Boise has an endless number of events and activities to participate in throughout the year, but if you’re looking for something unique and different a wine tour may be a good choice. Wine Tours are a great escape if you want to hang out with girlfriends or possibly go on a date. Many people also choose wine tours as a way to celebrate special occasions like: birthdays, bachelorette parties or possibly an anniversary.
Although there are a number of Vineyards to choose from throughout Idaho a Nampa Resident by the name of Haylie Acevedo stated that “ Staying within the Snake River Valley is the way to go, there are several vineyards to choose from and you will never walk away disappointed .” She also stated that if you are looking for recommendations, she would suggest visiting “Syringa Winery, 3 Horse Ranch Vineyard, Indian Creek Winery, and Ste. Chapelle Winery.”
Syringa Winery is located in Garden City, ID. As a company they specialize in crafting wines using labor-intensive, traditional wine making techniques. The owner Mike Crowley frequently visits the vineyard to sample and taste the grapes before harvesting time. They sort and hand-pick all grapes and manually punch them down into open-top fermenters. The wines at this vineyard are unfiltered, unlined and cellared in oak barrels. They are open Thurs- Sat 12-7, or by appointment.
3 Horse Ranch Vineyard is located in Eagle, ID and was established in 2003 by Gary and Martha Cunningham. They chose to transform a stretch of grazing land into a beautiful vineyard. Over the last 7 years they have won several medals and are proud to be an organic farm. Their hours are Wednesday – Sunday 12 pm to 6 pm, tasting fees are $5 a person and they are also open by appointment as well.
Next stop on the tour is Indian Creek Winery located in Kuna, ID. Indian Creek was established in 1982 by Bill and Mui Stowe. The idea for a winery came to Bill from a short winery stint he did in Germany while stationed at Ramstein Air Base. Upon arriving home Bill went right to work planning and organizing his vision and he hasn’t slowed down since. In 2006 Bill’s daughter and son-in-law began helping out and now manage most of the facility. Bill continues to supervise the vineyard and Mui oversees the grounds keeping. The Winery is open Friday’s 2-6 pm and on the weekends 12-5 pm.
The final stop on the tour is Ste. Chapelle Winery located in Caldwell, ID. Ste. Chapelle was founded in 1976 and was named after the beautiful La Sainte Chapelle in Paris, built by King Louis IX as the court chapel during the 13th century. The vineyard was built with the intentions of only being a small operation, but quickly expanded to meet consumer demands. Today Ste. Chapelle Winery is owned by Ascentia Wine Estates and they are proud to distribute wine all over the U.S. The winery is open 7 days a week and tasting fees a $5 a person.
The tour may seem a little spread out and time consuming but the drive is well worth it. There are several different tour companies throughout the area that offer rides and for many of them the tasting fees are included. I have listed a map below of all locations and driving directions starting at 3 Horse Ranch. Hope you have a great time and enjoy your tour!
For a safer option,Idaho Winery Tours can show you around. They'll do the driving, and pick you up where you're staying in the valley. Tours are private and by reservation only. You'll get to meet the people who make it the wine on some of the stops, and learn about grape growing, wine making, as well as some of the history of the area. Tours start at $225 for a half day and this includes: guide, ride and any tasting fees you'll encounter. The area is amazingly beautiful, and the people you'll meet along the way are as friendly and full of wine info as you can get.
Snake River Valley Wine Country
Works Cited 3 Horse Ranch Vineyard. n.d. 15 November 2011 <http://3horseranchvineyards.com/index.aspx#>. Acevedo, Michelle. Idaho Wine Tours Cortnie McHugh. 15 November 2011. Indian Creek. n.d. 15 November 2011 <http://www.indiancreekwinery.com/about-us/>. Ste. Chapelle. 2011. 15 November 2011 <http://www.stechapelle.com/about/index.asp>. Syringa Winery. 2011. 15 November 2011 <http://syringawinery.com/>.
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