Approximate location of the Eagle Foothills AVA
Welcome to the world, Eagle Foothills AVA!
The Eagle Foothills AVA, which was announced via a notice by the TTB on November 25, 2015, is officially the first AVA to be located entirely within the State of Idaho, effective today—December 28th, 2015.
While serious students of wine will note that Idaho already has an AVA within its boundaries—the large Snake River Valley AVA—a portion of that AVA is shared with the state of Oregon. The Eagle Foothills AVA is the first AVA Idaho can claim solely for itself.
The new AVA, located entirely within the Snake River Valley AVA, is spread across approximately 50,000 acres of land. Tucked up against the eastern edge of the Snake River Valley AVA, the southern border is located approximately 25 miles north/northwest of Boise, Idaho’s capital city. The new AVA encompasses the area between the towns of Eagle (to the south) and Emmett (to the north) in Gem and Ada counties.
A main feature of the Eagle Foohthills AVA is its proximity to Prospect Peak, a mountain in the Snake River Range that reaches over 4,800 feet in elevation. The hills that form the best vineyard areas in the AVA are south-facing slopes that enjoy afternoon sunshine coupled with evening shade.
The Snake River near the Idaho/Oregon border
The climate is cool overall, thanks in part to the elevation, along with the down-sloping winds coming off the mountains and foothills. These combine to make the climate in the Eagle Peak AVA significantly cooler than the surrounding area. The degree days at 3 Horse Ranch Vineyard (currently the only winery operating in the new AVA) average 2,418—making this a Region I area according to the Winkler Scale.
There are currently just over 70 acres planted to vine, with a total of 16 vineyards in the area. There are plans for more than 450 additional planted acres in the near future. Grapes planted in the area include Merlot, Cabernet Franc, Malbec, Petit Verdot, Syrah, Grenache, Mourvèdre, Pinot Gris, Chardonnay, Viognier, Roussanne, and Sauvignon Blanc.
The establishment of the Eagle Foothills AVA is a credit to Martha Cunningham, co-owner (along with her husband, Gary) of 3 Horse Ranch Vineyard. The Cunninghams bought their ranch and began planting grapes nearly two decades ago. A few years ago, Martha happened to read a suitability analysis written by Dr. Greg Jones of Southern Oregon University for the Idaho Wine Commission. She realized the area in the Eagle Foothills had a unique terroir, and with the help of Dr. Jones and Dr. Clyde Northup (of Boise State University) filed the original AVA Petition in February of 2013.
The Eagle Foothills AVA is the fourth new AVA to be established in 2015. Do you know the other three?
Post authored by Jane A. Nickles, CWE, CSE – your blog administrator
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