There was a time when writers, critics, and business people alike, when discussing the wine industry, only discussed California. Why wouldn't they? 4 Million tons of grapes for an average annual harvest dwarfs the rest of the country's production combined.

As time has gone by, entrepreneurs and opportunists have sought growth behind new ideas. With a fully built out industry in California, these bright minds were forced to look northward. The land rush in Oregon and Washington is mirrored in the supernova of new brands being established in once provincial hamlets like McMinnville, Walla Walla, on the sunny slopes Red Mountain, and in the red clay of the Dundee Hills.

The quality-price ratio has become impossible to ignore. The growth in the marketplace of Washington Cabernet and Oregon Pinot, coupled with scores and press that over deliver at each price category, make the Pacific Northwest the worst kept secret in the wine industry these days.