Not Every Story is Entertaining

I have spent the last week trying to figure out which story to recount to you, not an easy task. Especially since the reality of the matter is, not all of my stories are entertaining. So I think instead I'm going to do a quick summery of some of the things I learned this summer.

3 Horse Ranch – Fabulous Whites, our favorite is the Vivacious and it is available at the Boise Co-op

Bueno Cheapo Vino - Free Tastings Every Friday!  They have wonderful wines from around the world.  He brings in lots of wonderful wine reps and the wines are all well priced.

Bitner – I love their unoaked Chardonnay. Check out their calendar of events on Mary's Blog. I went to a pairings class this summer where I learned a lot, ate good food, and had fun.

Cinder – Every wine Melanie touches tastes like perfection, in my opinion. We went to a recent release party, where Brick 29 was the caterer, absolutely marvelous.

Davis Creek – Nice small hometown feel. My favorite was their Up A Creek!Syrah.

Hells Canyon – One of the founding families of Idaho Wine Country. I can not say enough good things about their Merlot.

Indian Creek – Another one of the founding families of Idaho Wine Country. I love everything they have to offer especially the family friendly events. I always feel like I'm visiting a friends house every time I stop by.

Grape Varietals - OMG there are so many different types of grapes, it just never dawned on me before.  I am looking forward to exploring each type on it's own and blended.

Koenig – It's all about their distillery for me. The wines are good, but the liquors are better. By the way for those that read earlier about their Cherry brandy being on my Christmas wish list, never mind, I just discovered I already have a bottle in my cupboard. However, if you wish to get another flavor for me I'd be elated.

Sawtooth – Here it is all about their Reserve selections. On our first visit we were not impressed, but we gave them a second shot and discovered their reserves are really their better tasting wines.

Saturday Market – OK so Boise, ID is not Las Vegas where you can walk around with an open container, but tasting wine for free at the summer Saturday Market is pretty cool. Many of the wineries have tables set up, so not only can you buy fresh fruit and veggies for your dinner table, you can pick up a bottle of wine too

Wood River – Another one that I can not find enough good things to say. Look for me to join their bocce ball league in the spring. They're pairings dinner was the most enjoyable dining experience I have ever had, I will be going to another one in the near future.

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Finally Found the Canyon

After visiting several of the local wineries we decided our goal was to visit all of the wineries on the IdahoWines.Org list. So, once again we set out to visit one of the first wineries in the area, Hells Canyon. This time was a success. To this point all of the wineries we visited served tastings: a small amount of the sample wine is poured into the glass and you get three to five good sips from it to get an overall picture of the flavors of the wine. Swallow's Tasting Bar at Hells Canyon Winery is a little different, they offer flights: three half glasses of wine, your choice. Again this is where tasting with my Hubby is an advantage we split the list, he doesn't mind if I drink from his glass and I don't mind him drinking from mine. Also if there is a wine he likes and it's not quite one of my favorites he gets to finish the glass and vice-versus.

It was a beautiful sunny day near lunch time so in addition to the wine we decided to add a cheese and bread plate for an enjoyable leisurely afternoon outdoor morsel. We sat out on the patio just at the edge of the vineyard overlooking the Snake River tasting the different wines when I chose my first favorite wine. I was starting to develop my palate and starting to really identify which characteristics in a wine that I liked most. I had found wines that I enjoyed and wanted to have on hand at home to enjoy with friends and family, I'd even found wines that I hoped I would never have to taste again, but the Hells Canyon 2006 Idaho Merlot Reserve (to my knowledge a wine labeled “reserve” means all of the grapes in the wine were grown in the wineries own estate vineyards) was the first wine I'd found that I wanted to buy and hide away from the rest of the world because it was so good I wanted it all to myself. The Hells Canyon 2006 Idaho Merlot Reserve is smooth and rich in flavor, it just feels luscious as you drink it. I would describe it as full body, but am not sure if that is the correct “wine” terminology. The other wine I really liked from Hells Canyon is their 2004 Idaho Cabernet Sauvignon Reserve. I would also describe this wine as smooth and gladly hoard the whole bottle.

