May’s Featured Wine of the Month
We’re featuring a different wine each month during which you can purchase the special wine at a premium price!

This month is…

The delightful 2023 Grüner Veltliner!

This beautifully clear pale yellow wine sports tropical fruit and crisp apple aromas that are rounded off with mild minerality and hints of thyme or clover. The zesty flavors of tangy citrus and starfruit start on your palate then segue to flavors of peach, lemon, and sweet apple on the finish.

 

Food Pairings: The zesty acid in this wine makes it a wonderful pairing with fatty dishes. Fried chicken, smoked ham, herbed & buttered young potatoes, even ramen or pho. We think this wine would also be great with shellfish, a cold summer noodle salad, and soft cheeses like appenzeller, chevre & feta. Herbs that would go well are tarragon, parsley, thyme, dill, and mint.

Hey, Farm Friends!

Why did the vineyard owner bring a ladder to prune his vines? 

He wanted to reach new heights in wine production!

We hope you enjoyed our version of a dad joke. Spring pruning always puts us in a good mood. The vines are waking up, buds are starting to break and the essential task of pruning is our main focus. We, literally, get to shape our future by removing over-growth and maintaining the structure of the coming crop.

Next up will be shoot thinning. By carefully selecting which shoots to keep and which to remove, we help balance the vine’s energy, promoting optimal airflow, sunlight exposure, and fruit development.

Another important spring task will be cluster counting. Once the buds develop into leaves and clusters start to form, we will track how many clusters are produced for each type of grape. This data tells us not only how big the crop could be but also how we should approach caring for the vines. For example, if a vine has too many clusters we can thin the clusters out so the plant isn’t overburdened. This ensures that each grape cluster receives the nutrients and support it needs to ripen fully.

Sincerely,
Mike, Patrick, and Bev Williamson

Yes! You read that right…we’re hiring!

Williamson Orchards and Vineyards has one part-time wine room sales position open. We are looking for a self-motivated, high energy person with sales experience and good customer service skills. This job requires someone with attention to detail and is a team player. Some knowledge of wine is a plus.

This is a part time position; i.e. Wednesday – Sunday: 11:00 – 6:00 pm. Estimating 12 – 18 hours per week.

Job Qualifications:
– High School Diploma or GED.
– Higher level education is a plus.
– Must have had some sales or customer service experience.
– Some knowledge of cash registers and credit card processing.
– A basic knowledge of wine is a plus.
– Must be able to lift a case of wine (40 lbs).

Job Responsibilities:
– Act as a representative of the business.
– Creating a welcome and hospitable atmosphere.
– Describe wines and pour samples.
– Wine & merchandise sales.
– Maintaining and cleaning of the tasting room/warehouse.
– Availability for off-site events; i.e. farmer’s markets

If you are interested please email your resume to wine@willorch.com

Fancy name, simple preparation, dazzling taste: that’s beef bourguignon! 

And may we just say – it’s a smidgen better when you include Williamson Vineyards Homestead Red into the mix. The depth and complexity of the wine lends itself perfectly to the simplicity of the ingredients that when complete, elevates the dish into something spectacular. The best part? It’s wonderful the day its served – it’s even BETTER the next day as leftovers.

Grab your ingredients, grab your wine, and hold on tight as Williamson Cork to Fork returns with this simplistic show-stopper.

 

INGREDIENTS:

3 to 4 pounds beef, could be chuck roast or tenderloin – you choose!

2 cups beef broth

2 tablespoons tomato paste

Fresh herbs – I used a few sprigs of rosemary and a few sprigs of thyme

2 cups carrots

2 cups pearl onions, frozen are fine

1.5 cups sliced mushrooms, I used one rather portly portobello and it did the job well

7 – 10 cloves of garlic, measure with your heart on that

Salt and pepper to taste

Olive oil / beef tallow for browning

The most important ingredient: Williamson Homestead Red

 

Step 1:

Heavily, and I do mean heavily salt and pepper the meat. Let it come up a few degrees in temp by sitting on your counter while you grab your dutch oven and pre-heat it over medium heat on the stove. Also, preheat your oven. If you’ve got 4 hours to let this roast, 275 degrees F is suitable. If you’d like to get this plated in 90 minutes, 350 degrees F is best.

Step 2:

Once your dutch oven is good and pre-heated, plop in a couple tablespoons of either olive oil or beef tallow – my personal favorite for this is beef tallow. You’ll sear it off for 2 – 3 minutes on each side, just to develop some color. Once completed, remove from the pan and set aside.

Step 4:

This recipe has the perk of simplicity interlaced throughout it start to finish – there’s not a lot of extensive prep work, chopping, peeling – none of that. Who needs that? Not me. I grabbed frozen pearl onions, baby carrots, and the only chopping required was from my portobello mushroom. Every bit of the mushroom is useable, however I chose only to slice up the cap (top portion) and discard the base. My husband made fun of me for it. I told him to be quiet. You do you.

Step 5:

In your still-pre-heated-since-removing-the-meat dutch oven, toss in another tablespoon of olive oil or beef tallow. It’ll make the veggies happy, we promise. Toss all your vegetables into the dutch oven: Onions, carrots, mushrooms, and garlic.

Step 6:

Add in 2 tablespoons of good quality tomato paste, I like using the brand Mutti from Italy because it makes me feel fancy and some Italian tiktok’er said it was what he always used. Call me influenced. Stir around the veggies and let them sweat for a few minutes with all those flavors working together.

