Visit Caldwell, Weiser, and other Idaho spots to sip and savor recent vintages.
Wine’s roots in Idaho go back to the 1870s. But a crop of new wineries have brought the state fresh renown—25 have opened since 2004, and most accept visitors. For a full list, see idahowines.org[3]. Area code is 208.
Colter’s Creek Winery and Vineyards restored a derelict vineyard near the Potlatch River. Twenty-five-year-old vines yield chardonnay with flavors of butterscotch and pear. 874-3933, colterscreek.com[4].
Fujishin Family Cellars in Caldwell crafts wines with a kick, including a syrah that smacks of black currant, cherry, and pepper. Owner Martin Fujishin carries on a tradition; his great-grandfather made sake. 649-5389, fujishinfamilycellars.com[5].
Also in Caldwell, Huston Vineyards turns out the bold Chicken Dinner Red, a black currant– and clove-flavored blend of cabernet sauvignon, merlot, and syrah. 455-7975, hustonvineyards.com[6].
Vintner Dave Rule creates full-bodied, aromatic reds and whites at St. Regulus Wines in Weiser. The crisp 2008 riesling suggests apples and strawberries. 549-8040, stregulus.com[7].
At Syringa Winery in Garden City, winemaker Mike Crowley lets his Snake River Valley–grown wines develop in French, Hungarian, and American oak barrels. Visitors taste dark chocolate in his 2008 cabernet sauvignon. 433-1616, syringawinery.com[8].
Caldwell’s Vale Wine Co. produces high-quality, small-batch wines; its 2009 syrah has tannic heft and a gentle spiciness, with aromas of mocha, vanilla, and blackberry. 409-8950, valewineco.com[9].
