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This is the "mothership" appellation of Washington wine country, with eight of the state’s eleven appellations tucked into the expansive borders of the Columbia Valley AVA. The Columbia Valley begins at the Oregon border and stretches in a loose triangular shape to the Idaho border, before moving north towards Lake Chelan. The celebrity grapes of the Columbia Valley are Merlot, Syrah and Cabernet Sauvignon for reds and Riesling and Chardonnay for the white wines.
A historically dry region, due to the rain shadow of the Cascade range, irrigation has transformed it into a premium grape growing region.
There are eight smaller AVAs designating unique growing areas of special distinction within the larger Columbia Valley AVA. These regions are the Yakima Valley AVA, the Red Mountain AVA, the Walla Walla Valley AVA, the Horse Heaven Hills AVA, the Rattlesnake Hills AVA, Lake Chelan AVA, Snipes Mountain AVA and the Wahluke Slope AVA.
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