When you hear the words, "Washington State wine," what comes to mind?

For those of you who aren't from or haven't been to Washington State, you might be surprised to find out that the eastern half of the state is a desert — with only 6-8 inches of rain per year — and is home to many of our state's booming wine regions, like the Wahluke Slope, Horse Heaven Hills, Yakima Valley, Walla Walla Valley, Red Mountain, Columbia River Gorge, Lake Chelan, and many more.

While many people might know Washington State for its rain and being called "the Evergreen State," named after our evergreen trees (which, spoiler alert, stay green all year), we tend to think of ourselves as "the Evergrape State," as Washington is the second largest producer of premium wine in the country, and the world is beginning to take notice.

Whether you consider yourself a wine aficionado or more of a fair-weather sipper, you might be surprised to see where your wine comes from, as well as the differences between our 14 AVAs (American Viticulture Area = a distinct area where grapes are grown).

No matter what kind of relationship you have to wine, Washington State has something for every single type of sip. Even for those of you who don't drink (much), you can still enjoy what #WAwine has to offer: soaking in the historic beauty of our grape state, which was largely influenced by what's known as the Missoula Floods. We say it because it's true: nobody tastes like us because nobody looks like us.

There is no better month than August to go out, get to know (more) #WAwine, and sip social with your taste buds. If you're in the Seattle area, you're only a 30-minute drive from 120 wineries in Woodinville, and if you're located elsewhere in the state, you are literally surrounded by unique wine countries, from Lake Chelan to the Columbia River Gorge, Yakima Valley, Red Mountain, Walla Walla Valley, and so much more.

So get out this month, sip local and social, and tag us in your #WAwine adventures on Instagram, Twitter, and Facebook! We love seeing where #WAwine takes you.