05 Mar The AWC Idaho Experience
The AWC Idaho Experience: Lewis-Clark Valley AVA
In early March, we decided to embark on the AWC Idaho Experience. Our wine escapades would take us East, to the Lewis-Clark Valley AVA. With the weather beginning to change, the time was right for a new conquest. This relatively new AVA resides on the Eastern-Washington/Western-Idaho border. Nestled along the Snake, Clearwater and Potlatch rivers, we found some delicious wines. While off the beaten path, the wineries, vineyards and people we engaged with, were amazing. The recurring themes you will hear involve wine diversity and QPR (Quality-to-Price Ratio). We found both factors to be simply outstanding! If the sister cities of Clarkston, Washington and Lewiston, Idaho are not on your wine radar, they should be! As a final note, every wine we tasted was new to AWC. It doesn’t get much better than that! Read on about the AWC Idaho Experience and find out more about this growing wine region.
Jovinea Cellars
Our first stop was Jovinea Cellars. It’s located on Main street in Lewiston, just across the bridge from Clarkston. The tasting room has a quaint and rustic feel, and is found in Morgan’s Alley. Jovinea is the creation of husband/wife team Michael and Lisa Grigg. Jovinea is a small production, relatively new boutique winery. You wouldn’t know it by looking at the spectrum of wines they offer. The diversity of varietals they use and the wines they produce is truly inspirational! Here are some examples of the varietals they use, and the list is not inclusive. Roussanne, Marsanne, Viognier, Muscat, Riesling, Dolcetto, Barbera, Merlot, Syrah, Petit Verdot, Cabernet Sauvignon, Pinot Grigio, Chardonnay, Gamay and more! Can you believe they’ve only been operating since 2018? They currently source their fruit from both Idaho and Washington vineyards while they wait for their estate vineyard to mature.
The Wine
We had the opportunity to meet Michael, who took us through a nice tasting. He provided some historical background and essentially threw the doors wide open for us. They are passionate about their wines, and it shows. My wife tasted the 2019 Viognier and 2018 Chardonnay, while I went directly to the reds. I tasted the 2018 Barbera, and 2019 Merlot, when my wife joined me to help. Next came the 2018 Syrah, the 2018 Cabernet Sauvignon and the 2018 Petit Verdot. For the finale, we had the opportunity to taste their 2019 late-harvest Dolcetto. At 13.2% abv, and 3.7% residual sugar, this delicious semi-sweet red was smooth and enticing. It would make a perfect pairing with a nice cigar. We walked away with the Cabernet Sauvignon and the late-harvest Dolcetto. Thanks to Michael for making this the perfect 1st stop for the AWC Idaho Experience.
Clearwater Canyon Cellars
Our 2nd stop was Clearwater Canyon Cellars (C3 henceforth). Their list of accolades includes 34 Platinum awards and the 2015 Idaho Winery of the year award. They were Wine Press Northwest’s – 2020 Pacific NW Winery of the Year recipient! While their reputation for great wines precedes them, the scientist in me required some empirical V&V. Verification and Validation. As a scientist AND wine-lover, I’m living the dream. What a great segue for introducing the C3 owner/winemaker husband & wife team! Coco and Karl Umiker own and operate C3, where Coco makes the wine and Karl manages the estate vineyard. Both are scientists and wine-lovers in their own right. Coco’s background is in micro- and molecular biology and biochemistry, with a PhD in wine science. Karl is a chemist and holds an MS in soil science. By every definition of the phrase, they too are living the dream!
The winery is located next to the Umiker Estate vineyard on their “Idaho Century” farm, not far from downtown Lewiston. For the 2019 vintage, their wines were generally crafted from Bordeaux varietals, with the addition of Syrah and Petite Sirah. As we entered the tasting room, Sara Wilson (C3 Wine Club Manager) greeted us and took us through a fantastic tasting.
The Wine
We started with the 2019 Renaissance Red. This was a Syrah-dominant (33%) blend rounded out with five Bordeaux varietals to make up the remaining 67%. Next came the non-vintage Waha II. Coco’s experiment with Lees over multiple vintages, rendered an outstanding success! Sourced from both Columbia Valley and Lewis-Clark Valley AVAs, this wine was crafted from 8 varietals. They included 6 Bordeaux varietals, a Rhône varietal (Syrah) and Petite Sirah. It was simply delicious! Our 3rd wine was the 2019 Carménère. Sourced from Phinny Hill Vineyard in the Horse Heaven Hills AVA, it was young but approachable, with complexity, nice balance and depth.
