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Idaho Grape-Growing Heaven

The Year of Drinking Locally: Fruit Forward by Alan Minskoff
When Roger and John Williamson, who run Williamson Orchards and Vineyards, gather their broods for a group photo at their Sunny Slope orchard, vineyard or fruit stand, it takes a wide-angle lens. For this picture includes three generations of fruit growers, farmers, cider producers and in the last decade one of Idaho’s premier grape growers. Their award-winning wines begin with their south-facing, gently sloped vineyards. If it all starts in the vineyards, as many wine lovers and vintners claim, then the Williamson vines and trees have a legitimate claim to one of the best locations for growing grapes—not to forget apricots, peaches, apples, cherries and plums—anywhere in the 43rd state.

The Williamsons have been growing, packing and selling fruit for decades. Locals swear by their apple cider, which is entirely derived from Criterion apples; making it keeps this family enterprise busy in the winter months when the fruit stand is closed and the trees and vines are dormant; the wines aging in bottles and barrels. [more]

Western Wine Adventures

The Year of Drinking Locally by Alan Minskoff

Dubbed the godfather of Idaho wine industry, Bill Stowe, the founder and longtime winemaker at Indian Creek, has influenced some of the state’s most significant vintners and grape growers. Brad Pintler, longtime winemaker at his own winery and subsequently at Sawtooth, and Greg Koenig, who creates his own wines and is the winemaker for 3 Horse and Williamson, both worked at Indian Creek.

An Idaho native and Air Force veteran, Stowe traces his interest in grape growing and wine making to a stint in Germany. There he learned about the art of creating handcrafted wines while in the service. He even worked a couple of crushes and the seeds were sown for his passionate pursuit of making wines in his home state.

In the 80s Bill and his wife Mui bought more than 20 acres in Kuna while he was stationed at Mountain Home Air Force Base. As the story goes, he drove the same red International Harvester tractor that he still rides up from Mountain Home to his vineyard near Indian Creek. That was a quarter of a century ago. [more]