The booming Boise population creates a growing consumer base for Idaho wines, even as the rampant development puts pressure on farmland prices in the traditional fruit-growing region west of the sprawling metro area.
While wine consumption is on the decline globally, the industry is still growing in the Gem State, Idaho Wine Commission executive director Moya Shatz Dolsby said in her welcome speech to the American Society for Enology and Viticulture, which gathered in Boise June 15–18.
Her organization represents 65 wineries and over 1,350 acres of vineyards across three American Viticultural Areas. Many wineries are located along the Boise River Greenbelt, a popular bike and walking path that draws tourists and locals alike…