 The first people who were definitely known to produce wine were German and Italian immigrants who planted their wine grapes in Washington during the 1860s and 1870s.Washington was one of the first states to usher in the start of Prohibition, going dry in 1917 and shutting down most of the state's wine production.Some scattered grape growers stayed afloat during this period selling grapes to home winemakers but nearly all the state's commercial wines went out of business.