No, this is not about preferences in the White House. We are talking about wine production in Washington State, north of California and Oregon. Cabernet Sauvignon has grown significantly, from 560 hectares in the early 1990s to today’s 7,500 hectares.
Washington was originally known for its white wines with fine acidity and crispness made from grapes like Riesling, Semillon, Gewurztraminer and Sauvignon Blanc. 25 years ago, the white grapes dominated; Washington’s entire surface under vine was small, 4,500 hectares in total with 2800 hectares of white grapes and 1,600 hectares of red.
Today vineyard surface is much larger, 22,500 hectares in total. Red grapes dominate with more than 14,000 ha. Merlot is in second place with 3,600 ha and Syrah in third with approximately 1,800 ha. Among the white grapes, Pinot Gris has increased immensely. Viognier, Riesling and Roussanne have all made small increases but Sémillon and Gewurztraminer are decreasing.
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