Lewiston, Idaho, and Clarkston, Washington, face each other across the Snake River and a jet boat up Hell’s Canyon is a must when visiting. Here they grow Bordeaux and Rhone varietals. Lewis-Clark Valley sits on the border between Washington and Idaho at the base of Idaho’s agricultural palouses (land) and Washington’s high desert. Several wineries have been singled out for excellence, including Northwest Wine Press’ 2020 Pacific Northwest Winery of the Year, Clearwater Canyon Cellars, and Idaho’s Winery of the Year, Colter’s Creek. Dedicated winemakers have sought out this region for its unique terrain and weather that allows a slow ripening season, adequate water, and many sunny days.
This is an emerging destination for winemaking and combines the best of all worlds. Idaho is just being discovered as a center of wine growing, but already the fairly new Lewis-Clark Valley American Viticultural Area (AVA) has been highly praised by the wine press.