06/22/07 Idaho wines

The word is getting out about Idaho's new wine appellation region. The Snake River Valley AVA is the newest and largest in the nation, covering an area the size of Rhode Island. The Idaho Wine Commission's executive director Sherise Jones says the designation allows Idaho wineries a better change to compete with Washington and Oregon wineries, plus it helps in a marketing campaign touting the southwestern Idaho wine industry. JONES "A large amount of Riesling wine that comes out of Idaho  however, we do have in terms of white  chardonnay and gewürztraminer; with the reds  cabernet sauvignon  there's even a pinot noir in Idaho." Idaho has 33 wineries compared to Washington's 500. Jones says they're trying to update their acreage information. JONES "Because the last one that was done in terms of vineyards was done in 2004 so we're trying to update that. It's anticipated that there's about 16-hundred acres if vineyards but we're trying to get some more solid numbers on that." It's certain to show that the Idaho wine industry is growing. Voice of Idaho Agriculture Bill Scott