It began with the premise that two of the best places on the planet for making and experiencing wine are Italy and the Pacific Northwest. While the former defines "Old World" and the latter "New World," both regions produce epic wines.

So it was that on a recent trip to Washington state, I endeavored to merge the two by sampling a selection of wines grown and made in Washington from grapes with Italian origins. Initially, I thought that procuring wines made from grapes like sangiovese, barbera and nebbiolo might prove a difficult task. But, as I quickly discovered, there exists a treasure trove of Italian varietals in a state that is the second largest producer of wine in America, trailing only California.