I would have been content to end the afternoon after Hells Canyon, but it was still early in the afternoon and there were so many wineries close by. Hubby hadn't been to Koenig yet, so I had to share the Huckleberry Vodka experience. The tasting room wasn't near as busy during this visit as it had been for my last visit. The lack of other guests gave us more opportunity to chat with the gentleman pouring for us. This was how we learned that Bitner Vineyards was nearby, one of the wineries on our list that we hadn't yet visited and another one of the oldest vineyards in the area. We also learned that Greg Koenig is there wine maker, so it had to be our next stop.

Bitner Vineyard is at the top of a hill and the view is breathe taking. The tasting room has an expansive deck that overlooks the steep hills of the vineyard and in the distance is the Snake River. The tasting at Bitner was were I was able to pinpoint another one of my wine preferences. I don't really enjoy chardonnay wines which is the basic white wine you find everywhere, but didn't really know why, until Bitner. Ron Bitner was pouring for us and explained that they had two chardonnay's one that was oaked and one that wasn't. When I tasted the oaked chardonnay it tasted heavy, I think they call it “buttery” in wine speak because of the time it spends in the oak barrels, but the unoaked chardonnay tasted crisper, and cleaner (to me) because it spends a lot less time in the oak barrels. I find I really enjoy being able to taste the fruits in my wine. The day was an overall success. I learned that I am willing to hoard wine from others, I love unoaked chardonnay's and I'm addicted to collecting wine glasses (three new ones came home with me that day).

Happy Pappy Day 2010

Am I corrupting my kids by taking them to a vineyard/winery for Father's Day? This was the question I wrestled with for days (minutes really but sounds better if I say days) before finally deciding; “What the heck, if they don't like it I won't bring them next year and lesson learned.”

We loaded into the minivan and guided by Sandy we headed out to Indian Creek in Kuna. It was like arriving at the company picnic; laughing, kids giggling, wine drinking, BBQ and general goofing off. I remember the first time we visited Indian Creek I thought that it looked like the perfect place for a picnic and I was right! We were able to just kick back relax with a bottle of wine and enjoy the live music and wonderful food prepared by Mui Stowe.

We let the kids roam freely, it wasn't long before they found their dog-for-a-day Dahlia. I'm sure Dahlia must have slept for a week after chasing that tennis ball for ever person that threw it for her. I certainly know that my oldest son had fun playing with her. The kids may have not had the best time of their lives, but they didn't absolutely hate it either. I think they might even be agreeable to going again next year. I can definitely see it becoming a future family tradition.

Dahlia and her boy-for-a-day.

One of my favorite things from the day was that each adult guest received a commemorative stemless wine glass, this gift sparked a wondrous collection idea for me. At each vineyard/winery that we have visited since Happy Pappy Day I have purchased a wine glass with the vineyard/winery logo on it. It's a really fun way for guests to keep track of their glass, because each person has a different winery. I know you must be thinking, “But she said each adult guest received a glass so she has two from Indian Creek, so that couldn't possibly work.” Hah! Indian Creek is so awesome that they print their logos in several different colors, so we have one blue and one pink from Happy Pappy Day 2010. I look forward to collecting more.

Up a Creek in the Valley of Kings

I was so enthralled by the tasting journeys with my husband I had to share the enjoyment with my girlfriends, so I gathered together three of my best gals; Lynn, Tanya, and Blenda (oh and Sandy, my GPS) for lunch and wine tasting. We headed into Idaho Wine Country  and stopped for lunch at the Orchard House Restaurant  in Caldwell, experience has taught me to always go wine tasting with a full belly. The Orchard House is a small charming restaurant on Old Hwy 55 in the middle of three wineries; Bitner, Ste Chapelle  and Koenig . They proudly serve Snake River Valley AVA (American Viticultural Area) Wines and their food is delicious, well priced, and filling.

After lunch we headed to Koenig. The name always takes me back to high school German class and I can't resist thinking King in the back of my mind, but it is named after the founders, brothers Andrew and Greg Koenig. Their tasting room is tucked away in the middle of an orchard as well as a vineyard, if it weren't for Sandy I would never have found it. Koenig is unique in the valley because it is also a distillery. The Huckleberry Vodka is a local favorite and I hear their brandies are fabulous (the Cherry Brandy is on my Christmas Wish List for those that need to know ;-)

We weren't the only ones that thought an afternoon of tasting would be fun, as we walked up the stairs we found a buzzing tasting room. There were several couples enjoying the many fruits (and tubers) Koenig has to offer. This tasting room has a special permit to do tastings on their Huckleberry Vodka, which is absolutely divine. I found some drink recipes using flavored vodka on the internet that I plan on trying soon.

