Any remaining doubts about the ability of the Washington state region of the United States to produce world-class wines were recently put to rest when Robert Parker's legendary Wine Advocate newsletter awarded perfect, 100-point scores to not one, but two Washington wines.
Those who have experienced Seattle's interminable gray skies and seemingly endless rains could be forgiven for wondering how grapes could possibly be grown anywhere in the state, let alone how award-winning wines could be made there. The answer lies in the fact that while Washington is politically a single state, geographically it might as well be two separate countries.
Dividing the east from the west is the Cascade mountain range, which blocks most Pacific storm fronts, leaving them to hang forlornly over Seattle.