone dry and have an interesting crisp finish unlike the sweet styles that may come to mind when you think of this grape varietal popular in Germany. The 2016 vintage of the Estate Riesling (~$26) I tried smelled like soft citrus, and it delivered on that scent when tasted thanks to a burst of acidity.

Best Washington rosé wines

In general, rosé wines are best to drink the same year you buy them. Most aren’t meant to age, so you’ll notice that there aren’t years in the bottles recommended below. Most winemakers only produce enough bottles of rosé to last the year.

Cloudlift Cellars Lucy Rosé

website | location: Seattle | size: ~1,000 cases/year

Cloudlift is a term used in furniture making to describe a woodworking pattern used to finish edges. This is a fitting name for the small Seattle winery based in SODO, considering its owner Tom used to be a furniture maker. Now he focuses his attention on making 8 different Bordeaux-style wine blends out of his small office-turned-warehouse building in South Seattle.

I’m a Cloudlift wine member and get very excited each time my shipment includes the Lucy Rosé (~$18). So named after Lucile Street where the winery is located, this light pink rosé is dry at first. But then it reveals subtle hints of strawberries at the end. While each year will taste a bit different, I’ve found this is consistently one of my favorite rosés to drink.

Obelisco Estate Rosé

website | location: Woodinville

Obelisco is a family-run winery with 30-acres of vineyards in the Red Mountain AVA in eastern Washington. This AVA’s terroir is known for growing Bordeaux varietals. Because of this, Obelisco focuses mostly on reds.

However, it’s the cabernet sauvignon rosé (~$40) I can’t stop thinking about. It’s the most beautiful, deep pink color and is heavier than your traditional rosé.

Obelisco describes it as “the white wine for red wine drinkers” on its website. For reference, the last vintage I had of this was the 2015. It smelled like cheese, but tasted caramel-y and jammy. I couldn’t stop drinking it!

You can find an Obelisco Estate tasting room in Woodinville, WA and also tucked between the best restaurants in Leavenworth, WA. Make sure to visit them the next time you check out the Leavenworth wineries!

Best Washington red wines

More than 80 grape varieties are grown in Washington, but red is what the state is best known for. While you can find grapes like riesling, sauvignon blanc, chardonnay, malbec, and pinots, we’re best known for fuller-bodied red grapes like cabernet sauvignon and merlot. This is thanks to the 300 days of sun we get a year in the eastern part of the state (I know, you’d never know it being from Seattle!).

Woodward Canyon Artist Series Cabernet Sauvignon

website | location: Walla Walla | size: ~13,000 cases/year

Woodward Canyon is arguably one of the best wineries in the Pacific Northwest. They make consistently award-winning wines, and they’ve been doing it for a long time since they were the second established winery in Walla Walla Valley.

Their family vineyards have recognizable grapes like merlot, cab franc, and chardonnay, as well as some experimental Rhone and Italian varieties. Woodward Canyon is certified Salmon Safe and also uses organic and biodynamic farming techniques so you can really taste the terroir in each bottle.

While it’s hard to choose just one of the best WA wines from Woodward Canyon, I’d say a must try is their Artist Series Cabernet Sauvignon (~$60). It consistently earns 90-94 points from wine panels and has a rich dark color that says “here I am”.

You’ll smell fruit, but it’ll change to offer more earthy notes like lead and spices. The wine has a long finish with lingering tastes of French oak, tobacco, and ripe fruit.

Cloudlift Cellars Halcyon Cabernet Sauvignon

website | location: Seattle | size: ~1,000 cases/year

Surprise! Cloudlift also makes some of the best Washington state wines in the red wine category. Tom’s Bordeaux red blends are made for pairing with food, and the Halcyon Cabernet Sauvignon (~$32) goes beautifully with meats. It’s big and dry, but with blackberry notes on the finish that make it just as scrumptious on its own.

Structure Cellars Foundation Cabernet Sauvignon

website | location: Seattle | size: ~750 cases/year

Structure is one of my favorite wineries in Seattle. It’s run by a husband-and-wife duo who make beautifully structured (heh) red wines. You’d be hard pressed to find a red from them that you don’t like, but one that’s regularly available and oh so good is the Foundation cabernet sauvignon (~$40). It’s dry, but has this addictive note of caramel mixed with black pepper. It’s hands down one of my favorite Washington cabernets.

