Issue link: https://digital.copcomm.com/i/91577
Bill Murray, winemaker for Sawtooth. "I left California to find a region that hadn't yet been discovered and had a lot of potential that would take off similar to an Oregon 20 years ago or Washington 10 years ago. That was the whole reason why I came to Idaho." cifically in the old Sunny Slope region known as the "banana belt," a once- powerful farm area that commanded its own railroad line into Boise. Vines have been growing in Idaho since the 1800s, but thousands of acres were pulled up before Prohibition and the state's industry did not rediscover itself until the 1970s. The climate is perfect for Rhône varietals. Warm summers reach as high as 105 degrees and the days are longer because of the high latitude, but the high-heat season is short and the frost allows for icewine but not late-ripening grapes like Zinfandel. Actually, I'm in Idaho, where the "famous potatoes" grow, Boise State football reigns and an old local industry is being rediscovered on a national level. More than 1,600 acres of vineyards are planted in Idaho, mostly in the Snake River Valley and more spe- When Bill Murray moved here from California, he saw amazing grapes, but small winemaking mistakes that held the Idaho winemaking back. "I left California to find a region that hadn't yet been discovered and had a lot of potential that would take off similar to Oregon 20 years ago or Washington ten years ago. That was the whole reason why I [came to Idaho]," says Murray, the winemaker for Sawtooth and former associate winemaker for Bouchaine Vineyards in Napa Valley. "I realize the potential here," Murray says. His wines deliver unique values with grapes that have yet to find an American home to grow their roots, such as Tempranillo and Malbec. He remarks that he's making $40 to $50 wine and selling it for $10 to $20 because the label says Idaho and not Washington, California or Oregon. However, while the connotation Idaho has may pose a challenge, it is one that Murray is ready to accept and conquer. Bright Future Since 8,263 square miles of Idaho's Snake River Valley made the AVA designation in 2007, winemakers have returned home. A native of Idaho, Melanie Krause, a former Chateau St. Michelle winemaker, started Cinder winery and has been the chief wine- maker for Huston Vineyards. "We have all the natural resources to make amazing wines here. The weather's gorgeous," says Krause. "The Idaho's Maurine Johnson was recently promoted to Head Winemaker at Ste. Chapelle. 102 / the tasting panel / november 2012