The Williamson Family and Staff wanted to do something special for some of our valley’s essential workers. We wanted to give back to our community and these folks are among the many wonderful people that have been keeping things going during the current public health crisis. We handed out coupons good for a wine flight and a yummy cherry cookie to several deserving departments throughout the Treasure Valley. We are highlighting four sets of essential workers that have connection to the Williamson Family and Staff.

Our fourth shout out is to the fantastic Wilder Rural Fire Department. A lot of our rural fire districts are comprised of paid and volunteer fire fighters, and Wilder is no exception. These folks have always run toward danger to keep the rest of us and our property safe.

We  wanted to show them our gratitude with a complimentary wine flight and a yummy cherry cookie for their dedication during this recent crisis! Thanks for all you do now and always!


The Williamson Family and Staff wanted to do something special for some of our valley’s essential workers. These folks are among the many of the wonderful people in this valley that have been keeping things going during the current public health crisis. We chose organizations that have ties to either the Williamson family or the staff.

Our third shout out goes to the St. Lukes Emergency Room in Nampa, Idaho. These hardworking women and men were dedicated, as always, to the health of our community. They were on the front lines, caring for individuals who were hurting and in need. So many of these awesome public servants had to isolate from their loved ones to keep them safe so they could keep taking care of all of us!

The amazing healthcare workers and all the supporting staff at St. Luke’s have always been essential to our community. We just wanted to show them our gratitude with a complimentary wine flight and a yummy cherry cookie for their dedication during this recent crisis! Thanks for all you do now and always!

We wish we could host all healthcare workers, but we look forward to seeing the lucky few with our coupons.


The Williamson Family and Staff wanted to do something special for some of our valley’s essential workers. These folks are among the many of the wonderful people in this valley that have been keeping things going during the current public health crisis. We chose organizations that have ties to either the Williamson family or the staff.

Our second shout out goes to the Caldwell Police Department. These hardworking men and women kept our community safe when the world like a pretty scary place. So many of these awesome public servants had to isolate from their loved ones to keep them safe so they could keep doing their job!

The amazing officers and all the supporting staff at the Caldwell PD have always been essential to our community. We just wanted to show them our gratitude with a complimentary wine flight and a yummy cherry cookie for their dedication during this recent crisis! Thanks for all you do now and always!


The Williamson Family and Staff wanted to do something special for some of our valley’s essential workers. These folks are among the many of the wonderful people in this valley that have been keeping things going during the current public health crisis. We chose organizations that have ties to either the Williamson family or the staff.

Our first shout out is to the Canyon County Records and Passports office in Caldwell. This hardworking team kept on recording and serving their community with a smile on their face!

While the awesome folks at the Records and Passport office have always been essential to our community. We wanted to treat the Passport and Records office with a complimentary wine flight and a yummy cherry cookie for their dedication during this recent crisis! Thanks for all you do now and always!


This is a wonderful opportunity to taste wine along with one of the winery owners. Join us for this virtual wine tasting and learn from Beverly Williamson about three of our most popular wines. We hope you’ll enjoy thinking about the aromas, flavors, and food pairing properties of these delicious wines.


We don’t know about you, but we are so excited to re-open the tasting room starting Saturday, May 16th! We will maintain our regular hours of Wednesday through Sunday from 12pm – 5pm.

However, for us to re-open our winery, its very important that we all follow guidelines set by our local health district. Read about the the following changes below so you know what to expect when you come to visit our tasting room.
 

  1. Anyone exhibiting visible signs of illness will be turned away.
  2. Reservations strongly recommended. If you show up without reservations and we don’t have room, sadly, we will have to turn you away.
  3. Be prepared to stand outside while you wait to be shown to your table.
  4. We will be limiting the number of people in our tasting room to 10 people at a time (including staff).
  5. To accommodate more guests we will be utilizing our patio and lawn – so please come prepared for the possibility of being seated outside (i.e. dress for the weather, bring folding chairs or blankets.)
  6. As required by the state, we cannot have more than 6 people together per table.
  7. In order to maintain social distancing we will not be serving anyone at the bar in our tasting room.
  8. We will be serving flights versus one wine sample at a time, in order to limit contact between staff and guests.
  9. We will be utilizing a strict protocol of sanitation before, after, and during your visit.
  10. We will be utilizing a “no-touch” point of sale system.
  11. We will be requesting that all tour companies limit their tours to 10 people or fewer until further notice.

