Towards the beginning of fall, I received an invitation from Karl and Coco Umiker, the co-owners of Clearwater Canyon Cellars, to help with the fall harvest of grapes. Their vineyard is located in the Lewiston-Clarkston valley on farmland that has been in Coco’s family for two generations. My wife and I helped harvest Cabernet Franc as I questioned Karl and Coco about various aspects of their winery and vineyard.

Coco, with a Ph.D. in food sciences as well as undergraduate degrees in microbiology, molecular biology and biochemistry, has a thorough scientific knowledge of wine-making. Karl has an undergraduate degree in chemistry and a masters in soils which enables him to ensure that their soil is healthy and supportive for all the great grapes they grow. While we ate lunch, I was able to sample the results of their knowledge. I’ve had the pleasure of sampling quite a few wines, and the Umikers make wine that fits the top of my list.

While I was distinctly impressed by the quality of their wine, the Umikers take it a step further by being strong advocates of local economies. They purchase the majority of their grapes from local vineyards within the Lewiston-Clarkston valley helping to ensure that the money they spend stays within their community. Unlike over ninety percent of commercial wineries, they took on the economic cost of purchasing only American-made glass for their wine bottles. I was shocked to hear that American glass costs three times as much as Chinese glass. This is partly due to more stringent regulations in the American factories. Karl and Coco wanted to be certain that from harvest to bottling, the only ingredients in their wines were ones they put there.

Clearwater Canyon Cellars has only been in existence since 2002, but the quality of their wines belies this fact. Their wine is on par with many wines from older, more established wineries. I highly recommend trying some if not all of their wines. We carry their Selway (red blend), Renaissance Red (red blend), Merlot, Malbec, Cabernet Sauvignon, and their white blend, the Lochsa white. By supporting Clearwater Canyon Cellars, you’re not only helping keep money in our local communities but you’re also supporting American-made wine bottles, which are now made by only two factories.

During the month of December, the wine department will offer raffle tickets to customers each time they make a wine purchase. The raffle prize, drawn at the end of December, will be a magnum bottle of wine. All you have to do is purchase wine, write down your name and number on the ticket given to you by the cashiers, and drop the ticket in the box located at the demo desk. Good luck to all!

And don’t forget to check out the large number of winter seasonal beers. We’ll also be bringing in delightful festive cheeses like the always popular Wensleydale with cranberries, so make sure to check out our cheese case. We recently brought in Idaho cheesemaker Brush Creek Creamery, located in Deary. We carry their marinated feta, labaneh, and crème fraiche. If you see me in the store, don’t be shy. I love talking beer, wine, and cheese.