5 Must-Visit Wineries in Boise, Idaho

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There’s no shortage of good food and drinking spots in Boise, Idaho. This small city is a great place to visit for foodies looking for something unique and fun to do. We particularly love wine tasting in Boise. So in this post, I will share my list of 5 must-visit wineries in Boise.

The Snake River Valley AVA, which is the main AVA that Boise’s wineries fall into, was formed in 2007 and encompasses a large area in Southwestern Idaho and two counties in eastern Oregon. The AVA currently has 15 wineries, both urban and rural.

Cinder Winery

The wineries we visited were located close to the Boise downtown core in an area called District 44, making them very convenient to visit, even if you don’t have a rental car, or want to take a taxi there and back to avoid driving.

Helpful Tips for Visiting Boise Wineries

  • These 5 wineries are all within walking distance, albeit a bit of a hike. From Cinder Winery to Coiled Wines is 1.4 miles, or about a 30 minute walk.
  • We started our day at Cinder at 11am (the only one that opens that early), and finished around 2pm at Coiled. You could get through them slightly faster, or take even longer, if you hang out and enjoy yourself.
  • You won’t find any food at the wineries, so when you’re ready for a lunch refueling, try the Sandbar Patio Bar & Grill or Joe’s Crab Shack, next to Telaya. We also found a couple of taco trucks parked in Garden City.
  • Be sure to visit Boise’s breweries as well, which are located both in Garden City and downtown. We also have recommendations for restaurants and bars in Boise, for after your tasting session.

Boise Wineries to Visit

Cinder

Cinder Winery (Photo: Savored Journeys)
Cinder Winery (Photo: Savored Journeys)

We started our day at Cinder, because it opens the earliest of the five wineries, at 11am, plus they have quite a few white wines, which we like to try early on. It was a fantastic way to start our tour of the District 44 wineries. 

Our pourer knew all about the wines and was eager and happy to discuss them with us, which is often what makes me love a winery experience. The tasting room is a huge warehouse, but it’s decorated so well that you’d think you were in an ultra-modern bar downtown.

To serve their white wines at the perfect temperature and preserve flavor, they use a keg system, which seems to be catching on among Boise wineries. They have an off-dry Riesling, a Rose, Chardonnay, a dry Viognier and an off-dry Viognier.

You might just fall in love with them all! We did. A bottle of the dry Voignier and the Small Lot Series Merlot made it into our luggage for the trip back.

Hours: Open Monday-Saturday, 11am-6pm (8pm on Friday); closed on Sunday Address: 107 East 44th Street, Garden City, Idaho 83714 | Phone (208) 376-4023 | Website

Split Rail Winery

split rail winery

Split Rail Winery shares a tasting room that once was an auto mechanic’s garage. The wines they have for sale are all listed on the chalkboard at the back of the tasting room, and the tasting notes give hints about what they’re currently pouring. They focus on innovative wines and try not to make the same wine twice.

Along with the bottled wines, there is a second label called Strange Folk that is 100% kegged wine that you can buy in 750ml growlers for $12. They also sell two of their wines in cans. Each can is equal to about 1/2 bottle of wine. You can do a tasting of their available wines for $8. No appointment is necessary.

Two of the Strange Folk wines can now be found in the can!
Two of the Strange Folk wines can now be found in the can! (Photo: Savored Journeys)

The art on the can is fabulous, as is all of their label art work. (Check out the Laser Fox and the Horned Beast wine labels for proof.) If you don’t find at least a few wines here you love, I will be surprised.

Hours: Noon-6pm (8pm on Fridays), Wednesday-Sunday Address: 4338 W Chinden Blvd, Garden City, ID 83714 | (208) 490-0681 | Website

Telaya Wine Co.

Telaya winery
Telaya Wineries great new indoor and outdoor tasting room (Photo: Savored Journeys)

You wouldn’t know it when you turn onto 32nd street, but Telaya Wine Company has a beautiful facility right alongside the Boise River and the Boise River Greenbelt.

Aside from the fact that the building itself is stunning, there is a very nice, relaxing outdoor patio where you can sit and enjoy your tasting, or even just purchase a glass of wine and hang out. And there’s tons of space both upstairs and downstairs.

They have a great line up of wines including a Semillon that I found particularly tasty, a Chardonnay, a Cabernet Sauvignon and a Mourvedre. Plenty of choices. We happened to be doing our tasting with someone who didn’t care for red wine and they were able to easily accommodate her with their white wines.

Hours: Monday 12pm-7:30pm, Tues-Sun 12pm-6pm 240 E 32nd St, Garden City, ID 83714 | (208) 557-9463 | Website

Coiled Wines

Coiled Winery

One of our favorite wineries in Boise is Coiled. They have two tasting rooms. One is located among the other wineries on Chilton Blvd and the other is located downtown. You can visit either, though they both have different opening hours (so be sure to check first).

The staff is very proficient, rushing around with bottles, expertly remembering where in the line up everyone was, and always pouring with a smile. 

