Mapping the Snake River Valley American Viticulture Area. Vineyard site selection is the single most important decision that any potential grape grower will make according to Viticulture expert Gregory V. Jones  In the Snake River Valley American Viticulture Area  there are approximately 8,000 square miles, with only 1,600 miles currently planted with vineyards. This shows that the amount of potential for Idaho's wine industry is tremendously large. However, potential will only get you so far; it is extremely important for Idaho's current and future winemakers and grape growers to fully understand Idaho's climate and landscape. Therefore, in 2009 the Idaho Wine Commission hired Gregory V. Jones to do a climate and landscape analysis of the Snake River Valley Viticulture Area. Jones is known as 'America's foremost wine and climate change specialist'.He has developed a system for setting up Vineyards which is very accurate according to Moya Shatz, executive director of the Idaho Wine Commission:  “His work is great because you can type in an address and it can tell you what grapes you can grow and where.”