This week marks the return of one of our favorite columnists, Dee Hitch. Hitch, an Islander, is a longtime writer for the Reporter and a well-known regional wine expert and for many years, sommelier for the North-end QFC.

Her contributions to the Reporter go beyond the basics of wine, to tell the stories of the winemakers themselves; how they began and what it took for them to be successful.

In a series written last year, Hitch counted several winemakers who grew up on the Island. Some of these ventures are still small, yet others have grown in concert to the state’s industry itself.

Over the last 20 years, the Washington wine business has become an economic force on its own. Washington state is the second largest premium wine producer in the United States, albeit well behind first place producer, California.

Winemaking in Washington is younger than the big state to the south. But it has grown quickly. The number of acres of vineyards have grown from 11,000 acres to 50,000 acres in 20 years time. Now, there are some 900 wineries in the state. The wine industry as a whole contributes $8.6 billion to the state’s economy.

What is compelling about Washington state wine is the fact it is local. How cool is it to enjoy fine wine from our own state – from places where we can visit to taste, see and even smell where it came from. You can’t say that very often about the food or drink we ordinarily consume.

We hope that the Town Center merchants and the Mercer Island Chamber of Commerce will band together again to put on a wine and art walk event on the Island later this year. Such an event would be a perfect complement to the Mercer Island Farmers Market.