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Idaho wine: travel guide and eight top bottles worth seeking out

Katie Kelly Bell explores five off-the-beaten-track US wine states and provides a travel guide to help you explore the freewheeling spirit of American winemaking in these less-famous wine regions, starting with Idaho. And Stacy Slinkard picks out a selection of Idaho wines to try.

America’s big-name wine states – California, Washington, Oregon, New York and Virginia – are well known to wine lovers. But smaller (though no less quality-driven) appellations in Idaho, Colorado, Texas, North Carolina and Michigan are among other exciting US wine destinations worth exploring.


Scroll down to see tasting notes and scores for Stacy Slinkard’s pick of Idaho wines to try


While vastly different, these less-famous wine states share some important universal truths. For a start, you won’t find roads clogged with chauffeured limos, and your tasting fees are more likely to be $5 rather than $50 per person. The wineries you’ll visit are almost always intimate, family-run operations, and more often than not the person whose name is on the bottle will be the one pouring you a sample.

Most importantly, the wines will be anything but predictable – expect to find intriguing riffs on less-famous grape varieties such as Malvasia, Lemberger and Dornfelder.

A true taste of America’s entrepreneurial soul is yours to enjoy when you take these wine roads less travelled. First stop, Idaho.


See also: travel guides for Colorado, Texas, North Carolina and Michigan


US road travel map

Credit: Ross Becker/Inkling Illustration


Idaho


Stacy Slinkard’s pick of Idaho wines to try


Related content:

Washington State wineries to visit

American wine tour ideas

California’s San Luis Obispo Coast for wine lovers

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