I don’t know about you but when I think of Idaho, I think spuds; potatoes, french fries and tater tots, heck even their license plates say “famous potatoes” right? Before we ventured off to Boise I needed to do a little homework on the wineries in the region and I discovered that Idaho had recently received their first AVA certification, The Snake River Valley Wine-SRVW. What I also discovered was prior to prohibition; Caldwell Idaho was the first area in the Northwest to grow wine grapes, thanks to early German settlers. So why did Idaho take so long to bounce back from the prohibition days in terms of a wine growing region? I got the answer from one of the founders of the region, but more on that in a bit.

I will admit I knew Idaho had producing wineries like St Chappelle and Sawtooth, largely because I had seen them on the shelf. Hey I like to fly-fish, so you would have thought I might have at least once picked up the Sawtooth label out of the sale rack at my local grocer and brought it home…Nope…..Remember “famous for tater tots” not wine.

So as we ventured out into the SRVW country on the hunt for our first of three stops, you could have asked me to close my eyes, spin around three times and click my Nike soles together and say Red Mountain, Red Mountain, Red Mountain and viola I would have believed I was in Red Mountain or any number of Washington AVA’s. My GPS (My Wife) led us right to our first stop, Sawtooth Winery. On the way here we passed no one on the roads, its January so I expected it to be slow, but unfortunately when we arrived a tour bus had beaten us to our destination. Thankfully the bus was only half full and our wait was short. After negotiating our tasting fee to taste all The Main Line reds and the Reserve reds we were off and swirling. We started with their ’05 Merlot and it was full of berry and the tannins were smooth and finish had some staying power. I could feel myself warming up to Idaho wines as first tasting was above my expectations, next up was a Tempranillo that was good and ’05 Syrah that not only tasted great, but it earned a ride home with me. Overall impression, the Sawtooth Winery would be a stunning venue in the summer with million dollar views and their wines had good structure, fruit and showed all the signs that the winemaker here had skills and a vineyard that was yielding great fruit.

On the way to our next stop, my wife starts laughing as she reads the map. She points out, there is a road ahead called Chicken Dinner Rd! I was a bit in disbelief, but sure enough there it was Chicken Dinner Rd. Well this led to a number of jokes, laughter and funny thoughts of good cross roads names as we headed to our next destination Koenig Winery & Distillery. Then I hit the brakes and sure enough the people who live on this road have a sense of humor, we were at the cross roads of….. Drumstick Lane and Chicken Dinner Rd!

Koenig Winery & Distillery is a great winery located on The Sunny Slope looking over the Owynee Mountains and the Snake River. As we entered we walked past the tank room and the distillery equipment and upstairs to their tasting room. Their staff was great and friendly and gave us a history lesson on the winery and how they came about making wine and spirits. We tasted our way through the reds and we really enjoyed the ’06 Cab Sav for $20, it displayed hints of coffee and black fruits and fine tannins that finish without a bite or chaulkiness. The ’07 Syrah had a great balance of spice and cherry and was a Syrah that would hold up to any of the $20 Washington Syrahs. We also really liked the ’06 Cuvee Amelia Reserve Syrah $50, this is a big wine that tasted well now and would only get better after cellaring for a few years.

After tasting the reds I was eager to taste the vodka they were offering, on this day they were tasting the Huckleberry Vodka. I am not spirits guy and I will make no claims to knowing any more about vodkas other than I love a good lemon drop. Koenig’s vodka was smooth and the huckleberry flavor was fantastic, it also earned a ride home.

Our last stop was a recommendation from staff at Koenig Winery, Bitner Vineyards and as our luck would have it there was a tour bus here. This bus was full, a 50^th birthday party, so it was very crowded in the tasting room. The group was very friendly and partying like 50 yr old rock stars legends. We mingled like we were with them and struck up a conversation with a member of the party. He introduced us to the winemaker Ron Bitner, who as I learned is one of the founders of the wine region. Ron was the second producer of grapes in the state and is managing some of the oldest blocks, 1981. In 2007 Ron and Mary ventured into producing wine under their own label in addition to making to growing grapes.

Bitner’s wines were outstanding and Ron is a very interesting character, a world re-known entomologist, father of Idaho wine country and an overall nice guy. I could have talked with Ron about his history in wine and Australia for a couple hours. Truly what a boutique winery is all about, small production focused on the quality. Mary Bitner also recently opened a B&B for guests who wish to stay in Idaho wine country. When I travel to wine country I always find a winery or two that is a must stop every time I visit, and Bitner Winery has made that list.

So why is the wine industry emerging from Idaho now? Well evidently the politics in Idaho are heavily controlled by a couple religious parties in the state and they had a strict restrictions on the production and distribution of alcohol. Well an economic impact study was done in a few years back and this study revealed that under these strict regulations this industry was generating $30 million dollars annually to the region. There was an ah ha moment I was told ……and well let’s put it this way the regulations slackened and wine region was off to the races tripling in size over the last 3 years with rumors of many more wineries coming soon.

