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Although some Idaho wineries use their
own estate-grown wine grapes, others contract with vineyards in
Idaho and sometimes Eastern Washington. Whatever the origin of
the grapes, there is unanimous
agreement among Idaho winemakers that fine wines start in the vineyard.
It is probably this philosophy that is bringing together a loose network of
Idaho's wine and vineyard industry people -- from both large and small wineries and from
the region's vineyards. Fine
tuning the fruit of their labor is a common goal of both
growers and winemakers alike... and the ultimate fruit is a
liquid called wine.
The majority of Idaho's
vineyards grow in the southwest corner of the state near the Snake
River. In addition to the influence of the river, this part of
the Snake River Valley also benefits from long growing days, warm days
and cool nights and
soil types favorable for the growing
of vinifera wine grapes.
The
approximate1,500 acres of productive
vinifera vineyards is small compared to its neighboring states, but
vineyard plantings over the last two years have been increasing at a
faster pace than ever before in the
history of Idaho's wine and vineyard industry. Many vineyard owners are adding to
their current plantings with either more of the same varietal or with new
ones.
One of the newest and largest
plantings of wine grapes was at Skyline Vineyard, owned by Corus and managed by
winemaker Brad Pintler of nearby Sawtooth
Winery. Skyline's 300-acre location lends itself to many different
varietals. It includes slopes facing south, west, north and east,
providing
micro-climate differences for a wide
range of varietals. The south- and west-facing slopes
are the vineyard's warmer areas, better suited for vinifera
grapes which thrive on the long, hot days of the Idaho summers...
varietals such
as Cabernet Sauvignon, Cabernet Franc and Merlot. The east- and
north-facing slopes are ideal for varieties that thrive in
cooler climates, such as Sauvignon Blanc and Riesling.
Ste. Chapelle Winery's winemaker
Chuck Devlin works closely with
Pintler because he sees Skyline as one of Ste. Chapelle’s most
important vineyards, especially for top-quality reds. With an
average annual production of approximately
 150,000 cases, Ste.
Chapelle is a sure winner in the expansion and maturation of the
area's vineyard industry. By far Idaho's largest wine producer
and the oldest of Idaho's post-prohibition wineries, Ste. Chapelle
earned and performs a leadership role in the growth of the industry.
When they brought winemaker Devlin from California in 2000, their
industry leadership got a shot in the arm. Devlin came with a
goal of putting the Idaho's
emerging region on the international wine map. He believes the
potential for Idaho wines and vineyards is enormous.
Among the most mature and oft-times awarded vineyards were first
planted in 1981 by Ron and Mary Bitner of Caldwell, Idaho.
Bitner Vineyards consists of 14 acres of premium vinifera wine
grapes. First plantings consisted of riesling and chardonnay are now
some of the oldest blocks in Idaho. The vineyards are located in the
beautiful Snake river valley of southwestern Idaho, and the quality of
the grapes is the result of the area's true "terroir," say the Bitners.
Bitner Vineyards sells grapes to several of the Idaho wineries. In
1995, they began selling cabernet sauvignon and chardonnay grapes to Koenig
Distillery and
Winery. Greg Koenig has won much recognition and many awards
for wines produced from these grapes.
The Bitner/Koenig relationship blossomed, and in 1997, Koenig began
making small quantities of reserve cabernet sauvignon and chardonnay
under the Bitner Vineyards label. Marketing the 10-year
anniversary of the Bitner/Koenig relationship was marked this year
(2005), and Ron and Mary Bitner opened a small tasting room next to
their vineyard and their home where they now retail wines produced by
Koenig from the grapes of their own vineyards.
It is more than the obvious increase in the number Idaho's vineyard
acreage that suggests a maturing industry, notes Ken Mc Cabe of
Corus Estate Wines, parent company of
Sawtooth Winery and other
Northwest wineries.
"Growers have gotten better equipment, and they are incorporating new
viticultural methods," McCabe points out. "The fruit from these
vineyards is improving by leaps and bounds.
You can
taste the difference."
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