About Huston Vineyards
OUR LITTLE CORNER IN THE SNAKE RIVER VALLEY AVA
Huston Vineyards is nestled in a corner of vast farmland, an area with a long, rich agricultural history. The four distinct seasons give way in the spring to blossoming fruit orchards, vineyards and 100 different crops. Our long summer days and dry, cool nights extend into the fall season, providing the optimum harvesting bounty.
The rich, volcanic soil of the Snake River Valley is thousands of years in the making. The area’s farming history is a century-plus success story, with sunshine in abundance, dry, arid conditions, yet with ample water for irrigation from our extensive storage systems. Vineyard plantings in the area took hold in the area around 50 years ago, and the viticulture designation was established in 2007. The relatively young wine region continues to expand, with soil, climate and elevation on par with some of the very finest wine regions worldwide.
“Terroir”, the French term that has no English-language equivalent, is considered the force of a regional character, and the force reveals itself in the area’s best wines. The aroma, texture, and flavor reflect the specific grape variety. There is a complex combination at work in growing the fruit on the vine—involving the soil composition, topography, climate, and other environmental factors. All these nuances of the grape’s particular origin come together, and in the classic tradition of wine making, with patient oak-barrel aging—these nuances of origin are enjoyed right in your glass. Some call it the personality of place.
Here, the warm days ripen the fruit, and cool nights conserve tannins and acids—creating fruit-forward wines with complex structure. Well-draining, rich, volcanic soil and ample water are both key to superb conditions. Along with the positive factors of this environment, you will find the collaboration of dedicated growers and passionate winemakers. We are immersed in the ancient, fascinating process of growing fruit, from bud break to a fermented pour—and love sharing it with our visitors. Huston Vineyards is the perfect entry point to the Sunnyslope Wine Trail. We welcome you to our winery, where you can enjoy our wines in an unpretentious farm setting that is as inviting as the expansive shade of our towering Locust tree. It’s a place with lots of heart, enriched by the sun.
The Alger Family
Raised on Southern Idaho farms, we found the ideal spot to farm, raise our boys, and cultivate a vineyard and wines of distinction on Southwest Idaho’s Chicken Dinner Road, adjacent to Huston, Idaho. Huston Vineyards has made its unique mark amid the collection of notable wineries along the Sunnyslope Wine Trail of the Snake River Valley AVA.
As Huston’s proprietors, we are meticulous in every way, from start to finish, having our fingerprints on everything from pruning sheers to fruit and clone selections, to racking barreling and bottling, from collaborations, to oversight. As members of the Snake River AVA and a popular stop on the Sunnyslope Wine Trail, we are immersed in the Idaho wine industry, and very active participants in fostering the distinct wine experience of the region. This has included participant leadership with the Idaho Wine Commission, local communities in establishing tourism and destination development, and many farm-to-fork dinner events, joining with other local growers. Our relationships and collaborations with area wine industry members have enriched our offerings both from the bottle and with special events.
Our enjoyment and passion is shared in our welcoming winery, located near our farmhouse and adjacent to the vineyards and farm. This platform allows us the opportunity to showcase the beauty of bringing local produce, fruit and proteins grown in the region, and paired with the perfect world-class wine, in order to appreciate the terroir of the local earth, where the fruit begins at the vine, and is finished by the sun, and surrounded by the fertile farmland of the Snake River Valley.
Although we ventured off the farm to gain our Idaho college educations, the lure of the land and the mystique of winemaking brought us to Huston. With our shared upbringings of dawn-to-dusk chores, 4-H and FFA ribbons, and a Mama’s warm kitchen—this is where we weave the fabric of our lives. With the backdrop of the lavender shades of our blooming flax field, to the deep burgundy stains of our harvest crush, our sons raise colorful, fresh vegetables, priced to sell. Growing and aging is not reserved for the vineyard alone! And the beauty of a magic-hour sunset over the Owyhee Mountains is a daily reward.
Stop in, and enjoy this special place with us. Expect a tail-waggin’ welcome from four-legged members of the Alger family—gentle and friendly Hershey and Mourvey, our vineyard greeters.
HUSTON, ID : A RICH HISTORY OUT ON CHICKEN DINNER ROAD
Pronounced like the city in Texas (Houston), but spelled the Idaho way—Huston, Idaho was established in 1911 as the agriculture portal to Southwest Idaho’s urban communities. The town was the transportation hub for farmers to ship fresh fruits and vegetables via the Boise Interurban Railway. Locavore wasn’t just a philosophy, but a way of life, as surrounding towns received the freshest produce from the market basket of Huston and the nearby farming community.
Not much remains but a tiny post office in what was the historic town of Huston. But the fertile agricultural region continues to thrive and expand, including the continuous additions of vineyard plantings.
Huston Vineyards is on Chicken Dinner Road, which has its own history behind its unique road name. Legend has it that an Idaho Governor was persuaded to fix the old country road by way of a delicious chicken dinner. The farm cook served up a fine feast, and the sign directing the governor to the dinner remained long after the deal was struck. The Chicken Dinner Road name stuck. You could say this very same determination and gastronomical excellence is carried on by the area’s modern day vintners. Our line of table wines, Chicken Dinner Red and Chicken Dinner White, are award-winning wine blends, proudly offered at our tasting barn. New to the Chicken DinnerTM lineup is our Rosè. You can also enjoying tastings of our Huston Vineyards Private Reserve wines, as well as our Snake River Valley series.
Much like the mission of Huston, Idaho back in 1911, the aim of Huston Vineyards is to cultivate and distribute the results of the freshest bounty from the land. In our case, the bounty is some of the Northwest’s very best fruit—crushed, fermented and aged—resulting in premium wines of distinction. Enjoy and savor the Valley’s prized produce, manifested in the aroma, texture and flavor in your wine glass.