Idaho Wine: A Love Story

 Country roads, peaceful spots with sweeping views of vines and farmland, the friendliest people you will ever meet, and delectable wines… Welcome to Heaven on Earth.

               As my mom says, I love every wine area I visit. Except for Napa Valley. I do not love Napa. However, until my recent visit to Idaho’s wine country, I didn’t know what wine region love was.

My love affair with Idaho wines started two years ago on a road trip my husband and I took. Designed to explore the northern portion of Wyoming into Montana, we had the pleasure of spending one night and one day in Idaho on our way back home. Between opal mining, a short hike in a lava field, and enjoying the riverwalk and great downtown of Idaho Falls, where we stumbled upon a wine shop filled with local wines and a shop owner who was more than happy to help me fill up a case with some of his recommended top Idaho wines, we fell in love with this amazing state and knew we had to come back some day.

               That desire to go back grew stronger and stronger for me every time I opened one of my bottles of Idaho wine. With every Chardonnay, Tempranillo, Cab Sauv, and red blend, I became more and more infatuated. So, of course, visions of wine bottles were dancing in my head when we started discussing this year’s vacation, and a road trip back to Idaho became the clear winner. I began plotting out potential routes and activities, making sure to schedule a few days in the Boise area where my husband’s longtime friend had just moved to. I couldn’t believe my eyes when I saw that we were going to be right outside of Idaho’s Snake River AVA. Not only was I going to have the opportunity to purchase more Idaho wine, I was going to be able to visit the actual wineries. I couldn’t wait and began learning all I could about this wine haven.

               Though viewed as a “newer” wine region, the Idaho Wine Commission website states that the first wine grapes were planted in 1864, before either Oregon or Washington. It was a thriving industry of award-winning wines until Prohibition halted and nearly destroyed it. The world of winemaking was reintroduced to the area in the 1970s and has continued to grow since. Idaho was finally granted its first American Viticultural Area (AVA), which is a specified grape growing boundary-area, Snake River, in 2007, followed in 2015 by the Eagle Foothills AVA, and the Lewis-Clark AVA in 2016. The site lists that there are currently 65 wineries in Idaho, with a variety of grape types being grown including Riesling, Chardonnay, Syrah, Cabernet Sauvignon and Merlot. With its expanding popularity in the world of wine, this area was recently featured as one of the new region guides on Wine Folly, solidifying themselves as a place for wine lovers to seek out.

               My first taste of Idaho wine this time around came on the third night of our trip. After an afternoon of exploring the lava fields and other-worldly landscapes of Craters of the Moon National Monument, our starving stomachs and noses led us to a pizzeria and grill in Ketchum. Scrolling down the wine list, I was pleased to see they offered a few Idaho selections. Then I saw the gem of the list, the Ste. Chapelle Winery Special Harvest Soft Huckleberry. With huckleberry being the state fruit of Idaho, and with my general love of all things huckleberry, I knew this was the wine for me. Beautifully colored, it had a nice huckleberry flavor with just the slightest sweet edge to it. It was the perfect partner for my pork roast in a boysenberry sauce, and I was hooked. This tiny taste of Idaho wine reminded me just how much I loved the wines from this state, and I immediately hit a couple of liquor stores to purchase not only a bottle of this huckleberry delight, but also Ste. Chapelle’s Chateau Series Riesling, the Holesinky Vineyard and Winery Idawine 2021, and the Sawtooth 2022 Chardonnay. Since I would be unable to visit any of these places during this trip, I thought it would be a wonderful treat to try them at home. My Idaho wine exploration was off to a good start.

               My next wine stop was on a whim, and what a whim it ended up being. Having made it to the city of Eagle, located just outside of the Eagle Foothills AVA, earlier than expected and having time to kill before meeting up with friends for dinner, my husband asked if there was a winery close by he could take me to. Indeed, there was. A simple eight-minute drive from our hotel was the Buckhorn Vineyards Urban Tasting Room. As they would be closing in just under an hour, and most wineries have policies regarding last call/tastings, I promptly called to see if we could come in. The owner said we were more than welcome to come on down, so we hopped in the car and headed over.

               Tucked between the end of the commercial and the start of the rural part of the city, the small tasting room was bright and welcoming. A boutique style winery focusing on grapes from Idaho, Oregon, Washington and California, Buckhorn had a wide variety of wines to choose from. Sadly, they were currently sold out of their estate and Idaho wines, but the owner gave me a splash of an amazing Idaho Syrah he made that was close but not quite ready to be bottled. All quality wines, we had a wonderful time chatting with the owner and a regular about the area, growing seasons, and the owner’s future plans for the winery, as I worked my way through my selected five samples. All scored eight points or higher on my ten-point scale, and my three favorites were the 2021 Chardonnay dripping with tropical fruit and a bit of smoke and spice, the 2021 Zinfandel filled with bold but not jammy fruit, and the 2022 Malbec with its notes of blueberries, blackberries, and tobacco. I purchased bottles of both the reds and am still kicking myself for not getting the Chardonnay. This accommodating and friendly winery was the perfect way to spend an hour before dinner.

