FROM COUNTRY TO TABLE:
IDAHO WINE IS REALLY GRAPE BY SABINA DANA PLASSE
Carrie Sullivan of Telays Winery / Courtesy Telaya Winery
Enjoying Idaho wine is sharing in this region’s distinguished tradition of Pacific Northwest winemakers and grape growers. In Boise and throughout the Treasure Valley, wine-inspired activities allow travelers, visitors, and locals to enjoy celebrated and award-winning Idaho wines while partaking in the many attractions that make Idaho a special place.
Grow together
With over 70 operating wineries in Idaho, the Idaho Grape Growers and Wine Producers Commission ensures that Idaho wines reach not only wine enthusiasts but also restaurants, shops, and venues so that everyone can enjoy them. Yet what makes Idaho wineries unique is that winemakers and owners are usually working and available when visitors stop by for tastings, allowing for an unforgettable experience. “Wine is thriving in Idaho,” says Idaho Wine Commission Industry Relations Manager Ashlee Struble. “We want people to ‘come as you are,’ because we want people to feel comfortable and welcomed in Idaho wineries.
We also educate and promote locally as well as on a state and national level for everyone to try an Idaho wine at home and in restaurants.” The Idaho Wine Commission is also a resource for those entertaining the idea of growing and entering Idaho’s grape world. “We have had a successful Growers Campaign and are seeing an uptake,” says Struble. “We want more grapes in the ground, and our wineries want to use Idaho grapes.”
Meet the people behind the wine
Operating in Garden City, Telaya Wine Co has worked consistently through the tumultuous times of the past two years. However, they did make some adjustments to their tasting room and services, which worked so well that they decided to keep a few of them in place. The location, an ever-popular spot right off the Boise Greenbelt, is run by Carrie Sullivan, a former veterinarian, and her husband, Earl, a biochemist. Together, they’ve been operating
Telaya Wine Co in their Garden City location since 2016 with the intention of producing 5,000 to 6,000 cases of wine, increasing production to meet demand as much as they’re able. “We’re a family business, and the local support is amazing,” says Carrie. “We are hard workers and committed to the wine industry in Idaho. Our sons work with us and have grown up in our winery, but we have created a wine community in this urban, hand-crafted district of Garden City that is special and one we love.”
Take a tour
Idaho wines, especially throughout the Treasure Valley and Boise, are uniquely Idaho, and when you combine tastings with the scenic beauty of Idaho wine country, it is even more rewarding. The Sunnyslope Wine Trail in Caldwell is an excellent opportunity and adventure to explore the heart of Idaho’s wine country. For wine lovers, the Sunnyslope Wine Trail is the next mustsip wine destination you need to visit. Nestled in the scenic Snake River Valley BOISECHAMBER.ORG
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