There were many wineries to visit in SRVW country, but some were open by appointment only. There is an emergence of wineries happening in the Eagle and Boise areas as well. Do your research before you visit. This region is emerging fast and geographically located near the 3^rd largest city in the NW and an airport served by Alaska Air and SouthWest Airlines ( 1hr 20min flight). If you enjoy traveling thru wine country the Snake River Valley Wine region should be on your list of destinations to visit, lots of sunshine, easy quick access to all areas of the region, a recreation mecca, great places to eat, and wine makers who have a passion for making great wine all adding up to a great Winecation experience.

Valentine’s Sweethearts Package
Packages available February 5-14, 2010

Lodging for two, dinner and breakfast in McMenamins Pub and a bottle of Edgefield Sparkling wine and flutes. Guests must be 21 and over.

$135–$225 per couple

Book your reservations online
or call (888) 472-8427 or (503) 472-8427.

SPECIAL ONE-NIGHT-ONLY VALENTINE PACKAGE
Saturday, February 13, 6 p.m.

This exclusive one-night-only package includes a guestroom for two, surprise Valentine amenities in your room and a gourmet, four-course dinner with hosted McMenamins ales, wines and spirits, all followed by breakfast in the pub the following morning.

Rates starting at $245 per couple, 21 and over

Please email to make your reservations for this package. Guests will be charged for the full price of the package on February 1, 2010; at that point, it becomes non-refundable.

This is on my bucket list, how about yours? Making Love in a Vineyard! I have traveled to a number of wine regions around the world and my thought is one should heed caution prior to venturing into the vineyard with your best Barry White rendition of “Let’s get it on” with your special person. If you are contemplating crossing this off your bucket list then please choose your wine region carefully.

• Barossa Valley, Australia? Absolutely beautiful wine country but isn’t Australia home to 8 out 10 of the world’s deadliest snakes? Not to mention there is the possibility of getting attacked by Kangaroos.
  
• How about Italy? Piedmont, Tuscany, Amalfi Coast, Cinque Terra the challenge here will be the terrain, steep slopes and being caught by the owner. But a good choice! Just make sure the owner is not a Harley riding member of the Hell’s Angels, a winecation story for another time.
  

How about closer to home,

• K Vintners, Walla Walla Wine Country? Bring your self-inflating mattress the stones are very large in this rocky soil.
  
• Rattlesnake Hills? Again snakes…
  

I have a great suggestion and yes you can safely cross this off your bucket list.

How about Horse Heaven Hills aka H3? Alexandria Nicole Cellars has a beautiful vineyard called Destiny Ridge in H3 with a view of the Columbia River and they offer a glamping package that would be perfect for plugging in your IPod and cranking up Barry or a little Journey. For you camping princesses ANC’s tents have Persian carpets, down duvets and even electricity and running water. The local area offers activities including fishing, bike riding, horseback riding, kayaking, hikes and wildlife watching and yes getting it on vineyard style.  For more information contact them at (509) 786-3497 and visit their website at www.ancglamping.com.

Cheers,

Have a great Valentine’s Day

Rich

Some Themed wine ideas for your Valentine’s Day

Shameless Hussey- Hard Row to Hoe

Lady in Red | Kestrel Wines

Seduction | Obrien Estate Wines

Meditrina | Sokol Blosser

Evil Twin | Gorman Winery

Naked Gewurztraminer | Snoqualmie Winery

Cleavage Creek | A great cause for breast cancer

Marilyn Wines | The velvet collection

Rose the Riveter | Olympic Cellars

Mad HouseWife Chardonay | Mad Housewife Cellars

Wild Thing | Zerba Cellars

Gnarly Head Zin | Gnarly Head Cellars

Chez Quah | The Rouge (coming soon)

Planning a Winecation is a task not to be over looked. I know this from experience I have traveled to Wine Country with a group of friends and arrived at a beautiful house we rented for the weekend with an outside pool over looking wine country, it looked great online. I could visualize us all around the pool, after tasting wine all day, soaking up the afternoon sun like a lizard, but wham we show up and to find the most frightening site you can imagine……Let’s just put it kindly we would not be staying here…..(a story for another time) my point is not to bash anyone, but to encourage you to have a back up lodging plan for your winecation.  After a few OMG’s, pictures and several phone calls later we got the last two rooms at a hotel in town..phew…the couple right behind us were told “sorry were sold out”.  For this winecation, lodging will be easy, we are staying at a friend’s home on Lake Chelan, so Lodging… check… Lodging options Lake Chelan.

Research and map out an itinerary of wineries you want to visit
It is a good idea to look over the wineries of the region you are traveling to and make an itinerary. It can be a bit overwhelming going to a region you have never visited before and trying to figure out where you are headed and should we stop at this or that winery. For instance one winery I have heard nothing but great things about in Chelan is Nefarious Cellars, they are now closed for the winter. I tried making an appointment with them but they are out of town so I will have to wait for another time to check these guys out.  If we had not done the research we would have wasted time trying to visit a closed winery, not a good use of time, so plan ahead.

