Travel: the five US wine states off the beaten track Katie Kelly Bell on the freewheeling spirit of the USA’s lesser-known winemaking states
Taste the freewheeling spirit of American winemaking in these five ‘other’ US states...
America’s big-name wine states – California, Washington, Oregon, New York and Virginia – are well known to wine lovers. But smaller (though no less quality-driven) appellations in Idaho, Colorado, Texas, North Carolina and Michigan are among other exciting US wine destinations worth exploring.
While vastly different, these less-famous wine states share some important universal truths. For a start, you won’t find roads clogged with chauffeured limos, and your tasting fees are more likely to be $5 rather than $50 per person. The wineries you’ll visit are almost always intimate, family-run operations, and more often than not the person whose name is on the bottle will be the one pouring you a sample.
Most importantly, the wines will be anything but predictable – expect to find intriguing riffs on less-famous grape varieties such Malvasia, Lemberger and Dornfelder.
A true taste of America’s entrepreneurial soul is yours to enjoy when you take these wine roads less travelled.
Idaho
With its intriguing mix of volcanic and glacial soils, Idaho was once a promising wine-growing region. Indeed, some of the first vines planted in the Pacific Northwest were established in Lewiston, Idaho in the 1860s. Today, the state is home to 65 vineyards, 69 wineries and three AVAs: Eagle Foothills (an AVA within Snake River Valley with 32ha under vine), Lewis-Clark Valley and Snake River Valley.
There are more cows than people here, and the state’s defining quality is its dramatic geologic history, which inspires the vivid-sounding nomenclature of destinations such as Hell’s Half Acre, Sawtooth Mountains and Lava Hot Springs.
Idaho is a basin where glaciers melted and stayed, leaving a mix of sediment and soil. Several young volcanoes also influence the wines, says Ste Chapelle Winery winemaker Meredith Smith:
‘We have cinder pits from volcanoes in our vineyards and they impart special flavours, such as dark red fruit notes, spice and cigar box.’
Its arid climate, long sunny days and cool nights, together with high elevation (upwards of 900m) are distinctive qualities. With 728ha under vine, the largest AVA, Snake River Valley [which also overlaps into Oregon state to the west] is spread across the cities of Caldwell, Boise and Garden City – all within a short drive from one another. ‘Snake River Valley is on the same latitude as Rioja in Spain and the northern Rhône,’ explains Earl Sullivan, winemaker for Telaya Wine Co (telayawine.com), ‘so Tempranillo, Syrah and Viognier do really well.’
With just 39ha under vine, Lewis-Clark Valley AVA in northern Idaho [also overlapping into Washington state] sits at the base of the Bitterroot Mountains. Vines were planted here as early as 1872, and one might still stumble across abandoned vineyards. Lewis-Clark Valley is part of Idaho’s ‘banana belt’, where more temperate conditions favour varieties such as Cabernet Sauvignon and other late-ripening Bordeaux grapes. ▶
‘Snake River Valley is on the same latitude as Rioja in Spain and the northern Rhône’ --------------------------- Earl Sullivan, Telaya Wine Co
The most logical base for touring Idaho wineries is the capital city of Boise and the nearby Sunnyslope Wine Trail (about 30 minutes’ drive away). Here, you can rent a bike and visit several wineries via the 40km Boise River Greenbelt. Stop for a private tour and tasting at Telaya Wine
Co – its Turas 2018, a blend of Syrah, Petit Verdot, Merlot, Tempranillo and Sangiovese, won Best Red Wine at the 2020 Idaho Wine Competition.
In Sunnyslope, look for the richly textured Panoramic Shoshone Falls Malbec 2018 from
Ste Chapelle Winery (stechapelle.com), one of Idaho’s oldest producers and a standard-bearer for the Snake River Valley terroir. It also runs concerts and has yurts for overnight stays. Next door, Sawtooth Winery (sawtoothwinery.com) also hosts concerts and themed dinners, or just visit to taste its Classic Fly Riesling or Sparkling Brut.
At nearby Williamson Orchards & Vineyards (willorch.com), you’ll have the chance to pick cherries and sip its wonderfully delicate Albariño 2019, a Best in Show winner at the 2020 Idaho Wine Competition.
Colorado
High in elevation and anchored by the visually stunning Grand Mesa, the largest flat-top mountain in the world, western Colorado wine country is a study in superlatives. The state has two official AVAs, Grand Valley and West Elks, which range in elevation from 1,200m-2,100m, making them among the highest vineyards in the world. Indeed, Colorado’s high desert has captivating scenery but it tends to be overshadowed by the deluxe appeal of the state’s many ski towns. Here, close to the Utah border, you’ll find fewer tourists, more locals, the world’s second-largest concentration of geologic arches (Rattlesnake Canyon), and plenty of award-winning wine.
With a truncated growing season, unpredictable weather patterns and dramatic diurnal temperature changes (upwards of 10°C), many vintners describe winemaking here as a challenging adventure. ‘We never know what Mother Nature is going to throw at us. You can’t set a clock by nature’s whim the way you can in California wine country,’ explains Kevin Webber, co-founder of Carboy Winery (carboywinery.com), one of Colorado’s largest wineries.
The Grand Valley’s arid, high-elevation setting has soils that tend to be more alkaline than those of Napa, yielding wines that taste more Old World than New World. Syrah, Viognier and
other Rhône varieties fare well in Grand Valley, as do Bordeaux grapes, especially Cabernet Franc.
