One of the enduring mysteries of wine is why Washington reds don’t get more love (enduring to me, at least). They offer everything you can find in Napa Valley and other top California regions, often at a more moderate price, and yet, somehow, they’ve never captured national attention in the same way as wines from the Golden State have. Maybe it’s because our visual idea of Washington state is Seattle and the Puget Sound, drizzly and Pacific Ocean–adjacent. Not exactly ideal vineyard conditions.
But the truth is that almost all of Washington’s wine grapes are grown east of the Cascade Range, in the vast Columbia Valley appellation, which covers more than a quarter of the entire state (and in which many smaller appellations are nested: Walla Walla Valley, Horse Heaven Hills, Yakima Valley, and more). It’s neither drizzly nor salt-sprayed here but warm and dry, with a mere 6 to 8 inches of rain yearly compared to Seattle’s almost 40. Want to grow some wine grapes? You’ve picked the right place.
In terms of red varieties, Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot, Syrah, Grenache, and Mourvèdre all grow well here, offering lovers of red wine an abundance of options. (Pinot, not so much: It’s too warm.) So do yourself a favor: The next time you’re in a wine store, check out one of the following 12 Washington red wines, or — always an option — just reach out to the winery directly.
Greg Dupree / Food Styling by Margaret Monroe Dickey / Prop Styling by Christina Daley
Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot and Bordeaux-style blends
2023 Boomtown Columbia Valley Cabernet Sauvignon ($19)
This well-priced Columbia Valley Cabernet is brisk and lively, a great dinner party option. The scent of violets leads into vibrant blackberry and currant notes, wrapping up with firm but not aggressive tannins.
2022 Board Track Racer The Vincent Red ($20)
Winemaker Mark Ryan McNeilly launched his impressive but affordable Board Track Racer line of wines a few years back. The Vincent, named for the classic motorcycle, is a peppery blend of Cabernet Sauvignon and other red grapes.
2022 Chateau Ste. Michelle Indian Wells Cabernet Sauvignon ($20)
This blackberry-accented Cabernet comes from vineyards in locations ranging from the Wahluke Slope to the Horse Heaven Hills. Rich and inviting, it wraps up with soft, generous tannins and a light hint of vanilla.
2022 Hedges Family Wines CMS Red ($20)
A Cabernet Sauvignon–based blend with Merlot and Syrah, using organically grown grapes, this red comes from a longtime, family-owned producer (founded in 1987) in the Red Mountain AVA. It’s medium-bodied and full of red-fruit flavors; a light lick of oak adds to its appeal.
2023 Cadence Coda Red Mountain ($29)
One of Washington’s top winemakers, Cadence’s Ben Smith makes complex reds from the winery’s Cara Mia Vineyard on Red Mountain. Coda is an affordable introduction to the Cadence style, a floral blend of Cabernet Franc, Merlot, Petit Verdot, and Cabernet Sauvignon.
2022 Métier Columbia Valley Cabernet Sauvignon ($30)
This second-label Cabernet from DeLille Cellars leans toward a Bordelais, middle-weight elegance, its blueberry-currant fruit accented by a hint of herbaceousness. Aging in 40% new oak gives those flavors a light spiciness as well.
2022 Avennia Gravura Columbia Valley Red ($45)
This Bordeaux-style blend is rich but not heavy, its alluring red-cherry fruit bolstered by subtle tannins and a hint of licorice. Winemaker Chris Peterson draws on some of the state’s top vineyards for it: Bacchus, DuBrul, Champoux, Boushey, and others.
2020 Echolands Seven Hills Vineyard ($58)
The Merlot (60%) really sings in this impressive red, delivering plenty of ripe purpleplum fruit; a smaller percentage of Cabernet Sauvignon (34%) adds a dried herb note — think thyme and bay. It comes from one of Walla Walla’s most acclaimed vineyard sites.
2022 Chateau Ste. Michelle Red Mountain Cabernet Sauvignon ($50)
There’s plenty of lush blackberry fruit in this polished red from Washington stalwart Chateau Ste. Michelle. Some mocha notes from oak add complexity. It’s a big, rich red but balanced at the same time.
Greg Dupree / Food Styling by Margaret Monroe Dickey / Prop Styling by Christina Daley
Other reds
2021 Nine Hats Columbia Valley Syrah ($25)
Winemaker Gilles Nicault started Nine Hats as a second label for the acclaimed Long Shadows Vintners project; now, it’s a fully independent winery. This Syrah leads off with toasty oak notes, shading into blueberry fruit and ending with a light jolt of black pepper on the finish.
2022 Stanley Groovy Vinho Tinto ($35)
A Portuguese-inspired blend of Touriga Nacional, Tinta Roriz, Souzão, Tinta Cão, and other grapes, this quirkily named red offers a lot of earthy intensity, with dark purple fruit, chewy tannins, and citrusy acidity. It’s essentially a Douro Valley red re-created in the vineyards of Walla Walla.
2024 Echolands Horse Heaven Hills Cinsault ($38)
Walla Walla’s Echolands makes a range of impressive wines. This light, almost transparent Rhône-style red from the McKinley Springs Vineyard is fresh and floral and full of silky red-berry fruit. It’s a great bottle to chill down, even in the dead of winter.
2021 K Vintners The Deal Wahluke Slope Syrah ($40)
Charles Smith, one of the Washington wine world’s most flamboyant personalities, started grabbing attention back in 1999 with Syrahs like this one. It’s a powerful, bacon-smoky Syrah, packed with blue- and black-fruit flavors and substantial tannins.
2022 Dusted Valley Stained Tooth Syrah ($45)
Chad Johnson and Corey Braunel work with as light a touch in the winery as possible. That shows in this sprightly, peppery Syrah, which gets its name from something Johnson’s father likes to say: “Life is too short to stain your teeth on bad wine.” True enough.
2021 Pursued by Bear Baby Bear Columbia Valley Syrah ($60)
From an ongoing collaboration between actor and wine lover Kyle MacLachlan (a Washington state native) and winemaker Daniel Wampfler, this is a gorgeous Syrah, with floral and black pepper scents rising from the glass and layers of boysenberry and plum fruit.
2022 Avennia Justine Yakima Valley ($45)
This Southern Rhône–style blend, made from 61% Grenache, 22% Mourvèdre, and 17% Syrah, sings on the palate with sweet strawberry-cherry fruit; it’s abundantly flavorful but not heavy at all, kind of a magic trick of winemaking (making it in a combo of neutral oak barrels and concrete tanks helps — there’s no oak influence here).
2022 K Vintners MCK (Motor City Kitty) Oldfield-Boushey Vineyard Syrah ($40)
A kind of wham-bam-thank-you-ma’am of a Syrah, this Yakima Valley red is intensely peppery and filled with warm, sunbaked (but not overripe) blackberry fruit. Anyone who loves full-throttle reds ought to love it.
Dining and Cooking