Step 7:

Here’s where everything moves fast and you’ll basically be able to wipe your hands clean from the task of making this dish: once you’re veggies have mixed, place the browned meat into the dutch oven along with your herbs. Pour in your beef stock, about 2 cups. Pour in your Homestead Red. I utilized about 3/4 of the bottle – which – coincidentally, left me with the perfect pour for myself.

Step 8:

Put the lid on, slide it into your pre-heated oven, and drink your leftover Homestead Red. Your house will soon bear the scent of rich, earthy, comfort food and you’ll have peace knowing that dinner, one – is done, and two, will be DEElicious. I ended up braising my beef at 325 for just under two hours. It turned out fall-apart tender and had and incredibly savory flavor. We served it with mashed potatoes and called it a day.

Whether you’re wanting to cook for a crowd or have an intimate dinner with someone special, this dish will not disappoint. It’s the full pendulum swing in a meal – simple, but complex. Rustic, but elevated. We hope you enjoy preparing this with our Homestead Red – make sure you grab two bottles, though – after all, you’ll need on to drink after you’re done cooking! Cheers!

Stay tuned for more exciting recipes as Cork to Fork makes its return! 

 

 

A new, fan-favorite: 2021 Homestead Red

This rich wine is a perfect gift to share with dinner hosts. It’s deep garnet and opaque appearance entice further exploration. Bright cherry cordial on the beginning of the aromas that softly become dusty roses and a lightly sweet ending. This is a medium firm tannic wine with bright chewy acids. Beginning with jammy fruit like raspberry, and black plum to start the flavors and earth and tea on the mid-palate with a long meaty finish of toasted nut and umami.

Visit the webstore or stop in the tasting room all April long to receive 10% off !

Wine Club Members can stack their Member discount on top of this for even more savings! Please remember to sign into your account to receive your wine club discount.

Hey Farm Friends!

As the seasons shift, things are bustling here at the vineyard. We’re in the midst of the final hand pruning for our grapevines — an essential step to fine-tune the crop load and ensure the best possible fruit quality for the year ahead. Alongside this, we’re applying pre-emergent herbicide to keep the undervine area clear, giving our vines a strong, healthy start.

Pollination is also underway! our apricot trees now have a hardworking team of bees on the job, and in just a week, we’ll be bringing in hives for our soon-to-bloom peach and cherry trees. It’s a time of careful tending and preparation, all in anticipation of a (literal!) fruitful season ahead.

Stay tuned for more updates as the orchard and vineyard continue to wake up with the arrival of Spring. We look forward to all that April has to offer in our beautiful Sunnyslope region of Idaho!

Sincerely,

Mike, Patrick, and Bev Williamson

Mike Williamson Standing at counter in Tasting Room

Steve Lombard of the Idaho Business Review talked with Mike Williamson and other Idaho grape growers and wineries about how Idaho grape growing is affected by the soils and climate. He spoke of the rise of Spanish varietals, in particular Tempranillo.
Read the entire article here:  Idaho wineries are growing a legacy of lasting varietals, with a Spanish grape leading the bunch

This versatile wine is the perfect wine to start out February!
Dark bottle of 2021 Williamson Vineyards with vintage phone to the side and mirror on the wall behind the wine
The February #WineOfTheMonth is our 2021 Sangiovese!

This balanced, medium-bodied red has brick red tones with garnet highlights. Notice an aroma that hints of earthy cedar, mellow violets, and tart fruit. Flavors of cranberry, currants, and cedar hit the tongue almost instantly while fennel and cherry pit evolve mid-palate and the whole thing finishes with a touch of tobacco and pepper.

Food Pairing: The bright acids combined with savory flavors in this wine make it so easy to pair with a variety of styles of food. You could pour this with any tomato based pasta, grilled meats and veggies seasoned with basil, parsley, marjoram or thyme. Elevate your classic hamburger or get creative with chicken and cream sauce. Go simple with an aged Parmesan, medium cheddar or get a little wild with a fontina cheese

Enjoy a 10% stack-able discount on 2021 Sangiovese between February 5 thru 28, maximum 5 bottles.
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Finish out the year with a nice bottle of 2023 Dry Riesling!

The December #WineOfTheMonth is our 2023 Dry Riesling! This Riesling is versatile, it’s the Swiss army knife of wines! The bright acids and subtle minerality allows for this wine to be enjoyed in so many ways. The hints of sweet pear and floral rose draw you in while hints of muskmelon and petrol capture your attention. Flavors of crisp Braeburn apples with a bright lemon finish leave your taste buds refreshed and alive.

Food Pairings: The balance between the acid and the sweet of this wine opens up the food pairing possibilities. You could try serving it with grilled halibut, seafood fettuccine, and ceviche.  Or flip the narrative and serve with intensely flavored foods like spicy Asian dishes, lemon chicken, pork chops and sauerkraut. Get simple with soft cheeses, Emmentaler, fontina or aged nutty cheeses.

Enjoy a 10% stack-able discount on 2023 Dry Riesling between December 1 – 31, maximum 5 bottles. 

Personalized Presents, Perfectly Packaged

We want to help you with your gift giving this holiday season!

Consider giving a gift of quality and good taste. Our gift boxes are an excellent corporate gift, holiday hostess gift or the perfect present for friends and family.

Williamson’s gift boxes are fully customizable, you can personalize your gift with 1-3 bottles of wine, wine glasses, cork screws, tumblers, t-shirts, aprons, hats, sweatshirts, jewelry, home decor, locally made gourmet foods and candy.

Tell us what you need and let us do the hard work!
To order you gift box call us at 208-459-7333, or email us at wine@willorch.com, so that we can get an idea of your price range, your giftees taste in wine and personal preferences.