The Williamson family has always wanted to host a farm-to-fork styled dinner in our orchards. On June 26, a fun group of adventurous folks joined us for an evening of good friends, good food, good wine, and a taste of farm life.

There was plenty of wine to purchase by the glass and bottle as folks strolled through the orchard before dinner picking cherries.
We had planned for family-style seating to encourage more community and conversation. We know friends were made and numbers exchanged.We could not have pulled it off without Nate from @thetowergrill and his team executing this masterful menu. We are so grateful for his talent and eagerness to participate in our very first Dinner in the Orchard!We’re still giddy with gratitude to each of you that spent your evening with us for our first Dinner in the Orchard. This event was so much fun for us, and we hope to enjoy it year after year with you!


Williamsons Orchards & Vineyards has been growing a variety of crops for 4 generations and we’ve seen first hand the importance of stewardship on agricultural land. When we started grape growing in the late 1990’s, we came to realize that growing grapes is capital intensive, and risky. Unlike row crops which can be rotated each year, planting a grape vine is a commitment to the future.
It’s an agricultural gamble fueled by passion. Because our family is focused on taking the best care possible of the agricultural land entrusted to us, we do our best to focus on the sustainability and environmental best practices as well as the economic and social responsibility aspects of a family business.


close up bottle pouring wine into glassFUN FACT!!
Did you know that it takes 600-800 grapes to make a bottle of wine?
Wine grapes can vary from about 50-100 grapes per cluster. It could take anywhere from 8 to 12 grapes clusters per bottle. Each variety of wine grape can hold anywhere from 30 to 50 clusters, depending on what a winemaker requires.
Thus, the winemaker and the wine grower are entwined in their efforts for the grapes to reach their maximum potential for the wine produced.
We believe that wine is defined by its “terroir” (the characteristic taste and flavor imparted to a wine by the environment in which it is produced) and shaped by the decisions of both the grape growers and winemakers!


We learned something interesting when we were researching this recipe. Shepherd’s Pie is made with lamb. If you use beef then it’s Cottage Pie. Who knew? What we do know is that it’s a deliciously comforting meal that makes it easy to feed a crowd. Serve it with a fresh green salad and if you’re feeling adventurous, make an Irish soda bread and you’ve got an epic meal. If you’re making Shepherd Pie, pair with our Syrah, Malbec, or Harvest Moon Red. If you’re going for a Cottage Pie, then pair with Cabernet, Windmill Red, or Sangiovese. Cheers!

picture showing a skillet with mashed potatoes on top with a scoop out showing ground meat and carrots and peas

Shepherd’s Pie

Filling
•    1 teaspoon extra-virgin olive oil
•    1 ½ pounds ground lamb
•    Kosher salt and freshly ground pepper
•    1 medium onion, chopped (2 cups)
•    4 carrots, peeled and cut into ¼-inch coins (1 ¼ cups)
•    3 tablespoons tomato paste
•    1 tablespoon unbleached all-purpose flour
•    1 tablespoon Worcestershire sauce
•    1 ¼ cups low-sodium chicken broth
•    ½ cup dry red wine
•    1 cup frozen peas
•    ¼ teaspoon paprika
•    ¾ cup packed chopped flat-leaf parsley

Mash
•    2 ½ pounds Yukon Gold potatoes, peeled and cut into 1 ½-inch pieces
•    Kosher salt and freshly ground pepper
•    1 tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil
•    1 pound Savoy cabbage, thinly sliced (5 cups)
•    1 leek or bunch green onions, sliced
•    1 clove garlic, minced
•    ⅔ cup whole milk, warmed
•    4 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted, plus more for brushing

Filling: Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Heat a large skillet over medium-high. Swirl in oil. Add lamb; season with 1 teaspoon salt and cook, breaking up into bite-size pieces and stirring occasionally, until browned in places and just cooked through, 7 to 9 minutes. Transfer to a bowl.

Remove all but 1 tablespoon fat from skillet; return to medium heat. Add onion and carrots; season with 1 teaspoon salt. Cook, stirring occasionally, until vegetables are softened and golden in places, 6 to 8 minutes. Stir in tomato paste; cook 30 seconds. Stir in flour; cook 1 minute. Return lamb and accumulated juices to skillet. Stir in Worcestershire, broth, and 1/4 teaspoon pepper and paprika. Bring to a boil, scraping up browned bits from bottom of skillet. Reduce heat to medium-low; simmer until thickened slightly, 1 to 2 minutes. Remove from heat. Stir in peas and parsley. Transfer to a 2-quart baking dish.

Mash: In a large pot, cover potatoes with 1 inch of water; add 1 tablespoon salt. Bring to a boil, then reduce heat to medium and simmer until tender, 12 to 15 minutes; drain. Return pot to medium heat; swirl in oil. Add cabbage, leek (or green onion), garlic clove and 1/2 teaspoon salt. Cook, stirring occasionally, until collapsed and tender, 7 to 9 minutes. Return potatoes to pot; mash with a potato masher. Add milk and butter, mashing and stirring until mixture is creamy and cabbage is distributed evenly. Season with salt and pepper. Spread mash evenly over lamb mixture; brush top with butter. Place on a rimmed baking sheet lined with parchment.

