November 7, 2023 by Jim Thomssen
UPDATED: July 31, 2024 at 7:29 a.m.GARDEN CITY, Idaho — Take a look at a map of the Snake River Valley in Idaho and you’ll see five cities creeping closer together, a reflection of the fastest-growing state in the country five years straight from 2017 to 2021.
Nampa and Caldwell stretch west along the interstate while Boise, Eagle, and Meridian merge toward the Boise River, the state Capitol and Boise State University.
What may not be quite so obvious is one of the Pacific Northwest’s best destinations for exploring wine — Garden City.
As people are looking for the authentic winery experience closer to home, at least eight great options in Garden City present themselves. The Garden City experience is underscored by meeting the winemakers and sampling their wines without driving to the closest vineyards — 25 miles away.
“There’s a vibe of being in Garden City,” says Joe Schnerr, who owns Cinder Wines with his winemaking wife, Boise native Melanie Krause. “It’s funky; the people have bootstrapped their wineries, and you are probably going to meet the winemaker or the owners or at least the assistant winemaker in the building. That’s pretty cool, and you don’t get that a lot at other places in the Northwest.”
Between the Boise Bench and its namesake river, Garden City has morphed into a 4-square mile enclave of coolness tucked in the hip pocket of its larger neighbors. It offers something for anyone — surfing, paddling, summer rafting, cycling, jogging, shopping, dining, snacking, drinking, ax throwing, even staycationing for those in Idaho’s capital city.