As a bonus pour, Sara gave us the opportunity to taste the 2020 Carménère directly from the Tank. Soon to be bottled, this wine was our favorite of the day! We can’t wait to get a case of this gem. We made sure to get on the notification list for this wine when it is first released!
The pours were generous and the lineup was really impressive. With prices between $23 and $32 per bottle (non-club price), the QPR is out of this world. During our conversation Sara offered to introduce us to Coco since she was working on-site at the time. It was great being able to meet the winemaker after enjoying her incredible creations. Thanks for taking the pic with me Coco! We are the newest fans of Clearwater Canyon Cellars, and are excited to be some of the first to enjoy that 2020 Carménère! We ended up walking away with the Waha II and a logo’d/stemmed C3 wineglass! Thank you Sara and Coco, we appreciated the fantastic hospitality and wine tasting. And the AWC Idaho Experience continues!
Rivaura
Tasting #3 occurred at a picturesque, family-owned and managed operation – Rivaura Estate Vineyards and Winery. The first vines of the Estate vineyard were planted in 2014. So Rivaura is a relatively young winery that produces around 4500 cases per year, at this stage. It’s located just a short 20 minute drive from Lewiston along the Clearwater River, in Juliaetta, Idaho. The tasting room sits on a bluff overlooking the confluence of the Potlatch and Clearwater rivers with Lapwai Creek. The views of the valley – from anywhere on the property – are serene and stunningly beautiful. The Hewett family has teamed with highly acclaimed Walla Walla winemaker Billo Naravane (of Rasa fame) for consultation purposes. From results of the AWC Idaho Experience, teaming with Billo has paid huge dividends!
As we entered the expansive and gorgeous tasting room, we were greeted by Lane Hewett. Lane is Rivauras’ Assistant Winemaker and Operations Manager. It’s always a treat to experience a tasting with a wine expert who actually created the wine! Lane provided us with historical information about his family and how Rivaura came to be. Lane’s cousin Vince Hewitt, is also an assistant winemaker at Rivaura. He focuses on plant and soil science as well as biochemistry aspects associated with winemaking. Lane then took us through an impressive list of wines that exhibited quality, complexity, elegance and approachability. The tasting included 9 delicious wines.
The Wine
Our tasting started with the 2019 Viognier. It exhibited delicious and fruity aromatics and a fresh and crisp mouthfeel filled with pear, citrus and stone. Next we dove into the red wines. The 2019 Grenache was followed by the 2019 River Ranch Red – a Cabernet Sauvignon-dominant Bordeaux style blend. The 2019 Syrah, while young was approachable and filled with dark fruit notes. It was followed by the 2019 Cabernet Sauvignon and the 2019 Malbec. A recurring signature/theme I noted was the subtle minerality or hints of wet stone from many of the wines. This attribute was obviously imparted by the rocky soils of the estate vineyards.
My wife’s favorite, the 2019 Reserve Blend Insomniac (another Cab-dominant Bordeaux style blend) was really delicious. My favorite however, was the 2019 Reserve Cabernet Sauvignon. We ended our tasting with the Reserve Syrah, reminiscent of a Rocks District Syrah, it was also very nice. At the end, we snagged a bottle of the Insomniac, the Reserve Cab, and a logo’d/stemmed wineglass as well!
Again, the amazing spectrum of wines, their high quality, and the QPR were fantastic. Thank you Lane, for the great tasting and historical insights you provided. This is what the AWC Idaho Experience is all about! We highly recommend Rivaura the next time you travel to the Lewis-Clark Valley AVA.
Colter’s Creek Winery
Our 4th tasting was at Colter’s Creek Winery, a small production operation of immense quality! Their story is inspiring, from Colter’s Creek roots in the 1980’s until approximately 25 years later in 2007. That’s when Melissa Sanborn and Mike Pearson bought the land and reinvigorated an abandoned vineyard. 15 years later, as they continue to grow, Melissa makes the wine and Mike takes care of the vines. Colter’s Creek Winery was just a quick 10 minute drive from Rivaura, up Highway 2 along the Potlatch River.
Located on Main Street in downtown Juliaetta, Idaho, Colter’s Creek tasting room stands out. With a rustic, urban vibe and a delicious menu of appetizers and entrees, Colter’s Creek was perfect. It was around 2:30 pm and we were hungry for a bite. We were greeted by Sarah Smith, the Tasting Room Manager AND Chef! Sarah was very accommodating, and she made our visit really enjoyable. From the food, to the wine, we were treated like royalty. We will focus on the wine here, but later in the blog we’ll show the grub!
