Checking in on Idaho

Idaho vineyard 2024

Alder revisits Idaho wine and has suggestions for its more viable future.

A little more than ten years ago, an unsolicited case of wine showed up on my doorstep. That wasn’t particularly unusual, of course, but the place it came from managed to surprise me at the time.

Those first 12 tastes of Idaho wine proved quite enlightening. They told the story of a wine region early in its development, with a mix of hobbyists and more commercially focused producers all exploring the possibilities of a relatively new terroir.

Last month, I decided it was long past time for me...