The Snake River Valley AVA features immaculate, terroir-true wines in Boise’s backyard
Picture this. You’re at Fujishin Estate Winery, 30 miles west of Boise, where the vista from the tasting room looks out over a portion of the estate vineyard and the surrounding orchards of Central Cove, one of Idaho’s oldest fruit-growing regions. “We like to joke that the tasting room is a glorified farm shop, but we built it to harken back to our family’s farming roots with a modern twist,” says owner/winemaker Martin Fujishin. You enjoy a picnic lunch by the Sunnyslope Wine Trail and, as evening draws close, you cozy up with a glass of sensational Tempranillo and huddle around a firepit, watching the sunset behind the farmlands painting the sky vividly behind the Owyhee Mountains. You can’t help but marvel at just how underrated this gem of a region is, and you luxuriate in the beauty of it all. It’s pretty hard to not fall headlong in love with this bucolic, agrestic region — and you have to visit to know why.
World-renowned potatoes, delicate huckleberries and coveted gemstones are probably the first things that come to mind when you think of Idaho. While these are all extraordinary in their own right, it is easy to fall into the trap of stereotypes. A veritable treasure, hidden in plain sight, awaits you in Idaho’s Treasure Valley, bad puns notwithstanding. You’ll definitely find some ruby-hued and brilliant golden-colored specimens here. Yes, we’re talking about immaculate, terroir-true wines that are absolutely worth traveling for.
A History of Winemaking? Yes.
Circa 1864, the first wine grapes were planted in Idaho, and it became home to the first wineries in the Northwest. Unfortunately, prohibition stalled the industry and it wasn’t until 1970 that grapes were planted again, this time here in the Snake River Valley. Designated Idaho’s very first American Viticultural Area (AVA) in 2007, the burgeoning Snake River Valley AVA sprawls across 8,000 square miles, almost as far east as Twin Falls, and comprises the state’s largest metropolitan areas, including Boise, Meridian, Nampa and Caldwell. The latter two cities and their surrounding agricultural areas make up the largest concentration of wineries in the state.
All told, the entire state of Idaho boasts a vibrant winemaking landscape with nearly 1,300 acres of planted vineyards, more than 60 wineries, and three officially designated AVAs, one of which — the Eagle Foothills AVA — rests entirely within the Snake River Valley AVA. Latitudinally, Idaho shares the stage with two of the world’s most revered grape-growing areas: France’s Bordeaux region and Spain’s Rioja region.
What makes the Snake River Valley such a treasure trove (pun intended) for winemaking? Hot summers, low rainfall, dramatic diurnal shifts, a distinct four-season climate, high elevations and ancient volcanic sediments. It’s got all the trappings of a classic wine country destination. Does high-quality wine at prices your pocket would be happy about seem like an oxymoron? Welcome to the Snake River Valley. Simply put, either you love Idaho wine, or you haven’t really tried much of it.
When the industry reemerged in the ’70s, the region saw a lot of early plantings of Riesling and Chardonnay. Today the drinking experience isn’t dominated by one or two signature varietals but is a happy harmony between tradition and experimentation. Varietals that do really well here are fruity and spicy Syrah, Chardonnay with a mineral backbone, Viognier that’s redolent with tropical fruit, rich and savory Malbec, robust Merlot and Petit Verdot that’s both sinuous and sensational. Spanish grapes such as Albariño and Tempranillo thrive in the valley’s high-elevation sites and loamy, volcanic soils. Last but definitely not least, there are some radical Rieslings that will challenge preconceived notions about it always being sweet. Riesling is a big deal here, for all the right reasons. Think delightful expressions of the grape that are bone dry to boot, and brimming with citrus.
Here winemakers and growers will be quick to tell you that Mother Nature does most of the heavy lifting for them. “The Snake River Valley has a very fortuitous spot in the mountains that gives it mild enough winters to grow Vitis vinifera, warm enough summers to ripen our fruit, and low amounts of rainfall, which reduces pests and gives growers control over the vines,” says Melanie Kraus, owner/winemaker at Cinder Wines.
“It is easy to make great wine with great fruit,” Sydney Weitz-Nederend, owner/founder of Scoria Vineyards, says matter-of-factly. Like Scoria, many of the wineries here are family owned and their principals come from a multigenerational farming background — the land is woven into the fabric of their lives. They know how to coax the best of the grapevines and intervene just enough. An overarching theme here in the Snake River Valley is minimal intervention winemaking.
