11-22 IAN Wine Ambassador

 Move over Napa Valley and watch out Burgundy, Idaho's making some fine tipple to go with your tator tots.  Yes, recently the Sacramento Bee, Wine Business News and others picked up the story from our own Idaho Stateman that reported the Idaho wine biz is booming.  In a minute I'll tell you more about this and let you know if you should be trading in your cowboy hat for a beret and your big happy howdy for a frown of feigned indifference.  C'est tout en une moment....

Idaho’s wine industry is gaining ground. Listen to this from the Idaho Statesman’s KRISTIN RODINE: “ Tractors still dot the fruit-and-nut themed roads (Plum, Pecan, Apricot) of Canyon County’s Sunny Slope, but these days party-themed limousines and weekend wine tourists are also in evidence.

Their quarry is a cluster of mostly small wineries with an increasingly big reputation. We have eight wineries within 10 miles, which is enough for a two-day trip, said Ron Bitner, who recently opened a small bed-and-breakfast at his hilltop winery overlooking the Snake River south of Caldwell.”

Here’s Executive director of the Idaho Wine commission Moya Schatz: “ you have to have good cheerleaders and that is what Ron is. He goes out there and talks about his wine, he gets involved, he gives away a lot of wine and he is really active in a lot of national organizations.”