Potter Wines makes highly drinkable wines that are super easy to enjoy — and fun is definitely the name of the game at Potter’s tasting room! Head there from 3-5 p.m. June 26 for a painting class with The Angry Easel. And no, you don’t need any experience to attend.

Just let the creativity flow (wine helps!). Tickets available for $20 per person through The Angry Easel. 

While you’re there, pick up Potter’s newest releases: A 2021 vintage of The Liquid Lunch, an unoaked Chardonnay, and a seasonal release of the cult-favorite Strawberry Jalapeno Wine Lemonade. The latter is available only through July 4, so be sure to plan ahead. 

Telaya is going all out with back-to-back Idaho-themed events during June. Visitors and newcomers, if you’ve been looking for a crash course in Gem State food and wine, this is your chance!

June 14: Telaya’s regular Tasting Night event will have a special Idaho theme in June, featuring only Idaho wines in celebration of Idaho Wine Month. Tickets are $30 ($15 for members) and include a tasting of five wines and an individual snack box. Tickets are available now on Telaya’s website. 

June 15: Telaya Bites with Kismet Kitchen will feature a Gem State theme, with Telaya winemaker Earl Sullivan and Kismet chef Aaron Wermerskirchen doing the hard work of creating beautiful pairings. This informal and intimate experience will include five two-ounce pours of wine with five Idaho-themed bite-size dishes. Tickets are available now. 

Cinder Wines, owned by husband-wife duo Melanie Krause and Joe Schnerr, was in the first wave of wineries to set up shop in Garden City back in 2008.

Since then, they have been lauded as one of the West’s best urban wineries by Sunset Magazine and wound up on restaurant menus throughout Idaho and beyond. For many local wine lovers, summer just wouldn’t be summer without Cinder’s Dry Viognier or Dry Rosé. Stop by Cinder’s first-come, first-served patio or book a 90-minute tasting for up to six people (charcuterie, cheese and chocolate — or all three — can be added for an extra fee). 

Winemaker Leslie Preston keeps pushing the envelope for Idaho wines: When she introduced Rizza, a sparkling brut Riesling, her first run sold out so quickly that she had to increase production. Using your Savor Idaho Passport, you can get your hands on a 2018 bottle for $30! Here’s what’s going on at Coiled in June.

All Month Long

Use your Savor Idaho Passport to purchase a 2018 Rizza for $30, a 2018 Translations Rosé for $20, or a 2018 Diamondback, SRV (Petit Verdot, Petit Syrah, Syrah) for $34. In addition, Passport holders can take 10 percent off a three-pack and Coiled Club members can take an additional 5 percent off in addition to their regular discount.

New Releases

The newest additions to Coiled’s lineup are available to non-Coiled Club members by the glass or flight. Club members may purchase entire bottles. 

2019 Sidewinder ($30): A classic Idaho Syrah, with loads of smoky meat aromas and dark cherry, cranberry, and pomegranate fruit. 

2019 Black Mamba ($34): Pure Petit Verdot. As Preston says in her tasting notes, “This captivating, inky, and elusive wine had to have a name to match its personality. As the winemaker, I have been as mystified by the following for this wine as I am by the grape itself.”

2019 Merlot ($34): Preston says, “Coiled has never been afraid to champion a great grape and I am thrilled to now have a contract for this Merlot.”

Meriwether is owned and operated by the Leadbetter family, four self-described firefighters, nomads and adventurers. 

Gig, Ann, Kate, and Molly make their cider with Northwest apples and other pure fruit juices. You might find hops, blackberries, or ginger in your cider, but no artificial flavors or essences, and no added sugars. It’s fizzy, refreshing, and delicious. Meriwether is known for its partnerships benefiting the community, such as Jupiter’s Cider, a recent collaboration with the Idaho Black History Museum.

Travis and Mallory Walker met while dancing in a ballet company — hence the name of the winery — and their wines are just as elegant as a pas de deux.

In June, be among the first to taste their 2019 En L’air Red Blend, a mix of Cabernet Sauvignon, Syrah, and Merlot that contains a balance of acid and lush fruit. A portion of the proceeds will go to performing arts education organizations in the community. Also, you’ll now have extra time to spend at Par Terre’s tasting room: The winery has extended its hours until 7:30 p.m. on Fridays and Saturdays for the summer.

