The Idaho wine industry is fun to watch right now. Gem State winemakers produced two best-of-class awards and 11 gold medals at this spring’s international Cascadia Wine Competition in Hood River, Ore. The winemaking industry in Idaho dates back more than a century, and the modern industry goes back to 1976. Today, 51 wineries are spread up and down the state, using more … [Read more...] about Idaho wine industry coming into its own
Featured wines
Washington Syrah continues to grow in popularity
Washington Syrah continues to defy conventional wisdom. Across America, Syrah is a tough sale, thanks primarily to Australia Shiraz flooding grocery stores the past decade. Yet Syrah continues to grow in Washington. Last fall, Washington winemakers brought in more than 21,000 tons of Syrah, a record level for the state. Syrah certainly plays an important role in … [Read more...] about Washington Syrah continues to grow in popularity
Oregon’s Pinot Noir legacy
Oregon's modern-day wine industry traces its lineage to the 1960s. The first Pinot Noir was planted in southern Oregon in 1961, and it expanded into the Willamette Valley in the 1970s. Today, Pinot Noir is far and away the dominant grape in the country's fourth-largest wine-producing state (following California, Washington and New York). In fact, Pinot Noir makes up an … [Read more...] about Oregon’s Pinot Noir legacy
Washington Chardonnay gains popularity
More than any white in Washington, Chardonnay is on the rise. During last fall's harvest, winemakers brought in 45,000 tons, second only to Cabernet Sauvignon. In California, Chardonnay remains the Golden State's No. 1 wine, so consumers have a thirst for the wine traditionally associated with the French region of Burgundy and Chablis (also in Burgundy). Chateau Ste. … [Read more...] about Washington Chardonnay gains popularity
Ancient Lakes fascinates as young Washington wine region
Some of Washington's oldest vines are in the state's newest American Viticultural Area. Vineyards planted in the 1970s are in the Ancient Lakes of Columbia Valley, Washington's 13th federally recognized AVA. The Ancient Lakes, approved in 2012, is an area of about 160,000 acres around the North Central Washington communities of George and Quincy. About 1,600 acres of … [Read more...] about Ancient Lakes fascinates as young Washington wine region