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Idaho Wine Commission

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Idaho Press – ‘Savor’ Idaho’s wine, cider industries

June 3, 2024

Raise a glass to Idaho’s wine industry. Together, our state’s cideries and wineries — and bars, restaurants, tasting rooms and related events — cups runneth over. In 2022 alone, the industry brought in $314 million — that’s a 50% increase over five years, according to a recent economic impact study conducted on behalf of the Idaho Wine Commission. In addition, 890,000 Idaho tourists incorporated a winery or tasting room trip into their itinerary and spent more than $173 million on local business and the wine and cider industry combined added more than 3,000 jobs.

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Spoken Wines –

May 17, 2024

Idaho’s Best Kept Secret – Hells Canyon Winery

Visit the Wild West and meet Hells Canyon Winery, one of the oldest in the Pacific Northwest of North America making wines that rival the best in the West. Yes, in Idaho!! A perfect terroir produces an intense, powerful, complex Cabernet Sauvignon, while over 40 year-old vines are the secret to a crisp, vibrant old world style Chardonnay. Meet a culinary chef turned winemaker after he and his wife traveled to France in the 70s, came back and planted, now, one of the oldest vineyards in Idaho.

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Spoken Wines – From Ellis Island to Idaho Vines: A Family’s Journey of Perseverance and Passion

From Ellis Island to the foothills of Idaho, the story of Rolling Hills Vineyard is a multigenerational journey that started three generations ago in the Old World and came to fruition in Idaho. It is of a family working together as one to pursue their dream. When they saw this old vineyard on this beautiful property in the foothills north of Boise, Idaho that needed rehabilitation they all – were all in! Mark and Lori Pasculli purchased a neglected Cabernet Franc vineyard in the Eagle Foothills in 2016. Two vintages later their estate Cab Franc earned a Double Platinum and 96 points from Great Northwest Wine in 2021.

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Great Northwest Wine – Walla Walla Community College Hires Idaho Winemaker Martin Fujishin As Program Director

May 2, 2024

Martin Fujishin, one of the Snake River Valley’s top winemakers and a sustainably minded grapegrower, has been hired as the director of enology and viticulture at Walla Walla Community College.

Fujishin, 45, will be the ninth executive director in the program’s 24-year history. He starts June 3 on the Tausick Way campus and home to College Cellars of Walla Walla.

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Decanter – Over the line: The complexities of US cross-state-border AVAs

April 25, 2024

In a place as vast as California, AVAs can create distinctions in wines. Consumers can understand the differences between Napa and Sta. Rita Hills, for example. But when it comes to cross-state-border AVAs – a somewhat common occurrence in the Pacific Northwest – what is the impact on both regional marketing and labelling laws? 

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Tasting Table – US Wine Festivals You Won’t Want To Miss

April 2, 2024

Wine drinkers fit into two categories: those who casually enjoy the beverage and those who become fully immersed in everything about it. If you fit into the latter group, attending a wine festival is one of the best ways to join other enthusiastic oenophiles. These events unite vintners, producers, sommeliers, and everyday wine lovers, often in beautiful settings where the wine flows. Grape-growing regions are prime spots for these wine-fueled occasions and they extend across the country to satisfy avid fans.

Read More: https://www.tastingtable.com/1551389/best-wine-festivals-united-states/

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Idaho Business Review – Visiting for vino: Idaho’s wine industry is drawing in tourists as the spring season begins

March 29, 2024

A sip of Sangiovese on a warm spring day, along with good company and picturesque surroundings is a sign of the warmer, inviting season ahead.

And Idaho’s wineries are ready for it.

Warmer weather draws more people out, and tasting rooms and wineries in Idaho’s six different growing regions are preparing for  the influx of vino enthusiasts the changing seasons brings.

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Boise State Public Radio – Idaho Matters – Have questions about cider? You’ll want to ask Idaho’s first pommelier.

March 7, 2024

Everyone knows if you’re looking for advice on wine, you’ll want to ask a sommelier, but if you’re wondering about cider, that’s a job for a pommelier.

Now, if you’re not familiar with this term, you’re not alone. There are only 97 certified pommeliers in the United States, and now, thanks to Molly Leadbetter, Idaho is home to one of them.

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Idaho Business Review – Idaho now has one

February 29, 2024

Becoming certified as a pommelier by the American Cider Association (ACA) requires the recipient to go through an examination process that shows the person has “an expert level of knowledge and proficiency in cider production, history and sensory evaluation,” a release read. “The designation represents a deep understanding of the complexities of cider and its cultural significance, making it a coveted recognition within the beverage industry.”