My goal when tasting wines is to try everything the winery has to offer, as Hubby puts it “I am not a wine racist”. Tasting wines with my friends is very different from tasting wine with my hubby. When Hubby and I are together we talk about the tastes, what we might eat with it, what we like about it, what we don't like about it, who's varietal is still our favorite or maybe this is our new favorite for that kind of wine. It's all about the discovery. When I'm with my friends there are several different levels of experience with wines, definite likes and dislikes. Lynn and Tanya both prefer the sweeter white wines, especially the ones that make you feel like you're about to go into diabetic shock (in a good way) like Reisling  or an Ice Wine. Blenda, like me, will taste all of the wines, but really prefers the bold flavors of the reds. However, when it came to tasting the vodka, we were all up for the adventure and I'm pretty sure several bottles of Huckleberry Vodka followed us home (I know a bottle came home with me).

After Koenig we weren't quite ready to call it a day, so the ladies and I wandered down the highway into Marsing to visit Gina Davis of Davis Creek Cellars. Davis Creek's tasting room is in a small store front and has that coffee shop feel to it. We had the privilege of being the only guests in at the moment. My favorite Davis Creek wine is their 2008 Up a Creek!Syrah.  It was a nice quiet, comfortable way to end our afternoon.

Fly like an Eagle down a Dirt Road to BFE, turn left, and just to the right you'll find a Horse or 3

Emboldened with the success of our first journey into Idaho Wine Country we decided to expand our horizons further, but this time we headed north. Hidden down several miles of dusty roads and behind rolling hills in Eagle, ID is a charming winery and vineyard known as 3 Horse Ranch. Tasting wines at 3 Horses was a very leisurely experience, we sat out on the back deck enjoying the pre-summer breeze, while watching the birds and sipping chilled white wines. I have to say our summer favorite was their Vivacious, a viognier blend that went with just about everything we ate during the summer. Unfortunately we weren't as impressed with their red wines, they seemed a little bland, however we did discover toward the end of the summer as their reds aged the flavors became more pronounced.

Oddly the journey out from behind the hills was much quicker than the journey into the hills. Apparently the direct route, as given by Emily hubby's GPS, was also the dusty gravel road route. Oh well, it's all about the journey. Just a few miles down the road from 3 Horse Ranch is Woodriver Cellars, since we were in the neighborhood it was only natural that we stop in for a taste.

Walking into Woodriver I knew this was going to be a unique experience, their tasting room is an elegant bar setting. Although the tasting room was fairly empty, the grounds were filled with wedding guests. Apparently Woodriver is a premier wedding spot. During another trip out to Woodriver I got the opportunity to walk around outside and I can see why so many brides choose this as their outdoor summer wedding location.

We cozied up to the bar and were presented with wine list , from which we both got to choose several wines to taste. There are a couple of great things about going wine tasting with my hubby: 1) when presented with limited number of options we split the list and get to try more flavors and 2) we are both new to wines so after 15 years of marriage I find it exciting to discover something new together.

Unlike the our experience with the red wines down the street, the reds at Woodriver exploded with flavor. As we were enjoying these rich bold flavors we started talking about it with the very knowledgeable gentleman behind the bar, Neil Glancey and as it turns out the winemaker. I have only met a few of the wine makers in the area so far and I am by no means qualified to speak about their talents as wine makers. I can, however, speak about their personalities. Melanie at Cinder is kind and as far as I can tell damn good at what she does. You can tell she enjoys sharing her craft with others. Mike at Indian Creek has a passion for Stowe family business and you can tell he enjoys what he does. Neil at Woodriver is by far one of the most amiable people I have ever met. He is very outgoing and you can tell he loves the party generated by fabulous food and his incredible wines.  My hubby enjoyed Woodriver so much he is now a member of their wine club, which comes with exclusive invitations to their pairings events (I can't wait to tell you about that night).