               The next day brought us to the town of Caldwell and the numerous wineries surrounding it. Prior to leaving on our road trip, I had visited website after website for the various wineries in the Snake River AVA looking for four specific “qualifications” – if the wine list appealed to me, if the wines were made with Idaho grapes, if reservations were not required, as we were trying to keep things loose and flexible, and if children were allowed, since our friends would be bringing their kiddos. I found the most spectacular place that not only met these expectations, but many more, in Kerry Hill Winery.

               The roads leading into this part of Idaho wine country were so beautiful, dotted with farms and vineyards. Pulling up to the tasting room the first thing we saw was a pasture that contained the grazing black and white sheep the winery is named for. Surrounding us were the vineyards, with a map at the entrance listing what grapes were grown in each plot to aid those that wanted to wander and see the vines in action. This beautiful location also included a vast yard behind the tasting room with various seating options and yard games.

On the day we were there, they had live music playing and Vintage Drive-In Kernel Company on site, selling a variety of delicious popcorns. On weekends, Kerry Hill only offers glass and bottle purchases, but they are more than willing to give splashes of any of the wines so customers can pick the perfect glass or bottle to enjoy. Choosing a small, so not to over-extend my welcome, but decent selection, I was totally wowed by their 2023 Gemstone Gewürztraminer and its delectable spiced pear and apple notes, the 2021 Monarch Tempranillo, which brought to mind jammy blackberries and tobacco, and their 2020 Garden Jewel Petit Verdot with its intoxicating dry black cherry flavors. Since we had decided to sit outside where we could lounge in the fall sunshine, I opted for a glass of the Gewürz and told the woman who poured it for me that I wished I had an apple pie to eat along with it. What a delightful surprise when I got to my seat and discovered my husband had gone to the popcorn stand and bought me a bag of caramel apple flavored popcorn, as I love all things caramel apple. It was the ultimate snack pairing with my wine, and I was definitely in my happy place.

 I could have spent all day, hell, all weekend there, but when it was time to go, I purchased all three of those wines, as well as their Legend Red Wine Blend. I had not tried this one, but I just had to have a wine that had those adorable sheep on the label. I tossed in a hoody for good measure and was on my way, sad to go but happy for the experience. What a place.

My final Idaho adventure took place on that Sunday. Twenty minutes from our hotel, with a stop at Red Chair Lavendar Farm on the way, of course, was Sol Invictus Vineyard. During my trip research, this place had caught my eye immediately, not only for their exceptional looking wine options, but also because of their very strong beliefs in supporting America and the community they are part of.

When we entered the lovely tasting room, decked out in our Denver Broncos best, as we would be watching the Broncos versus Seahawks game in a couple of hours, we and the woman behind the bar had to laugh, as she was decked out in her Seahawks best. Selecting my five wines for my flight, we chatted with the server about football, wines, and everything else as happy wine enthusiasts bustled in out of the tasting room, and an obvious regular enjoyed a glass of wine with his book. I started with the crisp and fruity 2022 Prohibition Chardonnay, moved on to the cherry and spice 2021 Sangiovese, and by the time I hit the stunning 2022 The Regal Elk Pinot Noir, with its floral, earthy and cherry notes, I added two more tasters to my bill, so I could try every red they were currently offering. Thinking I had hit the jackpot with the Pinot that got a 9.5 out of 10 on my rating scale, I was stunned speechless when I tried my second to last sample, the 2020 Mountain Goat Malbec. Stuffed full of purple fruit flavors with a hint of rose, I was instantly hooked, and this beautiful wine got a ten-point rating. This open and welcoming winery, with a list full of amazing wines, was quickly becoming one of my favorite wine stops ever.

Loving everything I tried, both the estate wines and wines made from grapes from Washington, I ended up buying five bottles for myself including two of the Malbecs, one to enjoy when I got home, and one for next year. I also felt it was prudent to purchase a wine glass, a sticker, and a t-shirt, as I wanted to have everything I could to help me remember this wonderful experience. I wish I could have stayed longer, but Taco Bell and football were calling my name. I couldn’t have asked for a better last Idaho wine stop.

What I found in the Idaho wine industry were wines of quality, uniqueness, and joy bringing, and wineries that were welcoming and had kind people who were excited about the products they were making. I found locals that spoke of the farming that is the heart of the winemaking process. I found a group of wine lovers who believed that wine should be enjoyed in relaxed, non-judgmental, non-pretentious environments. To say I fell in love would be an understatement. Visiting Idaho wine country was like coming home, and I await the day until I can go back and explore some more. But until that day, I will just have to sip and savor all of my treasured bottles and dream of my distant love. Cheers to the wines and wine regions we love.