(ShankenNewsDaily) - Washington state’s wine industry has made significant strides in recent years, and consumers are taking notice. Major players like Ste. Michelle Wine Estates and Constellation’s Hogue Cellars continue to drive the category, and with E&J Gallo entering the state with its acquisition of the Columbia and Covey Run brands from Ascentia earlier this year, Washington wine’s visibility on retail shelves is poised to expand markedly. Washington’s leading wine brands were up nearly 7% to over 7 million cases last year, according to Impact Databank, and have shown total volume growth of nearly 2.5 million cases since 2005. In addition, since 2005 the number of Washington wineries has more than doubled to 740, while the state’s wine-bearing acreage has increased by 46% to 41,000 acres.