Top 100 wines of Idaho - Page 2
Discover the top 100 best wines of Idaho as well as the best winemakers in the region. Explore the varietals of the wines that are popular of Idaho and the best vintages to taste in this region.
Discovering the wine region of Idaho
Idaho is the third largest state in the Pacific Northwest of the United States, bordered by the famous wine states of Oregon and Washington. Currently, Idaho is better known for its potatoes than for its wine. However, with the rapid growth of the wine business and the quality of the wines produced here in recent decades, its profile is rising.
Idaho's different mesoClimates allow for many different styles of wine to be produced.
Initially, the state was much better known for its cool-climate wines, produced from Grape varieties such as Riesling (including Icewine), Gewurztraminer, Chardonnay and Pinot Noir. Climate change has led to a greater emphasis on red wines, including the more structured Cabernet Sauvignon, Syrah, Tempranillo and Malbec.
Idaho's wine production is primarily in the southwest, near the Oregon border. Some is in the northern Part of the state, the panhandle, on the border with Washington, and around Boise in south-central Idaho.
Discover the grape variety: Cabernet franc
Cabernet Franc is one of the oldest red grape varieties in Bordeaux. The Libourne region is its terroir where it develops best. The terroirs of Saint-Emilion and Fronsac allow it to mature and develop its best range of aromas. It is also the majority in many blends. The very famous Château Cheval Blanc, for example, uses 60% Cabernet Franc. The wines produced with Cabernet Franc are medium in colour with fine tannins and subtle aromas of small red fruits and spices. When blended with Merlot and Cabernet Sauvignon, it brings complexity and a bouquet of aromas to the wine. It produces fruity wines that can be drunk quite quickly, but whose great vintages can be kept for a long time. It is an earlier grape variety than Cabernet Sauvignon, which means that it is planted as far north as the Loire Valley. In Anjou, it is also used to make sweet rosé wines. Cabernet Franc is now used in some twenty countries in Europe and throughout the world.