Potter Wines are made for fun-loving, adventurous folk — and the owners bill their Garden City space as “Idaho’s most unique winery and tasting room.”

Try the Jalapeno Wine or Chipotle Jalapeno Wine (you read that correctly!), their Minx Cabernet, or their Liquid Lunch Chardonnay. Their GC location is available for drop-in wine tastings, or you can rent out the entire space for a girl’s night out or a birthday party.

Split Rail has made a name for itself with its clever takes on classic wines, like its 2019 Daft Punk Brut Rosé, a dry Sangiovese rosé injected with bubbles.

These wines are made to be enjoyed with friends — Split Rail offers several in cans, perfect for your next backpacking trip — and you can stock up for your summer festivities during June using your Savor Idaho Passport. Split Rail is planning plenty of events in June, so check the winery’s calendar for more info, including start times and tickets. 

Back in the mid-2000s, Telaya owners Earl and Carrie Sullivan walked the beach in Cabo San Lucas and hatched a plan for an ambitious side hustle: a winery. They hoped their new venture, Telaya Wine Co., would eventually blossom into a full-time family business that would allow them to spend time with their kids.

They quickly outgrew their first space and built a gorgeous facility along the Boise River, building a rep among wine lovers for its airy tasting room and spacious patio. But the space is only part of the equation. Telaya’s wines, like its signature Turas, Malbecs, Chardonnays, and Cabernet Sauvignons, repeatedly garner honors. 

Telaya hosts frequent events, and June will be no exception. 

Co-Owner and Business Manager Bre Hovley says this boundary-pushing brewery has recently released an astounding 11 beers that will be available in April. Sour lovers, take note: You won’t want to miss this.

This brewery is beloved for its fun space and wide-ranging offerings — besides beer, Western Collective also sells hard seltzer, coffee, and boozy slushies. But beer lovers will be excited to learn that the brewery’s famous Hazy Series of IPAs is getting a new edition (Volumes 1-4 are currently available).

The brewery also released Roca Jack, a lager IPA with a tropical blend of hops, in March. Keep your eyes open for new slushy flavors, too. Western Collective will have regular events like its Dueling Pianos series throughout April; check out the events calendar for more.

Powderhaus’s Belgian-Style Quad has been aging in Woodford Reserve barrels for a year, taking on layers of whiskey and caramel notes in the process.

The quad is just one of the releases that will be available in April. Look for the Dortmunder, part of a German rotational series featuring German hops, and March releases such as the Dubbel Belgian-Style Beer; Schmidts and Grins, a doppelbock; and Hinterlander, a cold-brew coffee porter. Albertsons purchased the latter three, so keep an eye out in your local store.

This year, Powderhaus is expanding its space and adding a cold room. Check the brewery’s website for events like its Barely Civilized Workshops, where you can grab a beer and learn outdoor skills like knife sharpening.

This brewery is a family affair, and its Garden City taproom is as welcoming as going to your buddy’s for a beer. County Line is known for brews like the Hayride Pale Ale, Ruth’s Lager, and the Slow Draw Oatmeal Stout (now all available in six-packs). Head to the taproom on Wednesdays for County Line’s weekly trivia night or support the brewery by ordering online and popping by for pickup.

Garden City isn’t the only place that will be raising its glasses in April — the whole state is celebrating our hoppy good fortune.

The pandemic has precluded Idaho Craft Beer Month’s annual festival, but never fear! Sign up for a curated beer box featuring unique beers from around the state. Orders will begin April 7 and will last for only a few days, so don’t miss your chance. The beers will be available for pickup (precise location TBA) the week of April 26.

Idaho Brewers United will host a virtual scavenger hunt on its Facebook (@idahobrewers) and Instagram (@idahobrewersunited) accounts in April — win and you could take home a prize pack!

Garden City’s newest brewery launched in December 2020, during the depths of the pandemic, but that hasn’t slowed this all-in-the-family operation down. It’s owned by life and business partners Ed Danti and Greta Mohr. Greta’s son Bud is Twisted District’s brewer and oversees its four tanks.