Idaho's Wine Business

 Think about what it’s like to be a …fighter. The story of Rocky (your choice as to which of the hundred some odd sequels), any tale of an underdog overcoming the odds…we all love to hear about people who take on a challenge and deliver.

 The wine industry in Idaho is sort of like that. When we think about domestic wines in the U.S., California is typically the first state to pop into most folks’ minds. But look out, cause here comes Idaho. Despite less than optimal economic times, despite being a state that is not on the forefront of the national mind set when it comes to vineyards, the wine business is growing here. “I started last September and we 32 wineries and now we have 40.” Moya Shatz, Executive Director of the Idaho Grape Growers and Wine Producers Commission explains that marketing has something to do with all of this:  “We’re getting organized. We created a brochure. You can’t ask consumers to come out and visit your winery if they don’t know how to get there. We’re developing a new log, a new web site, we had a big wine event called Savor Idaho.”