What comes to your mind first, that Idaho is mentioned? Most people think about potatoes. I did too. However, potatoes are not the only thing that Idaho can be proud of.
Every (every!) state of the US produces wine for better or worse. However, except for California, Washington, Oregon, and New York more often for worse than for better.
In Hawaii, they grow a small plot of Pinot noir as high as they can (still it is too hot for grapes, and it feels bad), and bring some grapes from California. Wine isn’t worth a good word, but, still, they produce wine om Hawaii.
So, I realized that Idaho state should produce some wine, but never thought about it.
This summer I worked in eastern Washington, a few miles from Moscow, Idaho. One day, my friend took me to her favourite Moscow tasting room. I thought it belonged to some Washington winery (although most of them are pretty far from Moscow), but it was local.
Wine… They had a very limited release of Chardonnay. Only for Club members, but the sommelier poured me, as a colleague, some. Better Chardonnay I drank only in Burgundy. For America it was fantastic – bright flower and mineral tones, gentle and refreshing (not any oak).
Other wines were also very good. Nice Riesling, good reds. I even bought a bottle of Renegade 2019. South-Rhône style (Grenache, Mourvèdre, Cinsaut, Syrah). Good acidity, red berries, spices, good structure, and complexity. It inspires me this writing.
The vineyard is located on the slopes of Lewis-Clark Valley (Lewis-Clark Valley AVA), along Potlatch and Clearwater rivers.
The first vines were planted in the 1980s – Chardonnay, Riesling, and Rkatsiteli. In the 1990s the new owner came and added red varieties – Cabernet sauvignon and franc, Merlot. Later, the vineyard was abandoned for more than a decade. In 2007 the present owners came, recovered old vines and added some new ones – Grenache, Tempranillo, and Syrah.
They do good wine, and prices are quite reasonable among local wineries – 25-30, highs – 40. My recommendation.
Never know where you will find good things.
Will be checking Idaho again.
