Idaho Wine Industry Dealing With Covid-19

A couple of the many things that farmers know about are patience and planning. With wine; grapes have to grow, be tended, harvested and then made into the finished product before there is any retail transaction. If farming was to stop, many of us would feel effects very quickly. The Idaho Press interviewed Mike Williamson and other wine industry leaders to get an idea of what effects the Covid-19 virus was having on both the wine growing and retail side of wine industry.

See the full story here

Roast Lamb and Vegetables

What better way to warm hearts and home this winter than with this simple and delicious sheet pan meal. If you haven’t noticed, cooking a meal completely on one sheet pan is the new trend. We say, anything that means less dishes to wash is alright in our books. Since this cooks in the oven, it’ll warm your kitchen and fill your house with delectable fragrance. Save this meal for a cold and blustery day and you’ll be delighted with the result. Our 2016 Petite Sirah has all the right bright fruit and mouthwatering pepper to be the perfect foil against the fat in the lamb and the umami flavors in the olives and tomatoes.

Ingredients
Serves 4 – 5

  • 2 1/2 pound boneless leg of lamb roast
  • 1 Tablespoon dijon mustard
  • 2 teaspoons chopped fresh rosemary
  • 1 teaspoon dried oregano
  • 1 teaspoon salt divided
  • ½ teaspoon onion powder
  • ½ teaspoon black pepper
  • 12 small white potatoes halved
  • 1 red onion cut into wedges
  • 1 pound items from olive bar – black & green olives, cherry peppers, sun dried tomatoes, roasted garlic, etc.
  • 1 pound tomatoes on the vine or grape or cherry tomatoes
  • 1 lemon thinly sliced
  • 2 Tablespoons olive oil

Instructions

  1. Preheat oven to 375-degrees.
  2. Arrange potatoes, red onion, olive bar items, tomatoes and sliced lemon on a rimmed sheet pan. Drizzle with olive oil and ½ teaspoon salt. Toss to combine.
  3. Combine ½ teaspoon salt, with Dijon mustard, rosemary, oregano, onion powder and black pepper. Rub this mixture over the lamb roast.
  4. Roast until an instant-read thermometer registers 125°F to 130°F for medium rare, 60 – 75 minutes, or 130°F to 135°F for medium, 75-90 minutes. Transfer the lamb to a cutting board and let it rest for 10 minutes before carving.
Enjoy!

April Promotion

Save The Bees!

The Williamson family has farmed in this valley for 4 generations and have relied on our native pollinators for the health and success of our orchards and vineyards. Help us help Pollinator Partnership in their mission to promote the health of pollinators (not just Honey Bees) through conservation, education and research.

  Donate at least $1 to our Save The Bees program and receive an extra wine sample. 
*Promotion is valid only with the purchase of 5 wine samples for $5.

SavorNW Wine Competition

Savor NW Wine Competition is an annual wine competition held annually in February which showcases the best of Northwest wines. It is one of the largest wine awards programs open to all commercial wineries in the Pacific Northwest. We’re so proud to be in the Snake River Valley AVA with all the wonderful wineries in it. Go Idaho!

2014 Reserve Petite Sirah – Gold
2017 Dry Riesling – Gold
2016 Malbec – Silver
2016 Sangiovese – Silver

To see the list of winners and competitors, follow this link.


2019 West Coast Wine Competition

This wine competition was established in 1982 and the West Coast Wine Competition has annually recognized wines produced and bottled in the West. So naturally we were thrilled that the two wines we entered received awards. Our 2016 Malbec received a Double Gold-93pt. and Best of Class, excellent for a first vintage wine. To add to our excitement, we received a Gold-92pt. for our 2017 Dry Riesling. Both of these delicious wines are available in our tasting room.

Follow this link for more details of the competition.

 


October Promotion

BETTER WITH AGE
Complimentary wine tasting for guests 55 years of age and over during the month of October!

We appreciate our customers the same way we appreciate a fine wine – aged to perfection! Here at Williamson’s we have found that guests from the 1963 (or before) vintage are often very bright, bold, smooth and refined. So we encourage any of our prestigious followers to come visit us for a complimentary tasting.

Promotion excludes groups of ten or more people.

 (Please be prepared to show identification for age verification.)


2018 Winemaker’s Dinner

 

Our second annual Winemaker’s Dinner was held September 21st and was an enchanting evening of perfect weather, a beautiful sunset and delicious food. Our winemaker, Greg Koenig, and chef, Aaron Horsewood, made the night an event to remember by speaking to the guests about how the wine and food complemented each other. The highlight of the evening for Williamson Vineyards was the release of our first vintage of Malbec.


Hosting Wine Industry Bootcamp

 

The Idaho Wine Commission hosted a Wine Industry Bootcamp on September 24th and 25th.  The purpose of the bootcamp was to introduce local wine stewards, restaurant staff, media, and tourism agencies to Idaho wineries and educate them about the Snake River Valley AVA. The bootcamp started bright and early  with a stop in our vineyard. We greeted the campers with croissants and a glass of Riesling. After a few moments of introduction, we plunged into the rows of grapes to talk about our growing practices and pick grapes. While Mike and Patrick discussed soils and brix levels, guests got to sip on 2014 Cabernet Sauvignon and the brand new 2016 Malbec. Click here for full article.


Meet our newest wine!

2016 Malbec

We planted our block of Malbec vines in 2014. Our first vintage, harvested from vines at two years of age, is an epic wine. This full-bodied red wine has a beautiful deep ruby color that is surpassed only by the intoxicating aromas of Marionberry and leather. Bright flavors of dark cherry and plum evolve to berry bramble on the mid-palate and finishes with balanced tannins of earth and smoke. We’re pleased to present this unique wine at $25.00 a bottle. Available now in the tasting room!