Bake until golden brown in places and bubbling along edges, 30 to 35 minutes. Let stand 10 minutes before serving. Pie can be refrigerated in an airtight container up to 2 days.

Enjoy!


Enjoy a sip of nostalgia with this classic collection of library wines!


2018 Sangiovese
2018 Cabernet Sauvignon
2018 Harvest Moon

These 2018 vintage red wines are really starting to hit their stride, and this collection offers a beautiful sample of the diversity of the vineyards from that year. This three pack will also include vintage and tasting notes for each of the wines.

General Public = $113
Wine Club = $102
Wine Club Members – if you order this library collection through our webstore, please, remember to log into your wine club account in order to receive your wine club discount. Don’t remember your user name or password? You can contact us at 208-459-3322 or wineclub@willorch.com.
This promotion runs from February 14 – March 3. Pricing does not include taxes, shipping or handling. No other discounts apply.


Winter White Case Sale
February 14 thru March 3 

When it feels like winter will never end, we suggest you beat the winter blues with some fresh and crispy white wines. White wine lovers can start stocking up and saving from February 14 – March 3. (Psst! A case of white wine make a great Valentine’s Day gift! Eyebrow wiggle and wink.)

Build your case from the following wines:
2021 Albariño, 2021 Blossom Rosé, 2022 Lilly White, 2022 Viognier, 2022 Dry Riesling, 2019 Nectar

 General Public saves 20%
Wine Club Members saves 30%
While supplies last, no other discounts apply.

Starting February 14th you can take advantage of this great deal either in person at the tasting room or head to the website to purchase your favorites before they’re gone. Wine club members, remember to sign into your accounts to receive your special prices.


Soups Galore!

We have hosted a soup contest at our Fall Barrel Tasting Weekend event for years. Each year event attendees take on the great responsibility of tasting and voting on their favorite soups. If you didn’t get a chance to submit or sip this year, we hope you remember to join us next year at our Fall Barrel Tasting Weekend! This year we made soup contest history! Not only did we have a record number of folks submitting soups for judging, but we had our first ever tie! Read below to learn a little more about our newest soup savants.

FRIDAY

Julia Figgins
Buffalo Chicken Chili
Julia Figgins created a crowd pleasing Buffalo Chicken Chili with all the fixins’. The fan favorite was to pair her spicy chili with our 2020 Malbec, because the fruity flavors in our wine played nice with the spice in the chili.Unfortunately, we aren’t able to share a recipe for this soup because Julia “shoots from the hip” and makes it up as she goes. 
Sarah Heasley
Polska Kielbasa Soup

Sarah Heasley created a spicy Polska Kielbasa Soup that really got our taste buds buzzing! If you make this delicious dish, we recommend pairing it with the 2020 Henry’s Red, because the smoky flavors in the wine brought out the smoky flavors in the soup.
For a printable copy: Polska Kielbasa Sausage Soup

SATURDAY

Cherie Holsclaw
Seafood Chowder

Cherie created a Seafood Chowder that simply blew away the competition!
This creamy dish of comfort paired nicely with the 2022 Albariño, the crisp citrus of the wine is a good juxtaposition to the creamy richness of the chowder.  Mmm mmm good!Cherie is also an intuitive chef and does not cook from a recipe. But she did share a few notes about how she creates her soup. Seafood Chowder

We want to take a moment to say a great big thank you to all the contestants who participated in our soup contest. THANK YOU! 

Other soup submissions recipes available to download here:
Tortellini Soup – Lisa LaBarbera
Roasted Butternut Squash Soup – Billie Farley

 


Sip Magazine has hosted their 12th annual Best of Northwest wine competition. They place an open call for submissions put out to wineries of all sizes across the Pacific Northwest with an impressive 665 wines sent in this year. These submissions underwent blind tastings, meticulously evaluated by a distinguished panel of judges comprised of sommeliers, wine buyers, journalists and industry professionals. The top four medalists (platinum, double gold, gold, and silver) and Judges’ picks were selected for each respective wine category.Bottle of Sangiovese wine with glasses behind

We’re proud to announce that Williamson Vineyards 2020 Sangiovese received the highest award for a Sangiovese this year. Full article can be found here: Sip Magazine BEST OF THE NORTHWEST WINE AWARDS


Salt Lake Magazine visited here on the Sunnyslope and looked into the Sunnyslope Wine Trail and the AgVenture Trail. They had great things to say about Southwest Idaho and you can find their article as a PDF here – Follow-The-Trail-MagazineArticle


Show the grilling guru’s in your life some summer lovin’ with this 

Summer BBQ Gift Pack


The sun is out and the weather is fine. Now is the time for grillin and sippin wine!
At $59.00 (plus tax) per set this gift pack makes a great Father’s Day Gift! Bring this fun gift pack to the next backyard BBQ and impress your host. 

Gift pack includes a bottle of Williamson Vineyard’s wine, a bottle of Bell’s Gourmet Barbecue Sauce and a Smoking Hot Grill Master apron.

Customize your gift pack by choosing your favorite wine from the following wine options:

2020 Harvest Moon Red
2020 Henry’s Red
2020 Syrah

You can also choose between the following Bell’s BBQ Sauce options:

Garlic BBQ Sauce
Cherry BBQ Sauce