Don’t let roadwork keep you from visiting Idaho Wineries

Grand_Opening-142Don’t let roadwork keep you from visiting Idaho Wineries

We encourage you to read this great article and filmed interview by the Idaho Statesmen on Williamson’s winery as well as others in the Valley.

It’s a good time to be a fan of Idaho wine.

Gem State winemakers produced two best-of-class awards and 11 gold medals at this spring’s international Cascadia Wine Competition in Hood River, Ore. And with spring in full bloom, Treasure Valley residents and tourists alike are making the tasting rounds.

Alas, the proposed weekend lane reductions on Interstate 84 between Nampa and Caldwell for resurfacing work mean it may take wine lovers from the Boise area more time to reach the Sunnyslope Wine District. Both the eastbound and westbound lanes on the stretch between Franklin Boulevard and Franklin Road will be repaved by the Idaho Transportation Department, and the bulk of the work is expected to take place over four weekends. Those dates haven’t been set yet. There will be some additional overnight work on I-84 as well as roadwork on some other southern Idaho routes this summer.

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Trimming Grape Vines

 

Mechanical Trimmer Reduces Time and Labor in the Vineyard
After a harsh winter, Williamson Vineyards is preparing to cut out any dead wood that was the result of negative zero temperatures that our region saw in 2017. In preparation for this heavy pruning we utilized a mechanized trimmer to cut the tops of the canes. This helps the vineyard keep down high labor costs of removing all the dead canes by hand.


Recovery after a hard winter

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kimfetrow2016_DSC_5614Mike Williamson did great representing the Idaho Wine industry when he spoke with KTVB news this week! While this last winter was brutal in numerous ways, there are several silver linings for the vineyards. Yes, the 2017 crop will be small but it could result in some pretty amazing wines! Also, retraining from the ground up is not as expensive and doesn’t take as long to get back to full production as totally replanting. All in all, we are still optimistic about the future of Williamson & Idaho wines.


Find great hospitality in Idaho’s tasting rooms

Grand_Opening-134The Idaho wine industry has been growing in leaps and bounds and this growth brings in new visitors to our beautiful state. We were very pleased to read this awesome article that talks about the hospitality of the wine tasting rooms in Idaho. Across the board the wineries in Idaho have been greeting visitors with open arms and making guests feel welcome in our wineries and in our state!


2/13/2017 ~ Great Northwest Wine ~ Why family behind Williamson Orchards closed its fruit stand, embraced future in wine

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For most of a century, Treasure Valley customers drove out in the fall to Williamson Orchards on Idaho 55 west of Nampa to buy apricots, peaches, apples and cherries. A trip to the Williamson family’s fruit stand offered customers a chance to buy fresh, local, flavorful fruit and perhaps to talk to a member of the Williamson family.

To supplement stand sales, the Willliamsons packed and sold fruit for grocers. Over time, though, grocers opted increasingly for fruit picked green that could travel long distances. As profits dwindled, the need to reinvest in the business loomed.

The family decided a change was needed. They had planted 28 acres of vineyards in 1998 for nearby Ste. Chapelle, Idaho’s oldest and largest winery. Five years ago, they decided to sell their packing house, phase out the tree-fruit business and concentrate on growing wine grapes. Last year, they closed the fruit stand.

Today, Williamson Orchards, one of the Treasure Valley’s most recognizable century farms, has mostly completed the transition across on the Sunnyslope near the Snake River. Control has passed from the third generation, Roger Williamson, 66 and John Williamson, 64, to their three children, Mike, 39, Bev, 36, and Patrick, who just turned 29.

They are becoming leaders in Idaho’s wine industry. On Tuesday, Feb. 14, as the Idaho Wine Commission begins its annual industry meeting in Boise, the Williamson name is recognized both for grapes and wine.

“We had very loyal customers for long time at our fruit stand, but three families can’t eat on what a fruit stand does,” said Roger’s son, Mike, the operations manager at Williamson Orchards and Vineyards. “We can have the wine tasting room open all year around.”

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WINE DOWN WEDNESDAY at WILLIAMSON’S

We will be starting an event series called Wine Down Wednesday at Williamson’s. Starting in March 2017, these events will take place the third Wednesday of every month and will be held after business hours. We’re planning all kinds of fun things for the year such as: Wine & Cheese Pairing, Chocolate & Wine Pairing, Yoga & Wine, and Trivia Night, just to name a few! Stayed tuned for details each month.

Our first event for the year will be a wine & cheese pairing with Eden Creamery on March 15, 2017. Asaf Dayan, from Kuna, is as passionate about the many different styles of goat cheese as we are about wine! This should be a very informative and tasty evening. We will be sending out more information about this event in the near future.