“In this area people grow things. Looking down at a meal I think, ‘Wow, everything on my plate including what I’m drinking is local” said Melissa Sanborn, who owns Colter’s Creek Vineyard and Winery with her husband, Mike Pearson.”  Check-out the Wine, Beer and Cheese Department to find their wine that the Co-op has carried for about the last two years.

The vineyard located in Juliaetta, Idaho was originally planted in the mid-1980s.  It went through three owners and lay abandoned for five years before Mike and Melissa took over the land in 2007.  Two years later, after completing the arduous task of reworking and reviving seven acres of grapes, the couple had their first harvest and production of wine.  Currently, the vineyard is 15 acres and 75-80% of their wine comes from their grapes with another 10% from grapes grown in the LC Valley.

Owning the vineyard and winery is a perfect fit for the couple. Including Melissa, her family has been farming for four generations. Both parents were raised on farms in South Dakota.  Also, her father, although now a retired school teacher, has farmed in the Spokane area for the last thirty years. Mike who is from Southern Idaho is no stranger to long hours and hot days, growing up and working with his dad who was a commercial beekeeper.  A few years ago, elements of both of their backgrounds graced their vineyard- a third generation tractor from Melissa’s family and a couple of bee colonies from Mike’s dad. 

Growing up with a family that enjoyed wine, Melissa knew as a teenager that she wanted to explore the industry. She has memories of road trips in a Volkswagen van with her parents and their friends’ families to visit the new wineries in central Washington. Weekends and summer vacations included camping, hiking and wine tasting for the adults. Her master’s degree from WSU in Wine Chemistry and Sensory Science is no surprise. 

The couple finds joy in the variety and constant change of activities in running both a vineyard and a winery. Melissa explained “they compliment each other. During the summer months we optimize the growing condition of the vines and in the winery we prepare for the crush (winemaking).”  However the last two years have been particularly challenging with cooler temperatures and changing rain patterns. They like other growers are at the mercy of Mother Nature. “We are much more in tuned to the weather now that we are farmers. To ripen grapes, we need temperatures between 85-90 degrees.  Although when working in the fields a cooler temperature feels good, days that don’t hit 80 are not good days for us” shared Melissa.     

Melissa and Mike appreciate the support they’ve received in the Quad Cities.  In spring 2012, they will open a tasting room and hope for it to become a community gathering place.  Recently, Colter’s Creek along with other LC Valley vineyards submitted an application to designate the LC Valley an American Viticulture Area (AVA). This designation will assist them in their goal of “growing something and turning it into a product that other people enjoy” says Melissa. 

About Johna: Earlier this summer, Johna and friends went on a road trip to the Oregon Coast.  They delighted in Colter’s Creek wine while sitting along the shore.