Idaho wine begins in the vineyard. But in Garden City, a new chapter is being written—one shaped by people willing to rethink how wine is made, experienced, and shared. Along the Boise River, in a place that not long ago felt overlooked, something unexpected is taking shape. This is where a small group of winemakers is quietly pushing the edges—challenging assumptions and, in the process, expanding what Idaho wine can become.

Inside the former World War II hangar where family, art, wine, and the memory of Eric Dunham continue to shape one of Walla Walla's most personal wineries.

In Idaho’s Sunnyslope wine region, the two couples are building Gem 73 Winery—a project rooted not only in the land, but in the belief that this stage of life can still hold risk, creativity, and new purpose. Yes, there is a vineyard. Yes, there is a winery taking shape. But what draws them back into building is something deeper than wine alone.

For Tammy de Weerd, who served as mayor of Meridian for 16 years, a retirement of speaking engagements and consulting shifted with one glass of wine. “My husband and I have been traveling the world by wine region for the last two-and-a-half decades,” she said. “And we were sitting in South Africa at an old winery, and we were drinking an incredible wine that had an inspiring story. That was when our vision for our Spoken Wines business venture was born.”

The wines reflect the range found in the land itself—different soils, elevations, and varietals that resist settling into one style. My husband and I have been visiting and tasting here for nearly three decades, first discovering it while at Washington State University. We keep coming back.

If you’ve ever wondered why an Idaho Syrah tastes different from one grown in California, or why Idaho Riesling carries that electric freshness, the answer is found in its environment. Elevation. Soil. And the hands guiding the vines. Terroir is the reason wine tastes the way it does. So what does terroir look like in Idaho?

The Secret Microclimate of Viña Maquis — and the 300-Year Legacy of Chile’s Great Wine Families

A Father’s Dream, Two Sons, and the Soul of Chile in a Glass

In the Northwest wine world, the line between Idaho and Walla Walla is often described as a border. In reality, it functions more like a bridge. Winemakers train there and build here. Fruit moves across state lines. Ideas move even faster. The relationship between Idaho’s Snake River Valley and Washington’s Walla Walla Valley is not defined by competition but by exchange. Two women whose careers reflect that exchange particularly well are Hailey Minder of 3100 Cellars in Idaho and Karin Gasparotti of Bionic Wines in Walla Walla. Their journeys illustrate how ideas, mentorship, and experience move between regions, helping shape both careers and the future of Northwest wine.

A wide stretch of round river stones lay exposed to the sun — a field most people would have overlooked. It was 1996, and Christophe Baron, a young vigneron originally from Champagne, was on his way to Oregon to invest in Pinot Noir and Chardonnay. A friend, seeing the photo in a book he was carrying of the stony vineyards of Châteauneuf-du-Pape, told him there was land “like that here.”

From McDonald’s pioneer to Kerry Hill Winery, Mindy Mayer’s story of discipline, unthinkable loss, and moving forward

How does someone rebuild after unimaginable loss? One woman’s answer became a vineyard, a legacy, and a story you won’t forget.