The state of California gets a huge amount of press, and hey, even Oregon is mentioned a lot these days, but the state of Washington is actually a huge producer of wine.

Right about now, wine makers in the state are already getting pretty busy and things will only ramp up as the weather cools off. Here's more from a press release from the Washington Wine Commission:

As the summer days grow shorter and the weather begins to cool, Washington state's wine grape harvest kicks into high-gear. Vineyard workers throughout the state have begun picking select white grape varietals, with harvest activity ramping up in the coming weeks. The Washington Association of Wine Grape Growers (WAWGG) estimates the state's 2006 wine grape crop will weigh in at more than 123,564 tons. Washington state is the second - largest producer of wine in the nation, with more than 400 wineries, 350 wine grape growers and 30,000 vineyard acres.

You can find out more about Washington wines along with some wonderful travel information at washingtonwine.org.