Since 2012, the Ancient Lakes of Columbia Valley has been a federally designated American Viticultural Area – the 13th in Washington. Entirely within the vast, arid Columbia Valley, the Ancient Lakes is around the Columbia Basin towns of George and Quincy. It has a reputation as a cool growing area.

It embraces this reputation, with some of the state’s best Chardonnays, Rieslings, and Sauvignon Blancs coming from the Ancient Lakes.

The name comes from the small, pothole lakes that dot the region, a remnant of the Ice Age floods the carved out the region between 10,000 and 15,000 years ago. It has been a popular hiking and recreational area for decades. Thanks to basalt cliffs, it is a dramatic landscape.

Such vineyards as Evergreen, Spanish Castle, Cave B, Ancient Lakes, Two Gun and more are relied upon by dozens of producers across Washington. Some fruit is going to Idaho winemakers as a result of the winter kill that’s crippled the 2017 vintage in the Snake River Valley.

Here a few examples of wines made from Ancient Lakes fruit. Ask for them at your favorite wine merchant or contact the wineries directly…Read the entire article featuring Woodinville winery Cave B Estates on Great Northwest Wine

Several of the Columbia Basin’s Ancient Lakes near Quincy, Wash. (Photo by Eric Degerman/Great Northwest Wine)