• Skip to main content
  • Skip to secondary menu
  • Skip to primary sidebar
  • Skip to footer
  • Contact us
  • Wine of the Week newsletter
  • Wine submission guidelines
Great Northwest Wine

Great Northwest Wine

News, reviews and info about the wines of Washington, Oregon, British Columbia and Idaho

  • Home
  • Subscribe to GNWW The Magazine
  • Explore
    • Wine news
    • Grapes and viticulture
    • Washington wine
    • Oregon wine
    • Idaho wine
    • British Columbia wine
    • Product reviews
    • Recipes
    • Wine Adventures
    • Podcast
  • Reviews
    • Latest wine reviews
    • Wine of the Week
    • Best Buys
    • Washington wines
    • Oregon wines
    • Idaho wines
    • British Columbia wines
  • Events calendar
    • Submit an event
  • Competitions
    • Cascadia International Wine Competition
    • Idaho Wine & Cider Competition
    • “The Invite” – Great Northwest Invitational Wine Competition
    • Platinum Awards
    • Walla Walla Valley Wine Competition
    • Washington State Wine Competition
  • About us
    • Awards and honors
    • Advertising on Great Northwest Wine
    • Wine submission guidelines
  • e-edition

State legislators hear Washington wine will be ‘bigger than wheat’

January 23, 2017 by John Stang Leave a Comment

Steve Warner, left, president of the Washington State Wine Commission, and Josh McDonald, right, executive director of the Washington Wine Institute, testify in front of the Washington State Senate’s Commerce, Labor and Sports Committee in Olympia.
Steve Warner, left, president of the Washington State Wine Commission, and Josh McDonald, right, executive director of the Washington Wine Institute, brief the Washington State Senate’s Commerce, Labor and Sports Committee on Thursday, Jan. 19, 2017, in Olympia. (Photo by John Stang/Special to Great Northwest Wine)

OLYMPIA, Wash. — The state’s wine industry painted a rosy economic picture to the Washington State Senate Commerce, Labor & Sports Committee last week.

“You’re telling me that that wine is gonna be bigger than wheat?” asked committee chairman Sen. Michael Baumgartner, R- Spokane.

Steve Warner, president of the Washington State Wine Commission, said, “It’s gonna be bigger.”

Wheat growers harvested 2.2 million acres to produce 15,290 million bushels and generate $600 million in sales in 2016, according to the Washington Grain Commission.

Warner and Josh McDonald, executive director of the Washington Wine Institute, briefed the senate committee last Thursday on the state industry’s economic situation.

They told the committee that Washington has approximately 900 wineries — compared to roughly 300 in 2004 — with an average of four new ones sprouting up each month. The state has roughly 350 grape growers using approximately 53,000 acres, according to the wine commission.

The U.S. Department of Agriculture 2016 report of the 2015 harvest listed Washington state’s wine grape total production at 222,000 tons with the average price per ton of $1,145.

As a result, growers throughout the state were paid a total of $254.2 million for those grapes.

USDA grape census expected to reveal 2016 records

Snow blankets the back side of Goose Ridge with Candy Mountain and Badger Mountain in the distance on Saturday, Jan. 21, 2017.
Snow blankets the north side of Goose Ridge near Richland, Wash., with Candy Mountain and Badger Mountain in the distance on Saturday, Jan. 21, 2017. (Photo by Robert Marple Jr./Great Northwest Wine)

Final figures from the USDA are expected to be announced in February, but Ste. Michelle Wine Estates estimated last fall that the 2016 harvest for Washington came in at approximately 275,000 tons — an increase of 20 percent from the bumper crop of 2014.

It’s been a steady climb for the Washington wine industry in the past decade. The state’s wineries crushed 156,000 tons of grapes in 2009, a total that grew to 210,000 tons in 2013. That translates to 10.9 million cases in 2009 and 14.8 million cases in 2013.

More importantly, wine sales grew from $1.07 billion in 2009 to $1.5 billion in 2013.

In 2015, the state’s wineries crushed 47,000 tons of Cabernet Sauvignon grapes, 44,000 tons of Riesling, 42,000 tons of Chardonnay, 35,000 tons of Merlot, 16,000 tons of Syrah, 9,000 tons of Pinot Gris, 6,000 tons of Sauvignon Blanc, 3,000 tons of Cabernet Franc, 2,000 tons of Malbec and 2,000 tons of Gewürztraminer.

According to wine commission statistics, Washington produces the world’s largest percentage of wines scoring 90 or more, while also being the least expensive among those high-quality wines.

Forty-six percent of Washington’s wines from 2009 to 2015 scored 90 points or higher in ratings by major wine publications. During the same period, 45 percent of Oregon wines scored 90 or higher, France 41 percent, Italy 34 percent and California at 32 percent.

Meanwhile from 2009 to 2015, the average price of a Washington wine scoring 90 points or higher was $43. Other wines of similar quality in same period broke down as Oregon, $49; Italy, $69; California, $73; and France, $95.

Save

Save

Save

Save

Save

Save

Filed Under: News, Washington wine Tagged With: featured, ticker

About John Stang

John Stang is a longtime journalist who covers Washington state politics. He lives in the Seattle area.

Reader Interactions

Leave a Reply Cancel reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

Primary Sidebar

  • Facebook
  • Twitter
  • YouTube

Wine of the Week

Liquid Light Wines 2022 Chardonnay, Washington State $16

November 28, 2023

Latest Wine Reviews

Bells Up Winery 2020 Zenith Vineyard Candide Reserve Pinot Noir, Eola-Amity Hills $54

Argyle Winery 2019 Vintage Blanc de Blancs Sparkling Wine, Willamette Valley $30

Lagrioth Winery 2022 Estate Chardonnay, Lake Chelan $36

Waterbrook Winery 2021 Vintner’s Selection Red Blend Columbia Valley, $19.99

Chehalem Wines 2019 Estate Reserve Pinot Noir, Ribbon Ridge $70

Mosquito Fleet Winery 2019 SS Fortuna Petit Verdot, Horse Heaven Hills $45

Love & Squalor 2016 Reserve Riesling, Willamette Valley $28

Wine Cruises & Safaris

National Geographic partners with Food & Wine magazine for 2024 wine cruise series on Columbia, Snake rivers

Cruising the Rhine and Moselle with Wit Cellars

Footer

Grapes

Airfield Estates Winery soars with Sauvignon Blanc from Yakima Valley

VineLines Dispatch gallery: ‘I go where they grow’ as 2023 harvest begins

My long, strange trip with Viognier

British Columbia wine industry prepares for widespread replanting

May’s heat pushes much of Northwest wine country ahead of hot 2015 vintage

Food

Match Maker: Caprio Cellars delectably achieves perfection in Walla Walla

Recipe: Prawn and Sausage Orecchiette

Recipe: Tomato Peach Gazpacho

Wine, wine cocktails, good spirit pour out at Iris Vineyards Wine Bar

Match Maker: King Estate Winery rising stars combine for elevated restaurant experience

History

Dennis Murphy of Caprio Cellars acquires Figgins shares in Seven Hills Vineyard

Washington wine leaders back HistoryLunch in Seattle

Love at first sip, thanks to Wente Vineyards

Merit, heritage surround helpful Meritage concept

L’Ecole N° 41 Winery develops lesson plan in history for Walla Walla

© 2023 Great NW Wine. All Rights Reserved.