The Wine
Sarah guided us through a tasting of 9 small-lot, Estate red wines. Our 1st wine was the 2018 Arrow Rim GSM. It exhibited approachability and nice balance at an amazing price. Next was the 2019 Estate Red Wine “Renegade”. This was a GSM with 20% Cinsault added to the blend. Our sample of the 2018 Estate Syrah known as “Fondo” was really enjoyable. This was followed by the peppery/spicy 2018 Rocinante, a red blend of Mourvèdre, Cinsault, Grenache and Malbec. The 2019 Tempranillo exhibited medium body and nice fruit.
Next we tasted the 2019 Kooskooskia Red, a Cabernet Sauvignon-dominant Bordeaux style blend. The aromatics were beautiful and the mouthfeel was amazing. My wife absolutely loved this wine, as did I. The 2018 Cabernet Franc was also outstanding offering nice balance, beautiful fruit and a velvety finish. The final two wines came from Colter’s higher-end “Expedition Series” of wines, and they delivered! Both the 2019 Cabernet Sauvignon-Merlot blend and the 2019 Petit Verdot were off-the-charts. Quality, flavor, aromatics, balance, mouthfeel, finish, and bottle price were simply unbelievable.
With prices ranging from $20 to $40 (high-end), this winery exemplifies everything we experienced in one visit. Colter’s Creek has it all. Great people, inviting and comfortable ambiance, delicious food and fantastic wines! It’s wine escapades like this that make the AWC Idaho Experience everything we imagined it would be. On our way out, we bought 2 bottles each of the Expedition Series wines and 6 bottles of the Kooskooskia Red. As a bonus, we also scored a logo’d/stemmed wineglass to help bolster our growing collection! Thank you Sarah and Cheers from AWC!
Basalt Cellars
Our 5th and final tasting of the day was at Basalt Cellars. It is one of the more established wineries of the Lewis-Clark Valley AVA. Located in Clarkston, Washington, it was founded in 2003 by co-owners/founders Rick Wasem and Lynn DeVleming. Rick is the winemaker. Much of their fruit is sourced from upper echelon vineyards in Washington State. Some fruit also comes from the Basalt Estate Vineyards in the Lewis-Clark Valley AVA. Depending on the wine, their barrel program focuses on French oak with aging durations between 18 and 30 months.
As is the case nearly everywhere we went, the diverse spectrum of wines and varietals was impressive. Over the years, Basalt Cellars has been the recipient of awards and accolades from Wine Enthusiast to international wine competitions. They’ve received 10 Platinums, 16 Double Golds, 27 Golds and had 8 of their wines rated 90+. With this pedigree, we were excited to finish out our Friday evening at Basalt Cellars. As we walked into the tasting room, we were greeted by Leisha Evangelho. She was engaging and informative as she guided us through the tasting.
The Wine
We started out by tasting the 2018 GSM. Sourced from the Columbia Valley AVA this baby was 15.2% abv but was balanced with delicious fruit. Next we tasted the 2017 Cabernet Franc. It was medium bodied with hints of both dark and red fruit. This was followed by the 2017 Columbia Valley Cabernet Sauvignon. While this was a bit of a “lighter” Cab, it was delicious and complex. Each sip left you wanting more. Notes of wood, vanilla, and baked dark fruit highlighted my experience with this wine. Finally, we were treated to a taste of the 2018 Dessert wine, a ruby, port-style wine. Sourced from the Yakima Valley AVA, it was crafted from Syrah and Petit Verdot. With 10% residual sugar and 18.5% abv, this wine was an absolute must-buy for the quintessential cigar pairing.
Our experience was very enjoyable, and Leisha gave us some great advice for dinner as well. As a bonus, I was able to buy another logo’d/stemmed wineglass for my collection. We ended up walking away with a 2018 GSM, a 2017 Cabernet Sauvignon, and 2 of the Dessert wines. It was a great way to end the 1st day of the AWC Idaho Experience. Thank you Leisha for an outstanding tasting!
Vine 46
Our 6th (and last) wine tasting of the weekend occurred late in the morning on Saturday, March 5th. This next winery was the recipient of Wine Press Northwest’s 2021 Idaho Winery of the Year award! Closing out our list, we visited Vine 46. A small-production, boutique winery created by two couples with a passion for wine. Jeff and Barb Ebel, along with Mike and Coda Yates, decided to form Vine 46. Jeff and Mike are considered a wine-making duo as they are both head-winemakers. The tasting room is located on Main Street in downtown Lewiston, Idaho, smack in the middle of Newberry Square.
