
The Corkscrew Blog
Opening up the latest Idaho wine topics, events, and news

Summertime means wine country excursions, dining alfresco, and sipping delicious Idaho wines and ciders on a patio somewhere—whether in your own backyard, a favorite restaurant, or one of Idaho’s...

The results of the 14th annual Idaho Wine & Cider Competition are in! Bronze, silver, gold, and double gold medals have been awarded, as well as “Best in Class” and “Best of Show” awards for a...
More Posts from the Idaho Wine Commission

Summertime means wine country excursions, dining alfresco, and sipping delicious Idaho wines and ciders on a patio somewhere—whether in your own backyard, a favorite restaurant, or one of Idaho’s...

Thank you to everyone who came to celebrate, sip, and savor Idaho wine and cider with us at the 13th Annual Savor Idaho event on June 11, 2023! This year's event was incredible, featuring over 25...

The results of the 14th annual Idaho Wine & Cider Competition are in! Bronze, silver, gold, and double gold medals have been awarded, as well as “Best in Class” and “Best of Show” awards for a...

It's time for the 14th annual Idaho Wine Competition! We're at the beautiful Koenig Vineyards today with Great Northwest Wine and will be sharing real-time updates on the winners at this link...

In partnership with the Idaho Wine Commission and Southwest Idaho Travel Association (SWITA)
Boise is the perfect jumping off point to explore Southwest Idaho’s wine region. The state has three...

In partnership with Idaho Wine Commission and Southwest Idaho Travel Association (SWITA)
Acclaimed wineries, the best whitewater in the country and the tallest sand dune in North America. It’s all in...

Much of Idaho has had a long, cold winter. In Idaho’s Treasure Valley—home to the Snake River AVA and the Eagle Foothills AVA, March has come and gone like a lion. It will go down for now in the...

Wine and cider tasting experiences in Idaho are not a stuffy, formal affair. We invite you to come as you are—even if that means with your kids in tow! There’s fun to be had for the whole family.

February isn’t just for Valentines anymore. This wonderful month has not one but two national wine holidays—National Drink Wine Day on February 18 and Open that Bottle Night on February 25. Idaho...

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...

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...

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...

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....

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...

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...

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...

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....

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...

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...

So, you get our emails, read our blogs, and love Idaho wine. But how much do you know about us and the work we do? And more importantly, how can YOU help us help grow the popularity of Idaho wines?

So, you have an idea. You like wine. Maybe you even have a background in science or chemistry. Or maybe you’ve fermented a batch or two and just have a knack for it. Now you’re thinking about going...

Okay, let’s get the bad news out of the way first: this year, there’s no Savor Idaho, the crown jewel of Idaho Wine and Cider Month. But here’s the good news… You can still have fun discovering Idaho...

When Mark and Lori Pasculli met, they were just a couple of kids from the country working in a restaurant in California’s central valley. Little did they know, some three decades later, they would...

Life has changed in so many ways over the past year. But not all change is bad, as this half-dozen of new wineries and tasting rooms in Idaho are here to prove. And with vaccines and temperatures on...

You probably wouldn’t imagine going to a winery to pick up hand sanitizer. But if you lived anywhere near Buhl, Idaho in the past year, you just might have done so. For James Holesinsky, owner and...

After a year stuck inside, life is starting to open up again. And it couldn't come at a better time. Spring, the season of rebirth, has arrived. And summer, with all its warmth and long days filled...

Remember the old days when ordering a bottle of wine filled you with dread? Back when a tuxedoed waiter would look down his nose and shudder at you for ordering a dry white with your ribeye. Or a...

Before starting Coiled Wines, winemaker Leslie Preston's life was going down an entirely different path. "I was in grad school at University of California, Davis and my plan was to be a professor and...

These stay-at-home date night ideas are so good, you may never leave the house again.

