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When you think of wine tasting, do you think of sitting on a sun-dappled patio in summer? Or perhaps you reminisce about the crisp fall air when wineries have just finished harvest? Why not expand your tasting experience into four seasons and discover the delights of Idaho wines in winter? It’s the perfect season to pair your favorite wines with hearty fare or to enjoy sipping a great wine next to a cozy fire while making the most of winter’s long nights.

This year we invite you to plan a weekend escape to one of Idaho’s award-winning wineries and cideries during our 2023 Idaho Winter Wine Weekends. Participating locations will welcome you with special food and wine pairings, tasting flights, promotions, and fun activities—all in a cozy, welcoming atmosphere.

The holiday season is an especially important time to support Idaho’s growers, winemakers and business owners. Throughout December, we encourage you to tune into our social media channels where we’ll spotlight 12 different ways to experience or gift Idaho Wine. From holiday events, wine tours, group tastings, custom glassware, gift boxes and more, we’ve got you covered with recommendations to sip local and gift local for the holiday.

Wine industry experts judged over 150 of the state’s best wines

The 13th annual Idaho Wine and Cider Competition took place on Tuesday, May 24, 2022, and identified the state’s top wines and ciders this year. The competition was organized by Great Northwest Wine and supported by a judging panel of respected writers, sommeliers, winemaking consultants, wine buyers and industry experts.

Finding the perfect holiday gift can be a challenge. Questions like “Does she already have one?” or “Will he like it?” or “What haven’t I given them already?” can plague even inspired gift givers. Not to worry! The Idaho Wine Commission Board, Staff, and Members joined forces to give you their best gift-giving ideas sure to delight everyone on your list—aged 21 and older!

What started out as a passion project for winemaker Will Wetmore is gaining momentum. The Idaho Wine Commission sat down with Will to learn what makes his label, Veer Wine Project, so unique, and how he’s let his curiosity lead the way since day one.

Intense Heat

Temperatures soared across the Pacific Northwest in June this year, and the heat wave lingered in Idaho for a good chunk of the summer. National Weather Service data showed the Treasure Valley in southwest Idaho—home to two of the state’s American Viticultural Areas (AVAs)—had the hottest summer on record. And the heat affected the Lewis-Clark Valley AVA in the northern part of the state as well.

“During bloom time, it was about 100 degrees, so bloom went really fast,” said Vince Hewett, assistant winemaker at Rivaura Vineyard near Julietta, Idaho. He said they saw consistent 100-degree weather for close to a month in June and July.

Fujishin Family Cellars has a unique niche in the Idaho wine community—turning people onto something new by growing new grape varieties. For them, it’s what keeps winemaking fun. We sat down with co-founder Martin Fujishin (pronounced, aptly, like “magician”) to hear why growing lesser known varieties is worth the work, and how he and his partner and co-founder Teresa Moye continue to develop their passion for grape growing and winemaking.

This year, one of the most highly anticipated competitions of 2021 took place. After much planning and preparation, many worried that COVID would put a stop to the festivities before they even began. But with an abundance of caution, the fun and games went off without a hitch. Records were broken. Medals were given. Drama filled the air. And the glasses. No, we’re not talking about that other competition, the Olympic Games. This was the 12th annual Idaho Wine Competition, a celebration of Idaho wines and winemakers.

Idaho saw its summer temperatures rise sharply in June and continue through the months of July and August with temps regularly over 90 degrees— often climbing to triple digits. Climate research has found higher average temperatures are increasing, and the EPA reports that heat waves have increased in intensity, frequency, and duration over the last fifty years. For Idaho wine growers, like Mike Williamson of Williamson Orchards and Vineyards, the heat of the past few summers is a growing concern. “I kind of obsess a little bit over the 10-day forecast,” he says. “So, if something’s on the horizon, we start taking action to get ready for it now.”

Have you recently drank wine or cider on a patio? How about gone on a wine tour? Or maybe even chatted up a local winemaker or winegrower? Well, guess what… any one of these activities could make you a winner when you play Sip Local Bingo—summer’s best reason (25 reasons actually) to #DrinkIdahoWine all summer long.