Issue link: https://read.dmtmag.com/i/764739
5 0 V I N E YA R D & W I N E RY M A N A G E M E N T | J a n - F e b 2 017 w w w. v w m m e d i a . c o m At one of the newest vineyards in Idaho, Scoria (named for the volcanic rock in its soil), owner S y d n e y We i t z N e d e r e n d c u t a deal with her mint farmer parents to grow grapes on their farmland on a high ridge overlooking the Snake River. In 2014, she planted nine acres of Malbec and Petit Verdot, with the intention of even- tually expanding her acreage to 100. Winemakers Greg Koenig of Koenig Vineyards and Earl Sullivan from Telaya Wine Co. are making two distinctive Malbec wines from Scoria's 2016 vintage. Such an arrangement might give other winery owners ground envy — Tim Harless, for one. Har- less, who, with his wife, Helen, owns Hat Ranch Winery, made a big splash with his 2012 vintage Malbec, winning most recently the Silver Medal in the San Francisco Chronicle's 2016 Wine Competi- there are the day-to-night tempera- ture fluctuations that Malbec loves. Summer temperatures hovering at more than 100 degrees may drop by as many as 50 degrees at night. "One of the biggest things we have going for us in Idaho is warm days and cool nights," says Shelley Bennett, community relations man- ager for the Idaho Wine Commis- sion. "This lets grapes ripen while keeping acid levels even. In the winter, it gets cold, so it's a natural dormant phase for our grapes. It can help with cutting off diseases before they start." While extreme lows in the win- ter offer the advantage of killing all pests, those frigid temperatures necessitate the planting of own- rooted vines. If Malbec vines were on root stock, the occasional Idaho deep freeze would kill everything above ground, leaving only the root stock alive. tion. His highly regarded 2011 and 2012 Malbecs were made with purchased grapes. But then the unthinkable happened. "We didn't get any in 2013 and not this year, either," says Harless. With his own vineyard ground dedi- cated to Dry Moscato, Sauvignon Blanc, Cabernet Franc and Caber- net Sauvignon, his hands were tied. Fortunately, Harless did manage to contract with a nearby grower for next year and beyond. "It's catching on," he says. "I think at this point it's a matter of getting the grape in your winery so you can actually make the wine!" Although some Idaho wineries buy Malbec grapes from Washing- ton, Harless says he's never bought grapes from another state. "We want to keep it local," he says. Harless made the interesting observation that Idaho's Snake River Valley AVA is at nearly the same lati- tude as Cahors, France, where the Malbec grape was first grown by the Romans. Caldwell is at the 43rd parallel; Cahors is at the 44th. Tim and Helen Harless, owners of Hat Ranch Winery only purchases Malbec grapes from Idaho.