Not far from Grand Valley, snug in the embrace of the Rocky Mountains, the West Elks AVA is home to true mountain terroir, with grapes cultivated at altitudes as high as 1,950m. The result is varieties such as Riesling, Pinot Gris and Pinot Noir, which can tolerate a cooler growing season with intense UVA sunlight.
The Grand Valley region is home to a mix of the old west and the new west, blended with the region’s historic mining culture. The towns of Grand Junction and Palisade are 12 minutes apart and either one makes a good base for wine touring – several wineries have tasting rooms in both towns. In Colorado, getting outside is almost a requirement, so tour the tasting rooms in your hiking boots, or rent bikes and visit on two wheels. Grand Valley is one of the state’s top mountain-biking destinations; it’s also ideal for canyoneering, white-water rafting and lengthy hikes. West Elks, which is just over an hour’s drive from Grand Junction, has a smaller wine trail featuring 10 wineries, making it an easy day trip.
‘We never know what Mother Nature is going to throw at us’ --------------------------- Kevin Webber, Carboy Winery
Carboy is betting on sparkling wine and cultivating more cold-hearty hybrids. At its recently opened tasting room in Palisade, start with the Native Fizz Rosé, a co-fermented blend of North American hybrid grapes Verona, Aromella and Vignoles. Red Fox Cellars (redfoxcellars.com) is another fine choice to quench your thirst in Palisade. Sip a wine cocktail, sample one of its eight on-tap craft ciders, or try its Nebbiolo 2017, a Governor’s Cup double gold medal winner in 2019.
Across the river is the Colterris Winery at the Overlook (colterris.com) tasting room, panoramic views of the Colorado river and rows of lavender and roses forming a beautiful backdrop – and the wine measures up as well. Order a charcuterie sampler and a bottle of the Petit Verdot 2017 – another Governor’s Cup double gold winner. Around the corner, Maison la Belle Vie Winery (maisonlabellevie.com) makes a sumptuous Vin de Peche, a Muscat fortified with peaches, from a family recipe that dates back to the late-1800s. Ask about its wine-paired dinners as well.
In West Elks, The Storm Cellar winery (stormcellarwine.com), founded by sommeliers Jayme Henderson and Steve Steese, focuses on aromatic whites and rosés. Tastings are intimate affairs and private tastings are an option too. Top tastes include the 2019 RRV, a mouthwatering blend of Roussanne, Riesling and Viognier. ▶
Texas
Texas is the second largest US state. For perspective, it’s about 20% larger than France, and has roughly 200 wineries and eight official AVAs (Bell Mountain, Escondido Valley, Fredericksburg, Mesilla Valley, Texas Davis Mountains, Texas High Plains, Texas Hill Country and Texoma). Despite its impressive size, winemaking is chiefly concentrated in two distinct areas: Texas Hill Country and High Plains. Most of the state’s grapes are cultivated in High Plains, while most of the tourism and consumption takes place in Texas Hill Country. Spend a minute in the High Plains AVA and you’ll appreciate why – dominated by semi-arid, windy conditions, it’s a high-elevation, vastly flat region of roughly 3.2m hectares in west Texas. Andrew Sides, winemaker for Lost Draw Cellars, describes it as ‘ideal for winemaking but not for the faint of heart’. The area has rich, sandy loam soils – primarily ancient seabed, underneath which is a deep limestone bed that imparts an intriguing minerality to the wines.
The High Plains may be the state’s primary growing region, but it’s the scenic charms of Texas Hill Country that draw the crowds. The climate here is more moderate, and the soils are more on a granite uplift. Concentrated around the town of Fredericksburg (which is equidistant from San
Antonio and Austin), Hill Country enjoys a lingering Germanic influence as many Germans settled here in the mid-1800s. It is also the home of former president Lyndon Johnson and known for its profusion of bluebonnet wildflowers in the spring. Warmer-climate varieties such as Viognier and Tempranillo thrive in both High Plains and Hill Country. You’ll also find Sangiovese, Roussanne, Mourvèdre and some Tannat.
At William Chris Vineyards (williamchriswines. com), 32km east of Fredericksburg, a glass-walled tasting room looks out over the vineyards. Order a picnic lunch if you want to enjoy wines al fresco, or consider a seat inside for the Library Tasting experience that features an in-depth look at the range and breadth of its terroirs and vintages.
The Signature Series of wines at Pedernales Cellars (pedernalescellars.com), back towards Fredericksburg, features delicious single-barrel expressions, best enjoyed in the tasting room with views over the Pedernales river valley. Becker Vineyards (beckervineyards.com) has a long history of winemaking in Hill Country (former first lady Ladybird Johnson was a fan of its Chardonnay). Book a tour and reserve library tasting paired with cheeses for the best experience, and if you visit in the spring you’ll enjoy the full bloom of its fields of wildflowers and lavender plants.
Another worthy stop is at Bingham Family Vineyards (binghamfamilyvineyards.com). It scooped five awards at the 2021 San Francisco Chronicle Wine Competition – including gold for its Dugout 2018 Bordeaux blend.
The charming courtyard at Lost Draw Cellars (lostdrawcellars.com) in Fredericksburg is a big draw for live music at weekends, and a glass or two of its Reserve Roussanne (2018). Book a wine and charcuterie tasting if you want some light bites. ▶