Your Guide to a Fun, Safe Winery Visit in 2021
Photos Courtesy of Indian Creek Winery
Treasure Valley wine experts ask customers to “be kind”
Story by Lex Nelson
Every year, thousands of people flock to urban and rural wineries in the Treasure Valley, including the 17 outposts on Idaho’s famous Sunny Slope Wine Trail. In 2021, those visits will look a bit different. Due to COVID-19, some tasting rooms are open on a reservation-only basis this summer, and others are enforcing mask wearing and social distancing.
“There is less regulation for the Sunny Slope area, but a lot of the downtown urban wineries, even with the mask mandate lifted [in the City of Boise], are still highly suggesting masks in the tasting room and things like that until you’re seated,” said Ashlee Struble, industry relations manager for the Idaho Wine Commission (IWC).
Every winery’s situation is unique. At Indian Creek Winery in Kuna, visitors are only asked to mask up briefly. Winery owner Tammy Stowe-McClure said ideally guests will wear their masks in the tasting room to order and pick up their five-pour flights. Then, they can take them off again outside if they’d like.
“I would say our place is extra set up for enjoying [a tasting] during COVID or post-COVID, because we have five acres of gardens outside,” she said. “There is plenty of outdoor seating, so we’ve actually been hosting live music for the past month outside on Saturdays and Sundays.”
At the IWC, Struble offered five guidelines for folks who want to enjoy visiting Idaho vineyards and wineries in a safe, respectful manner this summer.
Check the winery’s website ahead of time to see if you need reservations for a tasting.
Call or look online to see if you can bring snacks, and check social media to find out whether there will be a food truck on sight.
Bring your own reusable water bottle, just in case water isn’t offered.
Remember to be kind.
Drive responsibly.
Struble emphasized the fourth point, noting that customer attitudes have been frustrating for some wineries. Stowe-McClure said at Indian Creek community support has been overwhelmingly positive, but her staff does occasionally field awkward questions.
“What’s funny is that I have had a few people asking why we [the staff] are choosing to still wear masks in the winery. It's like, well, we are still a small team … There are not a lot of us on our staff, so it's our choice, our operation, and our livelihood, too,” she said. “We want to keep our staff safe.”
Struble’s parting words for wine lovers were simple, but hard-hitting: “Be kind, be patient. You know, kindness goes a long way.”
