Walla Walla Wine tours Treasure Valley

By Jim Thomssen

BOISE, Idaho — Did it make sense to bring Walla Walla wines to Boise for a day?

From both sides of the border, the answer is yes.

Just a four-hour drive from Idaho’s state capital, and even less from the Moscow-Lewiston area, the Walla Walla Valley is one of the first places Gem State wine fans gravitate to when they seek out wine experiences.

With more than 120 wineries and tasting rooms to visit, vineyards growing more than 50 varieties and a well-developed hospitality sector, it makes sense as a “next stop” on the journey of wine discovery. Walla Walla also has been voted the Best Wine Region the past three years by USA Today.

Hoping to increase the cross-pollination between the two wine regions, the Walla Walla Valley Wine Alliance expanded its annual “Walla Walla Wine on Tour” series to include Boise this year.

While Seattle and Portland have been on their itinerary since 2012, the move to Idaho is a big step. The Walla Walla Valley Wine Alliance is a member-driven, nonprofit charged with building the Walla Walla brand, similar to the Idaho Wine Commission’s mission. Walla Walla’s “Wine on Tour” events are designed to offer something new and distinctly “Walla Walla” to connoisseurs, travelers and fans — current and future — of Walla Walla wines.

More than 35 wineries were represented to the trade, media and public this spring at The Grove Hotel ballroom in Boise. There was some tasting; however much of the focus was on business during the trade and media session.

Yet it was more than just a marketing opportunity that prompted the Walla Walla Valley Wine Alliance membership to add Boise to the schedule.

Second-generation grower Jared Funk of Saviah Cellars noted that about 10% of his family’s wine club members are from Idaho. And about 20% of those folks make the trip to the Saviah Cellars tasting room just across the Oregon/Washington border to pick up their allotments. He says Idaho’s emergence as a regional player in the industry drives its residents to explore other wine regions. And Walla Walla’s proximity, reputation and agricultural history help to bring travelers to that corner of Washington and Oregon.

“We share a strong cultural connective tissue and farming backgrounds,” says Brian Rudin, winemaker at Canvasback — part of California’s famed Duckhorn portfolio of wines.

And there is a growing synergy between the two regions. Together, they can achieve better economies of scale when it comes to custom-crush facilities, bottling technology and obtaining the infrastructure required to craft world-class wines. A look at the back labels of some Idaho wines reveals that a number of Idaho winemakers use enology services in the Walla Walla Valley, so it appears to make economic sense.

Recently, Tim Donahue of Horse Thief Wine Consulting in Walla Walla began sharing his expertise with member wineries of the Idaho Wine Commission. He spent a decade as the lead instructor for Walla Walla Community College’s vaunted winemaking program.

Rudin points out that it doesn’t hurt that you can still visit with the winemakers in their tasting rooms in both places, unlike many regions in the western U.S.

Co-winemaker/co-owner Chad Johnson sees the similar geology and climate as ties that bind the regions together as well. He also pointed to the long-standing cooperation between Washington grape growers and Idaho winemakers.

“With a continued focus on vineyards and vine age, there isn’t any reason why Idaho wines shouldn’t continue to make great improvement,” Johnson says.

Other wineries were taking care of business before and after the tour stop, too. Fiona Mak of rosé-centric SMAK Wines wants Boise’s Asian-inspired restaurants to take on her wines, which pair exceptionally well with spicy flavors.

There’s no debate that the Walla Walla Valley is the premier American Viticultural Area nearest to Boise, and that makes it easy for “wine explorers” from Idaho to trek over the Blue Mountains to visit, taste and learn.

At the same time, wine lovers in Washington and Oregon should consider spreading their wings to visit the three high-desert AVAs in Idaho and add some gems to their cellars. Thanks in large part to talented Idaho winemakers, the wines will be similar in quality, yet the terroir will create subtle differences worthy of discovering. Go to WallaWallaWines. com and IdahoWines.org for more resources planning your next visit.