A stampede of vineyard deals confirms that Washington state has arrived as a wine region. Northwest correspondent Peter Mitham pulls together the recent mergers and acquisitions in Washington and Oregon in the Top Stories section on page 14. But anyone who has visited Woodinville, Wash., in recent years already knows that wineries have sprouted thicker than Starbucks locations due to the fertile influence of affluent consumers in the Seattle area who are thirsty for wine.