It’s a secret that everyone involved with would like to get out: Idaho has delicious wine.
Vintners from across the Snake River Valley American Viticultural Area (AVA) gathered to share this message in August at the Sunnyslope Wine Festival at Ste. Chappelle in Caldwell.
The annual event featured 17 wineries, sharing everything from Moscatos to Sauvignon Blancs under a blue sky, accompanied by chocolate, food trucks, wine-themed goods, and a pair of alpacas.
“We're spread out in wine country,” Sunnyslope Wine Trail Executive Director Mona Warchol said. “Most people who come to wine country visit three to four wineries in a day. That's about all you really can do. But the beauty is that a festival guest has the option of seeing what all the wineries have to offer in one place.”
This was the third year of the festival, and the second at Ste. Chapelle.
“It means a lot to us, just getting our name out,” said Brittany Hopwood with Williamson Orchards & Vineyards. “Since we’re such a small community, it’s really important how interconnected we are. We help each other survive.”
Guests each received a card with 15 tastes from any winery of their choice. Some folks mixed and matched, while others went back to sample their favorites.
“In the last two years it’s just exploded,” Huston Vineyards’ Mary Alger said of the festival. “It’s beautiful to see the passion of people who appreciate Idaho wines.”
The festival also encouraged responsibility, offering a designated driver festival ticket and free shuttles from Meridian.
“Our demographic of who comes, 91% (from) the Treasure Valley,” Warchol said. “And our largest guest total comes from Boise and Meridian, which is exciting for us because in Boise, you have Garden City and, you know, the wine tasting you can do right in your backyard. But to have people venture out into wine country, that's what we're trying to do for the tourism side of Sunnyslope.”
Since some wineries are a little farther flung than others, it was also a chance for winemakers to get to see one another.
“People don’t really know that Idaho wine country exists, so we need to get the word out,” Vizcaya Winery winemaker Beau Silverthorne said. “I love being around the people. Being immersed in a winery, you don’t get to get out and taste at the other wineries.”
“(The Sunnyslope Wine Festival is) a way to let people know that we have a growing, thriving wine region here,” Koenig Vineyards employee Michael Lane said. “I love connecting with current customers and meeting new people. It’s that nice mix of familiar and new.”
Warchol said the event had more than 800 attendees this year.
“Next year they'll cap it at 1,000, but I do believe that they will be able to hit that next year, which is extremely exciting,” she said.
If you’re interested in the Sunnyslope Wine Trail, visit sunnyslopewinetrail.com. And if you’d like to attend next year’s festival, mark Sunday, August 30, on your calendar and keep your eye on the site for tickets.
Can’t wait until next year? Warchol recommends checking out the tour companies listed on the Wine Trail site.
“That's a spectacular way to explore and see what all the different wineries have to offer,” she said. “Sunnyslope is a hidden gem.”