I particularly love their Syrah. No surprise, because Coiled focuses heavily on Syrah and Syrah-blend wines. Their wines (and the winery itself) is named for the Snake River AVA, where all (most) of their grapes come from.

They have a dry Riesling, a Syrah blend called Sidewinder , a Petit Verdot blend called Black Mamba a unique sparkling brut Riesling called Rizza, a Chablis-style Chardonnay, and a Petite Sirah from grapes grown in Calistoga, CA.

Hours: Noon-6pm, Thurs-Sun Address: 3408 W. Chinden Blvd. Garden City, Idaho 83714 | (208) 820-8466 | Website Downtown tasting bar: 813 W. Bannock St, Open Tues to Sat 3pm – 10pm

Potter Wines

Potter Wine's Jalapeno wine lemonade in a convenient pouch.
Potter Wine’s Jalapeno wine lemonade in a convenient pouch. (Photo: Savored Journeys)

The star of this winery is their Jalapeno Wine that’s just the right kind of spicy. Yes, it has a kick, but in a good way. Their jalapeno wine lemonade, which is sold in a pouch, is incredibly good. It’s a bit less spicy than the wine, and is the perfect unique drink to take to a barbecue or summer party.

The Potter Wines tasting room is located on Chinden Blvd. They have been making wine since 2012 (and as a hobby since 2007), but the tasting room opened in 2018. They make more than just jalapeno wine, so you’ll want to drop by their tasting room for a sample of their Cabernet, Syrah, and Chardonnay. 

Hours: Mon-Wed by appointment; Thurs 2pm-7pm, Fri 2pm-7:30pm; Sat 11am-7:30pm; Sun 12pm-5pm Address: 5286 W Chinden Blvd, Garden City, ID 83714 | Website

CONCLUSION

There are more wineries to visit in Boise, Idaho, than just these 5 in Garden City. You’ll have to go a bit farther afield to get to them, but you will be rewarded with a more rural experience along the Snake River. The most notable in that area are Ste. Chapelle Winery, Sawtooth Winery, and Snake River Winery, though there are a handful of others.

We were able to try many, if not all of those wines at the Savor Idaho food and wine event (watch our video of the event) that we attended in Boise, but to visit the wineries themselves will have to wait for another day. For such a new AVA, the Snake River Valley is producing some really great wine and putting Idaho wineries on the map.

Where to Stay in Boise

Hotel 43 in Boise, Idaho
Hotel 43 in Boise, Idaho

If you’re planning a wine or beer trip to Boise, or just want to check out the incredible food this area has to offer, we recommend staying in the Downtown area to keep things simple. You can walk to a number of wineries and breweries, and dozens of restaurants from the boutique Hotel 43, on Grove Street. Not only is the location great, but the rooms are classy and nice and the service is great.

Read reviews on Trip Advisor. Book a stay on Expedia.

(Thank you to Southwest Idaho Travel Association (SWITA) for inviting us to visit Boise, Idaho, and sponsoring our trip. As always, all of the opinions and thoughts shared here are our own.)

5 Must-Visit Wineries in Boise, Idaho

14 thoughts on “5 Must-Visit Wineries in Boise, Idaho

  1. Kim-Ling says:

    I’d love to do a winery tour some time! We’ve got some lovely wineries around us, but I never think to organise a tour. These sound lovely and great that they are within walking distance of each other, as that is one of the issues with winery tours – someone has to be the designated driver (which normally is me!). Good tip about the food (or lack thereof). What was the food like there? Any favourites for refuelling, or is it better to bring a packed picnic?

  2. noel says:

    Ooooh my types of wines, I love rose, Viognier and Reisling so this would be a fun way of exploring the area – now I need to get to Boise and also that amazing food festival.

  3. Sia says:

    It is the first time that I see wine in cans, that’s interesting! I liked the last one Coiled Wines the best based on appearance – the design and branding is always what catches my eye and interest first,

  4. Natalie Deduck says:

    Wine Tasting starting from 11 am!! Love it!!
    And the wines in cans looks fabulous, the labels are so funky! Such an interesting and modern twist given to the traditional wine industry.
    Happy Travels,

    Nat

  5. Mar Pages says:

    I love the packaging design from the Split Rail Winery! Thats an interesting and appropriate development to have wine in cans. Maybe we can see them in convenience stores next 😉

  6. Janna on a Jaunt (@jannaonajaunt) says:

    I was just in Napa Valley earlier this year and I thoroughly enjoyed it even though I’m not a big wine drinker. I didn’t know they have wineries in Boise too. That’s awesome!!

  7. Mags says:

    Wow! This was a really surprising read. I love visiting wineries when I travel too, but I never would have thought you could find so many in Boise!

  8. Vicky and Buddy says:

    I must admit, wine doesn’t come to mind when I think of Idaho. But it’s great to know that Boise has so many (and within walking distance!). I’d love to try the sparkling Reisling at Coiled!

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