(Wines&Vines) - Coming off its biggest harvest in history, the Washington state wine industry is quietly pursuing an ambitious agenda as it consolidates its position as the nation’s second-biggest wine region.

As the state’s largest producer, Ste. Michelle Wine Estates believes the state could ultimately host 200,000 acres of vineyard, nearly four times the current acreage of approximately 56,000. Given a 2016 harvest of 270,000 tons, such a dramatic increase in acreage could easily put the state closer to 1 million tons, if the dreams come to fruition. Moreover, with Wines Vines Analytics reporting 747 wineries in the state, growth is in fair balance with an estimated production of 15 million cases (this compares to a production of 4.2 million cases from Oregon’s 713 wineries, and the British Columbia Wine Institute’s own figure of 4.8 million cases produced by British Columbia’s 275 wineries).