Headed to the Canyon but Discovered a Creek

After my first wine tasting experience at Cinder at the end of March, where we liked three out of the four wines we tasted, I was eager to taste more local flavors.  So hubby's first weekend off, one late May Sunday afternoon, armed with my GPS (I call my GPS  Sandy which stands for Satellite Navigation Device: SND and my hubbys GPS is Emily which stands for Electronic Mother in Law: EML) my hubby and I journeyed into Idaho Wine Country.  We were headed to one of the first Idaho Vineyards, Hells Canyon.  We, well not really we but hubby, chose Hells Canyon because it is family owned and has a small wine bar.  But like all things family, life is what happens when you are making other plans and we were bummed to discover that they were closed due to a family matter.

We were not to be deterred, after all, we were in Idaho Wine Country.  After driving around with no clear destination for about thirty minutes, we finally realized Sandy was with us, which has a “Points of Interest” feature.  After a quick u-turn we were headed towards our new destination, Sawtooth Winery.

Sawtooth is extremely impressive as you drive up the hill on the dirt road through the expansive vineyard.  The building and grounds are extremely beautiful.  There is a gazebo on the west side of the building surrounded by trees and roses.  I immediately began to imagine all of the wonderful summer weddings they must host.  We walked up the stairs to the tasting room and were greeted by a fabulous view of the Snake River Valley.

Sawtooth presented several tasting options:  their Main Line, their Reserves, and a Chocolate Pairing.   Still new to wines, we chose their standard selections.  I have to say we were disappointed.  I felt bad being in this beautiful location and feeling like I really wanted to enjoy the wines, but just couldn't.  I did, however, buy a bottle of their Late Harvest, a terrific sweet dessert wine, that I knew would pair nicely with a peach cobbler.  That's how I know I like a wine, I start to imagine the food I can't wait to serve it with.

We couldn't end our first journey into Idaho Wine Country feeling disappointed so we conferred with Sandy and found another winery nearby, Indian Creek.

Like Hells Canyon, Indian Creek is one of the original family owned wineries in Idaho.  The grounds are beautiful, perfect for a picnic.  The tasting room at Indian Creek is extremely inviting, it's like walking into a friends house.  We were greeted by Tammy Stowe-Mclure, the daughter of the Indian Creek founders Bill and Mui Stowe, the tasting room general manager.  Her husband Mike is the wine maker.  We were also greeted by Dalia Dog, a very friendly four legged member of the Indian Creek family.  Tammy is a wealth of wine knowledge.  She walked us through all of her wines, I could imagine an entire feast with her wines, and she gave us a history lesson on the vineyards in the area.  I was so impressed with Tammy and the Indian Creek wines I joined the “WineThirty” club and purchased an entire case of wine at a discount of course because I was now a member.  I was also excited to learn that my membership included free entry to their upcoming Happy Pappy Day celebration (I'll tell you about that experience soon).

Gateway

My new favorite pass time is Wine Tasting. I never want to buy another bottle of wine blind (unless it is highly recommended by someone of course). I always imagined that wine tastings were like what you see in the movies. A group of people standing in a room full of barrels, swirling wine, saying extremely bizarre things about tastes and smells and then spitting it out onto the floor, which in my mind is very intimidating (and alcohol abuse).

So, with these preconceived notions, I occompanied my husband at wine tasting, our very first. We went to this small winery in Garden City, ID called Cinder. Cinder is in an unassuming warehouse building in the commercial district of town. I never imagine this nondescript building housed my first taste into the wonderful world of Idaho wines.

I was extremely nervous, but became even more so when I notice I was in a room full of wine barrels, very much like those rooms you see in the movies (my preconceived notions threatened to grab hold), and there was a small group already there swirling and describing the flavors they were tasting and smelling (I was way out of my league). It took all of my courage to not walk out the door. We were greeted by a very charming lady, who I feared would kick us how because of my discomfort. We explained that we were novices and this was our very first tasting. She was wonderfully patient and walked us through each wine and it's flavors. And as it turns out we were being guided by the wine maker Melanie Krause!

Walking through that door to the tasting room of Cinder, I walked through a gateway to the wonders of wine.   Through this blog I hope to bring you along for the journey.