They source most of their fruit from Rosebud Vineyards in the Wahluke Slope AVA. While Vine 46 is relatively new, Jeff and Mike’s experiences in the wine industry have been percolating for years! As was the case for every winery we visited, wine diversity and QPR were standout characteristics. As we walked into the tasting room, we were greeted by Barb Ebel who guided our tasting. There were 5 wines we would taste before it was over.
The Wine
We started with the 2017 Carménère. At 13.7% abv, this wine exhibited hints of minerality and subtle notes of green bell pepper. Next was the 2017 Cabernet Sauvignon. This wine came in at 14.8% abv. Unfortunately, nearly all the wines came straight out of the refrigerator and were served cold. Very cold. I estimated the temperature between 46-52 °F. This was unusually cold for serving reds, and it dampened our ability to discriminate the flavor nuances.
However, for this next wine, it actually worked quite well. We tasted the 2017 GMT, and this wine did indeed pop out to us. Barb mentioned that she prefers serving this Grenache, Mourvèdre, Tempranillo blend chilled. We really enjoyed this baby. At 14.9% abv, this unique blend was really delicious. The 2015 Sangiovese came in at 15.0% abv and exhibited enticing aromas even when cold. The characteristic acidity, tart red fruit and hints of spice all came through. The final wine was the 2016 Petit Verdot. At 14.0% abv, this wine offered vanilla, spice and dark fruit on the palate.
Bottle prices ranged from $24 to $38 even across older 2015 and 2016 vintages. We ended up purchasing two bottles of the 2017 GMT and 2 of the 2017 Cabernet Sauvignon. It was a nice way to wrap up the AWC Idaho Experience. Now, as our hunger began to grow, we decided to splurge with some Italian cuisine.
Lewiston-Clarkston Cuisine
The AWC Idaho Experience wouldn’t be complete without information about the food. Being in a new place, without knowledge of what’s good and bad, requires research and some risk. On our 1st day in the Lewis-Clark Valley, we asked our winery hosts for recommendations. For lunch, the obvious choice was our 4th stop – Colter’s Creek Winery in Juliaetta. This was the only tasting room offering food. By the time we arrived, we were enjoying a late lunch. But it was worth the wait. After finishing our tasting (recall the 9 wines from earlier), we were pretty hungry. So we ordered some Marcona almonds, roasted in olive oil with sea salt. Then we had house-made rustic bread with Castelines extra virgin olive oil. Finally, we enjoyed fried porkchop sliders. They were crafted with house-made buns, tamarind honey sauce, thyme aioli, freshly pickled cucumber, and sweet pickled jalapeño.
Friday Night Dinner
For dinner, the unanimous choice, across the board was to visit Sauté on 6th. Located in Clarkston, this restaurant has a modern, urban-underground-type ambiance. We arrived around 6pm and without reservations we were seated almost immediately. It was Friday night too. My wife was still full from the late lunch so she opted for some French press coffee and dessert. Her dessert was a baked Apple Galette with vanilla bean ice cream and caramel drizzle. I however, was ready to re-enact the last supper. I ordered a marinated and roasted rack of lamb, with a balsamic drizzle. It also came with goat cheese, roasted red peppers, garlic mashed-potato cake, and broccolini. My libation of choice was a glass of Drumheller Cabernet Sauvignon. The food was delicious, and we slept like babies.
Saturday’s Italian Lunch
On Saturday, after our final tasting, we grabbed some lunch before embarking on our 3 hour drive home. Our winery host at Vine 46 recommended Tomato Bros. for some Italian cuisine. This was a great call indeed. Billed as an Italian Steakhouse, their menu was extensive and delicious. As we sat in our booth, our server gave us crayons to satisfy our artistic talents. For libations, my wife ordered a Mango-infused Cadillac margarita, and I had a glass of the Lyndsay Creek Vineyards Valley Red. This wine was really delicious. It paired perfectly with the appetizers and entrees we ordered.
For appetizers, my wife enjoyed the beer-battered fried zucchini with ranch dressing. I had the crispy deep-fried calamari rings with garlic aioli. Next, my wife had a garden salad and I enjoyed a bowl of the Tuscan Kale Sausage soup. It was to die for! These plates were accompanied by a hot Sourdough Baguette with garlic butter. Finally, she had the Spaghetti Marinara while I had Four Cheese Ravioli in a pesto cream sauce. Not pictured here is the Tiramisu I had at the end. It was over the top, but I couldn’t say no!
This is living the Good Life! This is how it all went down during the AWC Idaho Experience. I hope you enjoyed our story, and thanks for tuning in. Until next time, and Cheers from AWC!