This is why I have created this site to help winecationers get the inside tips on where to go, stay and eat. TIP: Search the ava site on Bing.com and research the wineries you want to visit, for this winecation we are headed to Lake Chelan Wine Valley.

Next plan your travels around winery tasting room operating hours. Some wineries close at 4pm some at 6pm, so plan around their hours. Some wineries are appointment only so at least the week before you travel email and ask for a time to taste their wines. Most will be very accommodating to your request, TIP: especially if you buy wine.  If you are in a large group call the wineries in advance and let them know you are coming.  Some wineries will provide a group tasting/tour, others will have your glasses ready, plus its courteous to the winery owners.

Kids in tow
This winecation weekend has our kids in tow so the number of wineries we will visit will be much lower than if we were traveling with just adults. For those bringing your kids, almost every winery has a kid sitter, really you say…yes ask for the winery dog. Give the kids a tennis ball and they will be well entertained by the Winery Dog while you taste. Option two, a DS or Ipod touch will work, sit them on a chair or bench in the winery.  The key to this is finding something for the kids to do as a reward for behaving while you all are tasting, could be ice cream, arcade, waterslides, swimming pool back at the hotel, there is usually something in every region to do for kids.

Lake Chelan Washington’s Newest AVA as of April 2009
In 1998 Steve Kludt and Bob Christopher replanted apple orchards to grapes inside of the Lake Chelan AVA. Other vineyards followed soon after. In 2000 the Kludt family had the first bonded winery in the valley. By 2004, 90 acres of vineyard was in the ground and at least 5 wineries were open and selling their products. Today the Lake Chelan Wine Valley has 260 acres of vines, with this number increasing continual each year, and 14 boutique style wineries and more on the way.

Chelan Wineries we are planning on visiting
There are currently 14 wineries in the Lake Chelan Wine Valley, so with kids in tow and a limited time to taste wine, I have researched where we are headed and narrowed it down to 10 wineries and of these I will probably drop 2-3 more. Planning to visit most of them Saturday and a few on Sunday.

It not just great wine we are after
It’s not all about the wine tasting when visiting wineries, it’s more about the sensory experiences; the conversations, the tasting of the varietals of the region, visually taking in the beautiful views,  examining the architecture and landscaping of the winery, tasting the local food paired with the wines of the day, learning about the region and most importantly laughing with friends, it’s a great experience.

Get out and enjoy the adventure of a winecation, it’s an experience…..on top of wine tasting there are a 100 things left to do in Lake Chelan Wine Country

Hard Row to Hoe Vineyards
(509) 687-3000

300 Ivan Morse Road, Manson . 1/2 mile behind Milll Bay Casino, off Wapato Lake Rd.   Love this label it has been on the list for a while going to taste the Syrah Zin and Shame less Hussy

Chelan Estate Winery (509) 682-5454 755 South Lakeshore Road, Chelan

Four Lakes Winery (509) 682-9028 223 Howard Flats Road, Chelan Going to see the Beautiful view of Chelan area from winery

Karma Vineyards & Cave (509) 669-5753 1681 S. Lakeshore Road, Chelan hours 12-8pm Food yes, Champagne in Chelan?  We all need a boost in good Karma.

Lake Chelan Winery (509) 687-9463 3519 Highway 150, Chelan Weekly Wine Club Socials begin October 30th from 5-7pm!! Socials we be held every weekend.

Rio Vista Wines (509) 682-9713 for hours *On weekdays, please call 509-682-9713 to let us know you’re coming.* 22415 Highway 97 Only 10 minutes north of Chelan on Highway 97. Go 1/2 mile past milepost 243, turn right at mailboxes, then follow signs. I have to check this winery out just because they are unique; Rio Vista Wines is the only winery you can get to by boat as well as car.  And the wine might be good too, plus they have play stuff for kids.

Tsillan Cellars (509) 682-9463 3875 Highway 97-A, Chelan

Tunnel Hill Winery (509) 682-5695 37 Highway 97-A, Chelan Yes underground cellar

Vin du Lac Winery (509) 682-2882 105 Highway 150, Chelan Winecation Bonus, just so happens that they are partying at Vin du Lac this weekend, usually means wine is flowing, food and music. Open House & Malbec Release Party Nov. 7, 2009, 2:30-5:00pm

Wapato Point Cellars (509) 687-4000 200 Quetilquasoon Road, Manson

Wine-cation Package

• Luxurious accommodations in a NICER* style room
• Wine tasting for two in Fireside Cellars
• Complimentary use of bicycles to ride the Burke Gilman Trail and visit neighboring wineries
• Le Picnic – Willows Lodge signature picnic basket filled with a picnic for two

Starting at $365 per couple

Book this Package

Subject to room and rate availability. Not applicable towards contracted rates, with any other offer or for groups. Package does not include room taxes. Other restrictions may apply.

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