If you have any questions, please contact us via email, Facebook or Instagram .


I don’t know about you but we’ve been feeling a little stressed out lately. Luckily, we happen to have our own personal yoga guru on staff! Our own sweet Lindsey will guide you through a quick and easy sequence of spinal stretches to help you find some stress relief. Plus she throws in a few fun and easy moves with wine bottles for those of you looking to add some extra movement into your day. So check out this very approachable video on how to be mindful (with a glass of wine).

 

Posted by Williamson Orchard and Vineyard on Thursday, May 14, 2020


We wanted to have a little relaxing fun with our friends by hosting a quiz and offering prizes for the wine gurus in the Facebook Live event. Grab a glass of wine and settle in for a few minutes with Teresa leading us through twenty questions of a variety of wine facts. Winners are listed below.

Congratulations to our winners: Billie Farley, Ann Gartley, Katie Burright

1. What does the term “vintage” refer to? For example, when you see “Vintage 2012” on a bottle?
Answer: That’s the year when the grapes were picked. It’s not the year the wine was bottled and it’s not the year the wine was released.

2. How many grapevines in the world are grafted (a grapevine plant attached to a different root stock)?
a.54%
b.77%
c.85%
Answer: 85% of the world’s wine grape vines are grafted.

3. Why is it traditional to store wine with the bottle lying on its side or upside down instead of keeping them standing?
Answer: The wine stays in contact with the cork and thereby prevents the cork from drying up and then shrinking. A shrunk cork destroys the wine by letting in air.

4. What does it mean if the bottle is ‘corked’’.
Answer: It simply means that a wine bottle has a contaminated cork and this is understood if the wine you taste has a very musty smell which is very similar to the smell of wet mold or wet cardboard.

5. Besides yeast, what must be added to wine grapes to ensure fermentation and thus wine?
Answer: Nothing. Due to a natural chemical balance, grapes ferment without the addition of sugars, acids, enzymes, water, or other nutrients.

6. How many species of oak are available for use in wine barrels?
a. 57
b.299
c.400
Answer: C. 400 different oak species are available to source wood for wine barrels.

7. Which country invented ice wine?
Answer: Germany invented Eiswein, or wine that is made from frozen grapes.

8. A standard size wine bottle holds 750 ml. How many liters is in a Jeroboam?
A. 1.5 liters
B. 3 liters
C. 6 liters
Answer: C. 6 liters

9. How many liters are in a Nebuchadnezzar?
8 liters
15 liters
20 liters
Answer: C. 20 liters

10. How many pounds of grapes does it take to make an average bottle of wine?
Answer: It takes about 2.5 pounds of grapes to make a bottle of wine.

11. How many gallons of wine is in a single barrel?
Answer: There are 60 gallons of wine in a barrel.

12. About how many cases of wine are in one barrel?
Answer: 25 cases

13. What is fortified wine?
Answer: Fortified wine has brandy or another spirit added to a wine base.

14. How many calories are in a 4-ounce glass of red wine?
A. 67 calories
B. 85 calories
C. 90 calories
Answer. B. glass of wine has approximately 85 calories.

15. A “vertical tasting” involves:
Answer: Wines from the same vineyards or winemakers but from different years

16. What is the dominant grape in Chianti wines?
Answer: Sangiovese

17. A medium to heavy bodied wine with Black pepper, plum and blackberry flavors describe which wine?
Beaujolais
Syrah
Pinot Grigio
Answer: Syrah

18. What does the word “appellation” refer to?
Answer: Place of origin of the wine.

19. How long does it take before a new grapevine will bear fruit suited to winemaking?
About 6 months-year
About 3-5 years
About 20-30 years
Answer: B. A grapevine needs a few years before its grapes are suitable for winemaking. In general, grapevines should be able to bear good winemaking grapes for about 40 years.

20. If a wine is described as “hot,” it most likely means it:
Has too high an alcohol content
B. Is spicy flavored
C. Is served at warmer than room temperature
Answer: A. This is a negative trait in most table or sparkling wines. Too much alcohol in wine can produce a burning sensation in the mouth and throat while being swallowed.