Idaho wine
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| Idaho (Wine Region) | |
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| Official name | State of Idaho |
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| Appellation type | U.S. state |
| Year established | 1890 |
| Years of wine industry | 1860s-present |
| Country | USA |
| Sub-regions | Snake River Valley AVA |
| Total area | 83,642 square miles (216,632 km²) |
| Grapes produced | Cabernet Franc, Cabernet Sauvignon, Chardonnay, Gewurztraminer, Lemberger, Malbec, Merlot, Muscat Canelli, Orange Muscat, Petit Verdot, Pinot Gris, Pinot Noir, Riesling, Sauvignon Blanc, Semillon, Syrah, Viognier, Zinfandel, Zweigelt[1] |
Idaho wine refers to wine made from the U.S. state of Idaho.[2] Idaho has a long history of wine production with the first vineyards in the Pacific Northwest being planted here in the 1860s. Like in other areas Prohibition in the United States virtually wiped out the Idaho wine industry in the early twentieth century only to have it resurrected again in the 1970s.[3]
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[edit] Geography and climate
Located in the Pacific Northwest, the wine regions of Idaho resembles Eastern Washington though the region is affected by a greater diurnal temperature variation. The average vineyard in Idaho sits at an altitude of 1800 ft among the foot hills of the Rocky Mountains. A positive benefit of global warming has limited the severity of Idaho winters on the vineyards which were devastated with frost during the 1970s and 1980s.[2]
Since that era, the effect of global warming has been beneficial to the vineyards of SW Idaho. Only one period of frost has occurred since the early 80's and that was only a partial frost.
To grow better wines in the vineyards, several viticultural practices common in Idaho including the use of open canopies over the vines, drip irrigation and aggressive pruning to ensure lower yields.[2]
[edit] Grapes
Since the 1970s, Idaho wine has been known for its cool climate white varietals like Riesling (including Ice wine), Chenin blanc, Chardonnay and Gewürztraminer. In recent years there have been an increased focus on red wine productions, notably Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot and Syrah.[2]
[edit] Grape production
In 1999, the Idaho Department of Agriculture reported a total of twenty-three farms producing wine grapes. The farms reported a total of 656 acres (2.7 km²) in production, which represented 7% of the state total area for fruit production.[4] By the 2006 report, a total of forty-nine farms were included in the census. These operations reported a total of 1,214 acres (5 km²) in production with 843,052 vines of bearing age This represents a growth of 85.8% over the 1999 survey. Canyon County vineyards contain 81% of the state's total inventory of grape vines.[5]
[edit] Wineries
The majority of the state's wineries are located in the Snake River valley west of Boise. Ste Chapelle Winery, founded in 1976, was Idaho's first bonded commercial winery. Today it is the fifth largest winery in the Pacific Northwest, owning no vineyards of their own, but purchasing grapes from over two thirds of the vineyards planted land in the state. The University of Idaho runs an experimental vineyard and winery in the city of Parma which studies the potential of different varietals to grow in Idaho.[2]
The Snake River Valley in Southwestern Idaho and two counties in Oregon was officially designated an American Viticultural Area (AVA) by the US Alcohol and Tobacco Tax and Trade Bureau (TTB). A petition was filed by the growers in the Snake River Valley, the Idaho Grape Growers and Wine Producers Commission, and the Idaho Department of Commerce and Labor. The petition was granted in 2007, and for wines to bear the Snake River Valley AVA label, at least 85% of the grapes used for production must be grown in the designated area. Vintners may now use the term to describe Idaho and Oregon wines made from grapes grown in that geographic area.[6]
[edit] External links
[edit] References
- ^ Appellation America (2007). "Idaho: Appellation Description". Retrieved Nov. 16, 2007.
- ^ a b c d e J. Robinson "The Oxford Companion to Wine" Third Edition pg 355 Oxford University Press 2006 ISBN 0198609906
- ^ Appellation America Appellation description
- ^ Idaho Department of Agriculture (1999). Idaho Fruit Tree Census 1999. Washington D.C.: USDA National Agricultural Statistics Service, p.1-2.
- ^ Idaho Department of Agriculture (2007). Idaho Fruit Tree Census 2006. Washington D.C.: USDA National Agricultural Statistics Service, p.12.
- ^ "Establishment of the Snake River Valley Viticultural Area (2005R-463P)" (March 9, 2007). Federal Register 72 (46): 10598–10603.
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