What the name means
Washington is a state origin, not one American Viticultural Area. Its wine regions include 21 federally recognized AVAs, some shared with Oregon.
Research underway
Chateau Ste. Michelle Indian Wells Merlot Washington Red Wine
We have the store listing and package details. The deeper reporting for this wine is still underway.
- Style
- Red wine
- Size
- 750 ml
- Grape
- Merlot
- Region
- Washington State
- Shelf barcode
- 0088586607912
The prices we checked
Dated store checks, not a promise about your store.
- Ralphs, Long Beach, CA$22.99
- Fred Meyer, Portland, OR$25.99
- King Soopers, Colorado Springs, CO$16.99
- QFC, Tacoma, WA$22.99
The regular price can vary by store and date.
From the producer
Washington's founding winery
Chateau Ste. Michelle's timeline dates its Ste. Michelle Vineyards origin to 1967 as Washington's first premium label, built in Woodinville. The winery's own site also says the Wyckoff family bought Chateau Ste. Michelle in 2025, returning it to local ownership for the first time in 50 years.
Research status
Where this page is headed
We are checking the current release, the producer record, and the bottle itself. Until that work is complete, this page reports only the facts carried by the dated store feed and shared region and grape research.
Getting to know Washington State.
A Washington label can point to a large state blend or to a narrower AVA. Most vineyards are east of the Cascade Range, but the exact AVA still matters because elevation, wind, rain and frost exposure change across the state.
How grapes grow here
The Cascade Range blocks much of the Pacific rain from eastern Washington. That creates generally dry growing conditions with warm summer days, cool nights and winter frost risk, while western sites have stronger marine influence.
What lies under the vines
Flood deposits, windblown silt, sand, gravel and volcanic material occur across Washington wine country. A state name alone does not identify one soil or vineyard setting.
How large the region is
- Recognized AVAs
- 21 wine-growing areas are listed by the Washington State Wine Commission.
- Label resolution
- Washington State is broader than an AVA, so the bottle or producer must establish a more specific place.
Places within the region
- Columbia Valley
- A very large AVA that contains many of Washington's smaller wine regions and crosses into Oregon.
- Yakima Valley and Walla Walla Valley
- Two established AVAs within the broader eastern Washington landscape, each with its own boundaries and local conditions.
Getting to know Merlot.
Merlot is a red grape that can make a complete wine or soften a Cabernet-led blend. It generally ripens earlier than Cabernet Sauvignon and often has a rounder structure.
Category guide
What to expect in the glass
Regional guides describe plum and other red or dark fruit, with less forceful tannin than Cabernet Sauvignon in many examples. Climate and blending can make it fresh and medium-bodied or broader and richer.
Sources: New Zealand Winegrowers; Napa Valley Vintners. Checked Aug 10, 2026. See all 28 Merlot wines we cover →
Where this information comes from
- Store listing
- Price, package, product identifier. Checked Aug 14, 2026.
- Barcode
- The shelf barcode shown here is computed from the store product identifier. It has not been checked against a bottle.
- Method
- Every price, rating and fact here is a dated observation. How we check.