In The News

Veranda – The 8 Best Under-the-Radar Travel Destinations for Wine Lovers

Whether you want to travel just a few miles or across the globe, add these sommelier-selected spots to your bucket list.

BoiseDev – Wine commission ends push to change Ada Co. law on tasting rooms. But it might try another approach

After months of tense discussions between the Ada County Commissioners, the Idaho Wine Commission and residents of the small wine region in the Eagle Foothills, the wine commission has stepped back from lobbying for changes to the county’s regulations. Instead, the group is now considering state legislation to roll back regulations on wine and beer sales in Idaho. 

Hello Meridian – Idaho Wine Industry 

With over 70 wineries and 1,300 planted acres, Idaho is known as one of the fastest-growing wine regions in the country, with natural resources to sustain world-class vineyards and wineries statewide.

The Wine Siren- The Fastest Growing Wine Region in United States: Idaho Wine

The intrigue of the fastest growing wine region in the United States led me on a journey to learn more about Idaho Wine. I left Napa on a very hot Friday afternoon to fly to the land of the unknown. I’d never traveled to Idaho but was inspired to learn it was the fastest-growing wine region in the United States. Pretty compelling stuff, particularly when you consider wine today is made in every state in the union.  

Idaho Business Review – Development and weather pose pressing issues for Idaho wineries

After the past two years, Idaho’s wine industry is popping the cork on what it hopes will be a normal summer. 

According to statistics from the Idaho Wine Commission, Idaho now has more than 75 wineries, which harvest more than 2,000 tons of grapes every year, producing more than 300,000 gallons of wine annually. Altogether, Idaho’s vineyards and wineries have an estimated annual impact of $210 million. 

PROJECT FARE – The Idaho beverage industry: Behind the solar power curve?

On a sultry day in early June, the front lawn of the Hells Canyon and Zhoo Zhoo winery feels like a tiny slice of Tuscany transported to Caldwell, Idaho. Soft music plays, sunlight falls gracefully through tree canopies, and the twisting length of the Snake River is visible far beyond the grapevines. It’s deeply serene. But the winery has an open secret: Both the wine and ambiance are made possible by solar power.

BoiseDev – Dude DeWalt Cellars on Highway 16 earns green light to become event center

On Tuesday, Ada County Commissioners voted to allow Dude DeWalt Cellars on Highway 16 to become an event center on top of their winery approval with a few compromises. This comes after an hours-long, late-night hearing earlier this month where the board heard dueling appeals from both a nearby neighbor hoping for heavy restrictions on the winery and from the owner who wanted the ability to host more and larger events on the property. 

Idaho Matters – The Snake River Valley wine region celebrates its 15th anniversary

When people think of Idaho, their next thought is often potatoes. But once you hit the Snake River Valley, you’ll find more grapes than you will spuds, and this year those grapes are celebrating a 15 year anniversary.

According to the Idaho Wine Commission, Idaho’s first American Viticultural Area opened in 2007. Over the years, it has grown from 15 wineries to more than 40, clearing the way for two more AVAs and producing more than 400,000 gallons of wine a year.

CBS2 News Online – Competition showcases best Idaho wines, ciders of 2022

The 13th annual Idaho Wine and Cider Competition was held on May 24, showcasing the best wines Idaho has to offer.

The competition, organized by Great Northwest Wine, featured an elite panel of judges made up of writers, sommeliers, consultants, buyers and industry experts.

A total of 164 Idaho wines were evaluated as well as 13 cider entries. 

Idaho Press – The How of Wine: 13th Annual Idaho Wine Competition lauds medals

Ahead of Idaho Wine month in June, a new slew of award-winning wines was crowned Tuesday, May 24 at the 13th Annual Idaho Wine Competition. Six judges swirled, sniffed, and sipped through the 164 entries submitted in hopes of awarding medals to the highest quality wines. And, I was once again fortunate to be among the judging team and able to gain an inside view into some of this year’s best Idaho wines.

BoiseDev – Wine wars: Ada County Commissioners approve one Eagle foothills winery, delay a decision on event center

Another week, another tense hearing in Ada County about wineries in the Eagle foothills. 

On Wednesday night, the Ada County Commissioners sat up late into the night listening to testimony from residents and the winery industry about applications from two separate wineries to expand their operations in the area. The first was an application from 3100 Cellars on Artemisa Road for a permit to produce and sell wine on their property and the second application came from Dude DeWalt Cellars along Highway 16 to expand their operations to an event center and social hall along with their winery. 

Idaho Statesman – A winery in rural Ada County will likely be approved. But can it sell alcohol?

On Wednesday, the Ada County Commissioners appeared likely to deny an appeal to the commission that opposed a family business’s plan to produce wine on their property off Homer Road, north of Eagle.

Melanie Krause of Cinder Wines uses Syrah to win Idaho Wine Competition for third time

Melanie Krause was a winemaking star on the rise at Château Ste. Michelle in Washington state when she returned to her native Idaho to make world-class Syrah in the Snake River Valley and launch Cinder Wines in 2008.

Idaho Press – Snake River Valley Wine Region Turns 15

Idaho’s first official wine region celebrated its 15th anniversary last month. The Idaho Wine Commission announced in a press release that the Snake River Valley American Viticultural Area was designated on April 9, 2007, thanks to a group of Idaho wineries, vineyard owners, ag officials, and academics. The Snake River Valley AVA has grown from 15 wineries in 2007 to more than 40 today and has its own sub-region, the Eagle Foothills AVA.

BoiseDev – Ada County Commisioners weighing regulations on wineries and neighborhood concerns

Ada County is hoping to broker a compromise between cutting regulations on wineries in rural areas and neighbors hoping to keep their say over who can and cannot sell alcohol near their properties. 

Great Northwest Wine – 2022 Idaho Winery of the Year: Holesinsky Vineyard and Winery

Last year not only served as the 20th anniversary of James Holesinsky’s eponymous wine program in Idaho’s largely overlooked Hagerman Valley, but it also marked a period of unequaled acclaim for the wines crafted by him and his chemist/wife, Caitlin.

Food & Wine – These Are America’s Next Great Food Cities

The state is still better known for its potatoes than its grapes, but with 1,300 acres of vineyards, the wine scene is one of the Pacific Northwest’s best kept secrets. And women are leading the charge, like Idaho natives Leslie Preston and Melanie Krause, who cut their teeth in Napa Valley and Woodinville, Washington, respectively, before returning home to open two of the region’s most exciting wineries, Coiled and Cinder. 

Growth and wine collide: Homeowners, winery industry clash as development comes to Eagle foothills

Once winter eases its grip, he tries to spend every minute possible enjoying his expansive wrap-around deck or working in his vineyard trimming vines with his two trusty golden retrievers at his side. His property is nestled in the Eagle foothills, largely surrounded by other small farms or single-family homes with expansive acreage. Pasculli’s home and multiple varieties of wine grape vines have a commanding view of the rolling hills off in the distance. 

GEAR PATROL – The Best Canned Wines to Get Buzzed on the Go

You’ve probably seen a burgeoning beverage category populating the portable drinks section of your local grocery store or wine shop in the last few years, and you’re wondering if it’s any good. Just like the newer, better versions of boxed wine, canned wine has been coming into its own, and both winemakers and retailers are taking note. 

Wine Business – Hot Brands 2021: Family Finds Success in Lewis & Clark Valley

Nestled along the Clearwater River in southeastern Idaho lies a property that the Hewett family has called home since the 1950s, but their history in the area is much longer.