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IDAHO
ust as old as Washington’s wine industry, Idaho’s is considerably a more “boutique” operation — just over 50 wineries operate in the Gem State today, compared to Washington’s nearly 900. What that means for consumers is the chance to get in on the ground floor of a wine region still in its infancy, unspoiled by the mass production and commercialism that has taken over more prominent regions like Napa and Sonoma. Most of that production is centered in southwest Idaho, in the Snake River Valley, just 30 minutes east of Boise, where tasting rooms are plentiful and uncrowded, and the wine is both excellent and affordable. A handy shortcut to the region’s top wineries can be found online at www.visitswidaho.org, which also includes information on golf courses, lodging and other activities in the region. Twenty years from now, when Idaho wines are being poured in the most chic New York City bistros, you can say, “I was there when ... .” WARM SPRINGS GOLF COURSE | Boise warmspringsgolfcourse.com | 208-343-5661 Warm Springs Golf Course has earned a devoted following among locals for its helpful staff, playable layout and reasonable rates — just $31 on a summer weekend, and $22 at twilight times. An early-morning round at the
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Jug Mountain Ranch • McCall, Idaho
city-owned course will help beat the crowds that visit Warm Springs in the afternoon, while also freeing up your afternoon to hit the wineries below. Warm Springs is longer than you’d expect of a muni — nearly 7,000 yards from the tips, with all but three par-4s over 400 yards and two par-5s that nearly crack 600. A rating of 72.2 (comparable to the sand tees at Chambers Bay) is evidence of the stern test the back tees command; if you don’t have to go all the way back, the whites are plenty long enough for most golfers, at 6,367 yards. You’ll play faster, score better, and likely walk off with a bigger smile on your face. PAIR IT WITH: Head a half hour east to visit the forebear of southwest Idaho’s wine industry, Ste. Chapelle Winery (www.stechapelle.com), which was among the first to incorporate in 1976, and has grown into Idaho’s largest and most productive. The climate is perfectly suited for Syrah, which is Ste. Chapelle’s flagship red (and
at $15, a steal). Be sure to also stop at Koenig Winery & Distillery (www.koenigdistilleryandwinery.com), where you can not only sample the state’s highest-rated wines (a pair of 91-point Rieslings), but also award-winning vodka, brandy and whiskey. JUG MOUNTAIN RANCH | McCall jugmountainranch.com | (208) 634-5072 Just as the Snake River Valley draws wine lovers to southwest Idaho, so does McCall (located two hours north) draw golfers eager to play the best courses southwest Idaho has to offer. To anyone who has visited Central Oregon, the landscape of the McCall region will be familiar. Jug Mountain, specifically, is reminiscent of the two resort courses at Sunriver, with an open, Meadowsstyle front nine, and a tree-lined, Woodlands-style back. Between the many elevation changes (including the dramatic, downhill first and two blind, uphill tee shots),
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