Jovinea – pronounced joe-vinh-Ā-uh (with a long "a," not a long "e") – of Jovinea Cellars, is a combination of two words. The first is "jovial," meaning cheerful and friendly. The second is "Vinea,"...

Holiday shopping can be stressful — especially for the ones who seem to have everything. But we know a secret: you can't go wrong with wine. For one thing, giving wine is easy. You don’t need to know...

If you had to sum up Split Rail Winery in a word, chances are "wacky" wouldn't be the first one to come to mind. But if you're Jed Glavin, Split Rail's owner and winemaker, it's exactly the word...

The canopy has been set. The vines have been pruned. The grapes have been watered (and dried out). Now, comes the moment of truth. It's Harvest, the most anticipated and exciting time of year for...

Her name was Irene.
She is the great grandmother and muse of Coco Umiker, co-owner, along with her husband, Karl, and head winemaker at Clearwater Canyon Cellars.

The new gold standard
COVID-19 has spoiled so many events in 2020, but it couldn’t stop the Idaho Wine Competition from proceeding on a hot and sunny day in the middle of August. That’s not to say...

When we caught up to Gig Leadbetter, co-owner and lead cidermaker at Meriwether Cider Co, his entire clan had just returned from a week of camping, hiking, bicycling (you name it!) on the Olympic...

These days, any number of online businesses specialize in sending subscription boxes of curated items direct to your door – including food, clothes, beauty supplies and more.
But did you know wine...

You don’t have to speak French to enjoy wine from Pend d’Oreille Winery, but it does add a little je ne sais quoi (a certain something) to the whole affair.


Stepping into the tasting room of Potter Wines is a bit like going back in time. The art deco-themed space is more speakeasy than winery. Overall, the aesthetic is polished and sophisticated. It's...

With most big summer travel plans on hold, weekend getaways outdoors are becoming more popular than ever. I mean, who doesn't love a good road trip, right? All you need is a car, a quality playlist...

The first step to understanding wine is knowing how to talk about it.
Wine is one part chemistry, one part art, and one part English class. It seems there are more ways to talk about wines than there...

It's one of our favorite times of the year. June marks the start of Wine & Cider Month — our homegrown celebration of Idaho libation.
As wineries all over the state reveal their new spring releases,...

Make room, potatoes. The numbers are in, and one thing is clear: you're not the only thing in the ground people associate with Idaho.

You may have noticed our motto is "come as you are." It means, here in Idaho we take a more relaxed approach toward wine. You can forego the formalities and simply enjoy.
But for some, every glass is...

There is some good news in this pandemic.
With most of humanity in lockdown, Mother Earth is already showing positive signs of recovery. In Los Angeles, the notorious smog—which has defined the city...

Are the contents of your wine rack dwindling faster than your stash of toilet paper?
Well, you've come to the right place! While maintaining the appropriate amount of social distance, we've put...

ICYMI, earlier this year we looked at what wineries do in the winter, a period of dormancy that is anything but unproductive. Now, as signs of Spring are beginning to appear, we wanted to return to...

Amid the rugged and scenic landscape of the Lewis-Clark Valley, people can take advantage of year-round adventure: hiking, kayaking, fishing and hunting, and other daring pursuits. But recently,...

Have you ever been part of a book club? Well, everyone knows the best thing about a book club is the fantastic assortment of wine and snacks! Every month it's like an after dark version of brunch....

If you’re like us, Open That Bottle Night (OTBN) occurs on every day ending in “y.” But for many wine lovers, it’s an annual event that takes place on the last Saturday of February where you’re...

Here at the Idaho Wine Commission, Valentine's Day is one of our favorite times of the year. Wine and romance just go together like Cabernet Sauvignon and filet mignon, Champagne and caviar, Riesling...

Okay, we already know from last month's blog about ice wines that most wineries don't just shut their doors and go into hibernation for the winter. But there has to be more to the story than that,...

Baby, it's cold outside. Which means it's the perfect time for ice wine – one of nature's coolest (and sweetest) discoveries!