Want to be a part of the Williamson tribe? Tired of missing out on all the fun events at the winery?
Sign up for our monthly newsletter to get the skinny on all the upcoming events, wine releases, and specials. Join our mailing list during the month of November for a chance to win a bottle of 2014 Reserve Petite Sirah. The lucky winner will be announced in our December newsletter!
Nickolaus Hines is the Food & Drink editor at Matador Network. He stopped by earlier this year while he was exploring Idaho wine and wine regions. He spoke with us and several of our winery neighbors and wrote a thoughtful and glowing report on how Idaho is a growing region for delicious wines and great wine grapes. Find his full article here.
Don’t wait to enter, we are limited to 10 submissions.
This fun and delicious contest will be held the weekend after Thanksgiving; November 29, 30. The contest started as a friendly competition between Williamson family and staff and has grown over the years to encompass submissions from our followers. We are looking for up to 10 soup entries. Soup enthusiasts will pick one of the two days where they will prepare and share their unique and tasty soup. Over 2 days, guests will sample and choose their favorite. On each day of the contest, the soup with the most votes will be awarded a bottle of Williamson’s wine.
Please note: all soups must be delivered to our tasting room by 11am of your preferred date. We ask that you provide your own crock pot to keep your soup warm throughout the day. We will provide all ladles, cups and spoons. You can pick up your crock pot between 5pm and 6pm that same day or during business hours the following days. The soup with the highest votes for that day will win a bottle of wine!
For more details, please look at the soup competition online form. Reservations will be accepted in the order they are received.
Application form can be found here- Soup Competition Form.
Send completed application: Email to wine@willorch.com or mail to Williamson Orchards & Vineyards, 14807 Sunnyslope Rd., Caldwell, ID 83607
Henry C. Williamson, brother to Lillian Williamson Gammon, was a very down to earth fellow who led a diverse, well traveled life. All of his varied experiences prior to settling down in Idaho taught him to persevere and gave him a skill set that came in very handy on the farm.
In his youth, Henry served with the Coast Artillery along the east coast until 1907. In 1912 he traveled to California to work for the South San Joaquin Irrigation District as a concrete and tunnel inspector. He then returned to Idaho in 1913 to work as a “teamster” for the Boise Project, driving a 20-horse team that pulled a grading shovel during the construction of Arrowrock Dam. He would go on to work with Idaho’s developing irrigation networks by designing and building canal systems for Wilder Irrigation District that are still in use today. You can see a picture of a spillway that he designed. In 1914, Henry headed south of the border and worked on the construction of the Panama Canal. Henry enlisted in 1915 and went with the 116th Cavalry (see photo above) to the Mexican border when Pancho Villa was making forays in the U.S. Then in 1917 or 1918 his regiment was deployed to Europe during WWI. We have included a photo of his artillery regiment and their big gun that Henry refers to as “Big Bertha” on the back of the photograph.
After the great war Henry returned to Idaho to be near his sister. His love for the great outdoors led him north into the West Mountain range where he purchased ground in New Meadows. He found work hauling materials south to Caldwell for a lumber company. Henry made a little extra money on the side by raising foxes for their furs; as it was fashionable in the 1930’s to sport fur coats. His modest side business grew to the point where in 1935 he raised as many as 300 foxes! You can also see a very young Jack A. Williamson, our grandfather, holding a fox kit under Henry’s careful supervision. Grandpa Jack loved his Uncle Henry and would later move from Virginia to live in Idaho full time to work with Henry on the family farm.
It wasn’t “all work and no play” on the homestead. Lillian and her husband, George, had a wonderful circle of friends consisting of early Sunnyslope settlers. Neighbors were always willing to lend a hand if you needed it, and were always happy to come together for a good meal!
We hope you enjoy this picture of an impromptu picnic from the past. Lillian is pictured in the middle with a giant slice of watermelon! Also pictured are her neighbors; Mr. & Mrs. Caldwell and their two girls, plus Mrs. Barnes and her little one. The photograph was sent to Lillian’s mother with a note written on the back asking her to “Look at this and send it back. We wanted to show you the size of the melon we grew. She took the picture when I had a big mouth full! So look and laugh and send it back. I am afraid you wouldn’t burn the picture if I asked.”
We are so glad Lillian’s mother never burned the photo. Sorry Lilly! While no one wants to be caught with a mouth full, we love seeing these tough pioneers enjoying a little time of leisure. Not to mention the size of the watermelon, no one grows them that big anymore!!
Don’t forget to join us for our own Pink Picnic coming up on July 17th!
Like so many today, the Williamson family has experienced the difficulty of caring for a loved one diagnosed with Alzheimer’s. Our family feels strongly about helping those with this horrendous disease and their families. Help us help Alzheimer’s Association in their mission to eliminate Alzheimer’s disease through the advancement of research; to provide and enhance care and reduce the risk of dementia through the promotion of brain health.
For the month of July, when you purchase a wine tasting, we will offer an additional wine sample with a donation of $1 or more to the Alzheimer’s Association. 100% of your donation goes to Alzheimer Association.
Rome was not built in a day and neither was the family farm. Lillian and George continued to make improvements to their homestead over time. Between 1918 and 1919 they were able to build a barn, which allowed them to keep more livestock. They started to raise a small herd of dairy cows which proved to be helpful. Like with most start-up farms, money was tight so Lilly and George sold their surplus milk and cream. We suspect having fresh cream for their morning coffee was an added perk too! 
Lilly and George didn’t live lavish lives but they loved their land and they were willing to make the most of it. They experimented with raising different crops. They were the first family to plant apples in the area and continued to plant various fruit trees over the years. Surprisingly one of their first crops that brought them some financial windfall was a bumper crop of tomatoes! You can see (below) a picture of the field of young tomato vines, they covered in white paper tents to protect the plants until the danger of frost was past. 
The Williamson family has farmed in this valley for 4 generations and have relied on our native pollinators for the health and success of our orchards and vineyards. Help us help Pollinator Partnership in their mission to promote the health of pollinators (not just Honey Bees) through conservation, education and research.
In the early 1900’s Lillian Williamson Gammon, and her husband George, decided to try their fortune on the new frontier. They left Virginia and headed west by wagon. While briefly stopped in Oklahoma they heard about some interesting land opportunities in the young state of Idaho. Thanks to the Homestead Act of 1862, they were able to settle on 80 acre parcels along the sunny slopes of southern Idaho, near the Snake River.
The top photo depicts George Gammon surrounded by sage brush on his newly acquired land. He and Lillian worked very hard to clear the property and built a simple two story house on their homestead. In the lower photo you can see Lilly in front of their home with her horse “Buttercup”. Notice our beloved windmill peaking out from behind the house, the same fan blade pictured here is currently displayed on the front of our tasting room!
Savor NW Wine Competition is an annual wine competition held annually in February which showcases the best of Northwest wines. It is one of the largest wine awards programs open to all commercial wineries in the Pacific Northwest. We’re so proud to be in the Snake River Valley AVA with all the wonderful wineries in it. Go Idaho!
2014 Reserve Petite Sirah – Gold
2017 Dry Riesling – Gold
2016 Malbec – Silver
2016 Sangiovese – Silver
To see the list of winners and competitors, follow this link.