Article by Kurt Orzeck
Head all the way west on the Greenbelt to where the City of Boise’s jurisdiction ends, and you will see a sign that reads: “Welcome to Garden City, Nestled by the River.” Walk one-third of a mile from there, and you will make another discovery: a cluster of about a dozen wineries and breweries that are, themselves, in a four-block area. It’s yet another sign of growth in Boise and its environs: A stretch of the Greenbelt that previously featured only a few restaurants, a couple of hotels, and one or two wineries is now a notable destination for recreation in the area. Along with the increased popularity of the Boise River’s two surf-able waves—among participants and spectators alike—and e-scooters and e-bikes making it even easier to enjoy the Greenbelt, the stretch’s facelift is irrefutable.
Among the younger set and retirees—and, frankly, everyone else in the middle of those two groups—the wineries and breweries are the biggest draw to the red-hot spot. Coworkers congregate there for Friday happy hours. Packs of friends hop from one winery or brewery to the next on the weekends. Tourists congregate to sip away an hour or two. But what, exactly, makes this particular half-mile stretch of the Greenbelt and its side streets so appealing to the owners of wineries and breweries? LifeStyle touched base with owners, operators, managers, and/or board members of the smattering of wineries and breweries—and received a different, personalized response from each one.