Get on the Trail
A great place to experience this winemaking firsthand is along the Sunnyslope Wine Trail, located in Caldwell. The trail traverses through meadows, farms and grasslands — a picture of pastoral bliss, punctuated by world-class wineries. It’s hard not to love the pours and, quite often, it is the winemakers themselves who are doing so. Expect to engage in a lively discussion about the contents of your glass and where it comes from.
Unlike more popular regions where hundreds of wineries jostle for your attention, there is less chance of feeling overwhelmed here. No rushing from appointment to appointment. There is an unhurried and laissez-faire approach — an essential way to deeply experience wine at its fullest. Here you can stop and stare and smell (literally and figuratively) the roses, peonies and many other blooms along the way. Bikers will appreciate the winding country roads and taking in epic sunsets over the glistening Snake River.
Huston Vineyards is the gateway to the Sunnyslope Wine Trail. Get yourself a glass of Grüner Veltliner, an exotic Austrian varietal that Huston was the first to plant in Idaho. Located adjacent to the historic town of Huston, you can enjoy views on their inviting patio, and sip through their award-winning Malbec, Merlot, Cabernet Sauvignon and Petite Syrah from the Snake River Valley series. Next up, Scoria Vineyards is housed in a rustic pole barn that sits on land that has been in Weitz-Nederend’s family for generations. Enjoy a flight of their robust, bodacious reds along with sweeping views of the vineyard and Owyhee Mountains from the tasting room. Sydney and James Nederend are also proud owners at Koenig Vineyards, an iconic winery founded by the pioneering Greg Koenig. They abide by Koenig’s original approach of minimal intervention and letting the wine speak for itself. Play a game of life-size chess here while sipping a glass of Chardonnay. Round off the experience with a walk up the watchtower for a view to remember.
An essential stop is the beloved Ste. Chapelle. With its history as Idaho’s largest and oldest continuous-running winery since 1975, it boldly resonates with the area’s coming of age as a wine region. Powerhouse winemaker Meredith Smith was swept off her feet when she tried a Fraser Vineyard Cabernet Sauvignon from Idaho. “As a viticulture student at Washington State University, my intent was to go to Washington or Oregon upon completion of the program and make wine,” she says. “During the school year, I visited a wine bar in Idaho and tried this wine, and it gave me an idea about the limitless potential of this region.”
Urban Wineries, too
That potential is evidenced in the decidedly urban areas of the Snake River Valley AVA, as well. A mere half hour from Sunnyslope, Garden City is a tiny municipality strangely sandwiched inside Boise city limits, just minutes from Boise’s downtown. At once charming and rough-hewn, it is a haven for beverage buffs, with award-winning wineries and breweries dotted throughout its light-industrial landscape. You can make a day of exploring this area and sampling Idaho wines on foot or by bike. The funky, neon-accented Split Rail Winery specializes in pet-nat, low intervention winemaking, alternative aging vessels — and above all else, invention. Eschewing standard winery snacks like cheese platters or charcuterie boards, Split Rail offers Asian chips like hot chili squid, sweet basil or garlic oyster — which pair smashingly with winemaker Jed Glavin’s racy and wicked Riesling.
Split Rail is in stellar company in Garden City. Telaya Wine Co., with its picturesque, riverside tasting room is known for its high-octane, age-worthy reds with plenty of depth and structure. Husband-and-wife team Carrie and Earl Sullivan created the winery with the strong ethos of family, and you might spot their two young boys lending a hand, doing chores and learning what a classroom can’t teach. A few blocks away, Cinder Wines, pays homage to the soil, the volcanic cinder found under the vineyards from which Cinder carefully sources its fruit. Owner/winemaker Melanie Kraus has had an affinity for cooking, plants, gardens and nature since her childhood days. All that goodness is reflected at Cinder, where she makes wines that have plenty of heart, presented in a tasting room that’s filled with rustic charm. Their star varietals are a delightfully scented Viognier, nuanced Syrah and robust Tempranillo.
“Snake River Valley Viognier is beautiful — aromatic, balanced, roundly textured and clean finishing,” Kraus says with pride. “I’m willing to put my Viognier with Viogniers from anywhere in the world and expect it to be exemplary.”
No doubt, other winemakers throughout the Snake River Valley AVA might have similar expectations. And given this magnificent terroir and the farmers and winemakers that know how to maximize it, such high expectations are warranted.
Feature Image Courtesy Idaho Wine Commission