JM Cellars Cinsault Red

website | location: Woodinville | size: ~5,000 cases/year

JM is arguably one of the prettiest wineries. It’s a family run winery situated on a hill with grounds that gently slope down toward a little pond in a wooded glen.

But its looks aren’t everything. It’s making some seriously good wines too. Make sure to try the Cinsault Red (~$35) if available. The dark purple, large-as-a-plum cinsault grape isn’t super common in Washington, so you should jump on it when you see it.

The 2015 vintage smelled liked smoked meat, but actually had a nice raspberry jam after taste. It was like a pinot, but heavier. If you like medium-bodied wines, this one is sure to please.

Adam’s Bench Stillwater Creek Cabernet Sauvignon

website | location: Woodinville | size: ~1,000 cases/year

Adam’s Bench is a must try for red wine lovers because that’s all you’ll find at this small winery hidden in Woodinville. This focus means they do reds really well.

It’s run by an older husband and wife who source grapes from 3 vineyards they built relationships with over the years in Yakima, Columbia Valley, and Horse Heaven Hills.

While I’ve liked all the reds I’ve tried, the Stillwater Creek Cabernet Sauvignon (~$70) is my favorite. The 2015 vintage I last tried had a pucker when you first drank it as if you were tasting woodsy flavors and dried herbs, but then it softens into dried fruits with a pleasing finish.

aMaurice Cellars Fred Estate Syrah

website | location: Walla Walla | size: ~3,500 cases/year

aMaurice is a family-owned winery based out of Walla Walla, but it also has a tasting room in Woodinville. You’ll find exceptional reds here, each with a handmade label that changes with new artists’ work regularly.

One of the most memorable wines is the estate-grown Fred Syrah (~$45). The 2017 vintage I tasted recently was a beautiful medium-bodied wine with a lot of tang, acid, and tannins. It tasted mostly dry and smoky, but it had this subtle after taste of strawberries.

Long Shadows Saggi

website | location: Walla Walla | size: ~15,000 cases/year

Long Shadows was created by the winery juggernauts behind Chateau Ste. Michelle, but it focuses on smaller batches of premium wines produced by some of the world’s best winemakers. The catch? All of them have to use Washington grapes.

I don’t typically spend a ton on wine bottles, but I splurged for Saggi ($65). The sangiovese-dominant blend made by a Tuscan winemaker is heavier than most sangioveses and has a long finish with complex flavors. If you can find it, it’s honestly one of the best Washington state wines I’ve ever had.

Hard Row to Hoe Tempranillo

website | location: Lake Chelan | size: ~3,000 cases/year

Some of my favorite wineries are in Lake Chelan, WA. Hard Row to Hoe is one of them. They also have a tasting room in Leavenworth.

The winery’s story is a bit cheeky, inspired by an entrepreneurial gang who opened a brothel for miners to row to back during the Gold Rush days. But despite the cheese, it produces some exceptional red wines.

My favorite is the tempranillo (~$45). The 2016 varietal was medium bodied and had a dried fruit nose, but smooth and smoky finish. At a 92 points rating, this one is definitely worth seeking out!

Where to find Washington wines

My favorite ways to buy the best Washington state wines is directly from the winery or independent wine shops. Here are my guides to help you do the same!

How I determine the best WA wines

People…I drink a lot of wine. It takes a lot for me to not like a wine, but it takes even more for me to remember it. So the first way I determine if I consider a wine the best Washington state wine is I determine if it leaves an impression, and if it does I jot it down.

Wines are likely to leave an impression in a few ways.

First, it’s more likely to leave an impression if it’s not too sweet, too sour/funky, or too much like a port. Unfortunately those characteristics aren’t usually my favorite.

Second, I tend to find wines that smell one way, but then taste absolutely different memorable. Or if it significantly changes flavors on your palate from start to finish.

In general, I’m more of a red person, but I love all colors of wines. For whites, I find them memorable when they are more complex and have some heft or high acid, as opposed to subdued and “like water” as I say.

For reds, I love a good jammy or dark fruit finish, but I also appreciate wines with smoke and mineral flavors or zippy notes. And if it coats your taste buds and lingers, I’m likely going to remember it!

In addition to tasting and tasting again, I started doing blind taste tests at least once a year. Basically I buy a bunch of bottles from wineries I’ve heard about or already love. Then I host a blind tasting of similar varieties side by side, rate them, and compare them. It’s a fun way to try a bunch at once when visiting tasting rooms isn’t in the cards.