The Boise wine experience

We just returned from a weekend in Boise. We hosted two couples there for a weekend of wine dinners and wine tastings that these generous folks purchased at the Hospice of North Idaho fundraiser last February. It was my first time in Boise, and the best descriptor of our weekend is WOW! From all we experienced, Boise is vibrant and loaded with wineries and restaurants that would thrill any wine enthusiast.

There are 80+ wineries in Idaho now, and more than 50 of them are located in and around Boise. Many of them having tasting rooms downtown. We stayed at the Modern Hotel, which was a treat for me as a fan of mid-century modern architecture. The Hotel has a wonderful inside outside bar and is conveniently located to walk to both winery tasting rooms and restaurants.

For our two wine dinners we ate at Red Feather and Capital Cellars. Both had beautiful spaces and great looking wine cellars, stocked with impressive collections of both domestic and European wines - including many of our favorites that we rarely see on restaurant lists. Our servers for both nights were named Luke. Their similarities did not stop with their names; the service from both was smooth professional and seamless. Meals were delicious, well-timed and creative, and the courses we chose were prepared and spiced to pair well with wine. We couldn't have asked for better experiences.

At Red Feather we dined with our good friend Bryan Hinschberger of Bon Vivant Imports. Bryan is headquartered in Boise and rolled out a lineup of Spanish wines that was truly remarkable. With vintages that night dating back to 1997 and wines spanning all categories - white, rose, sparkling and red - it was a special evening, with a dear friend who is one of the most knowledgeable wine professionals we know.

At Capital Cellars, we featured all Koenig wines. This powerhouse Idaho producer continues to make delicious wines, and the Sangiovese (one of our favorites) continues to impress. Our guests stated it best: on our last night, "we saved the best for last."

The great news about Boise is you can find both the imports from Bon Vivant and the Koenig wines around the city, both in retail outlets and on restaurant lists, so this was not a special occurrence to dine with such wonderful wine selections.

The appraisal that we saved the best for last takes on even more weight when placed in the context of the rest of the weekend. We started on Friday tasting with Snake River Valley Winery at their sleek and comfortable tasting room downtown. The wine at Snake River - produced from all estate grown fruit - was delicious.

On Saturday, we spent the day at the shared winery facility in Garden City that houses Telaya, Cinder and Coiled. All the wines we tried there were stunning. The facility presents with an urban warehouse feel, and upstairs we tasted at a long table made from reclaimed barn wood that lent warmth to the concrete and iron structure. However, this is a full-blown working winery.

Joe Schnerr and Melanie Krause the husband and wife co-owners of Cinder provided the centerpiece donation for Saturday, which included lunch and a winery tour, and barrel tasting to go along with the tasting of other wines. The wines from Cinder are truly extraordinary and are gaining such popularity that they will soon occupy the entire facility when Coiled and Telaya move to a new winery currently under construction.

There are no bigger enthusiasts for Idaho grown wine grapes than Melanie and her team at Cinder. Their passion and focus runs so deep that, from the time they started the winery, their goal has always been to work only with grapes grown in the Snake River Valley. The flavor profile and aromatics are unmistakable on this high altitude-grown fruit, and Melanie's skills as a winemaker shines through in every bottle.

The trip to Boise is well worth it for any wine consumer. The great restaurants and collection of great wines (both those made right here in Idaho with Idaho grown grapes and those available from importers like our friend Bryan) create a must-visit destination.

If there is a topic you would like to read about, or if you have questions on wine, you can email George@thedinnerpartyshop.com, or make suggestions by contacting the Healthy Community section at the Coeur d'Alene Press.

George Balling is co-owner (with his wife Mary Lancaster) of the dinner party, a wine and tabletop decor shop by Costco in Coeur d'Alene. George has also worked as a judge in many wine competitions, and his articles are published around the country. You can learn more about the dinner party at www.thedinnerpartyshop.com. You can get all of these articles and other great wine tips by friending us on Facebook http://www.facebook.com/#!/dinnerpartyshop.