The AVA Snake River Valley starts marketing campaign

A team of analysts led by winegrower Ron Bitner and climatologist Gregory Jones has campaigned for this support. “Through our work, we have identified cooler and warmer zones and we have divided the Snake River Valley into terroir zones. On this basis, the producers now have the chance to produce better qualities,” explains Ron Bitner. “You have distinct seasons in the Snake River Valley – which is known for hot summer days and cool nights - and therefore provides ideal conditions for winegrowing. The partly volcanic and partly sandy loam soils are perfectly suited for many red and white grape varieties.”

“This financial aid will help to bring the wines from the Snake River Valley to the attention of a broader range of customers,” says Gregory Jones. At the same time, another team is working on a joint logo and presentation of the winegrowing area, which will be introduced to customers on the new joint website as early as mid-September.

Bitner and Jones have worked on the fine-tuning of their comprehensive findings in cooperation with the Whitman College and Boise State University. They investigated the climate, topography, and soils in relation to each other to make recommendations for individual grape varieties. The area is particularly known for the grape varieties Riesling, Syrah, Viognier and Malbec. Idaho’s 41 wine estates, many of which are located in the Snake River valley, cultivate a total of 730 hectares.

However, the history of winegrowing in the Snake River Valley dates back to the middle of the 18th century. According the historical documents, some of the first grapes were planted by German and French settlers at that time. Wine was even produced during Prohibition. However, it was not until the early 1970’s when different grape varieties were the subjects of experiements. Most recently, producers and wines from the Snake River Valley Wine Region have been widely recognized by wine critics and the number of award winning wines increased. (aw.yoopress)