Franco and I are headed south. Franco has an idea in his head to explore the wines of Texas. It is not a bad idea. (I bet he secretly wants to try one of Debbi Covington’s Tex-Mex recipes, which is also not a bad idea.) While driving, Franco asked me why I write about wine. Has not every wine and winery in the world had something written about it? The answer is probably “yes.”

I would like to present a discussion of the wines of Washington State that concentrates on the leading varietals. These varietals are a mix of red and white wines. As best as I am able to determine, the leading varietals are (red) Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot, and Syrah.

Franco and I left Paso Robles with mixed emotions. The wine, the people, the sunny California weather… all very tempting. However, we had our assignment in Washington and so we headed north. Since it was Franco’s first time in the US, we took the scenic route along the coast. My mistake! Franco was so in awe of the spectacular scenery in California and Oregon that he almost forgot what we were about. I have to admit that I was also impressed with the scenery. I had seen it before but “it never gets old.”