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It has long been rumored that the few rows of vines at the entrance to Chateau Ste. Michelle in Woodinville, Wash., were required so the winery could be called a "chateau."
PROSSER -- Construction is expected to start soon on the next phase of what backers say will be the state's premier educational and promotional center for Washington's wines and food products.
Melanie Krause and the debut of her Cinder project turned some Rhône varieties into gold dust last year.
It made for quite a homecoming for the Boise native and an easy choice as Wine Press Northwest's Idaho Winery to Watch in 2009.
"I'd been snooping around the Idaho vineyards as I had been learning how to make wines in Washington, and I'm really interested in the terroir here," Krause said. "I think we've got great potential to make awesome wines, so I wanted to move back home and focus on quality here in Idaho."
Krause, 32, named the winery in honor of the volcanic soil found throughout much of the Snake River Valley, but she learned her craft from some of Washington's top vintners.
In 2001, she began to work her way up the ranks at Chateau Ste. Michelle, eventually becoming assistant red winemaker at its Canoe Ridge facility near Paterson. Her list of mentors includes Bob Bertheau, Ron Bunnell and Kendall Mix, and she's proved to be a quick study.
Cinder's first release included a 2007 Viognier that won gold at the 2008 Idaho Wine Festival. Her 2006 Syrah particularly grabbed the attention of Wine Press Northwest, earning our top rating of "Outstanding!" in a double-blind tasting. The Viognier received an Excellent. She also produces a crisp and tasty rosé.
"This was all kind of by accident," Krause said. "When I was going to school at Washington State University, I didn't know that you could earn a living by making wine. My then-boyfriend, now husband (Joe Schnerr), was living in the middle of the Washington wine region, and I had a background in agriculture, so I moved to the Tri-Cities and started working for Chateau Ste. Michelle in viticulture."
Within two years, she'd moved into the winery. By 2006, Joe landed a chemistry position in Boise with Micron, so Krause followed and began consulting for Idaho wineries and establishing relationships with some of the state's top vineyards.
"A new one that I'm really excited about is Rocky Fence Vineyard in Emmett," she said. "It's up the Payette River with a beautiful location, and the grower is farming it organically. I'm hoping one day to make a single-vineyard Viognier that's organically grown."
Down the line also are plans for Malbec, Mourvèdre and Tempranillo, but this spring, Cinder rolled out a 2008 Chardonnay and a 2007 Cab-Merlot. The 63%/37% red blend taps into four sites - Eckerts, Fraser, Skyline and Williamson. Krause contracts with seven vineyards, and she puts both of her degrees from WSU, biology and Spanish, into the equation.
"Sometimes, it's hard to decide which degree is more useful," she said.
A sense of adventure also helps to explain why Krause, a former competitive skier, cyclist and triathlete, enjoys being back in the Treasure Valley.
"There are so many great outdoor sports here," she said. "My husband and I snowboard and ski in the winter and mountain bike in the summer. There's also fabulous kayaking and other sports we have yet to dabble in."
Her winery is not in wine country, but near downtown Boise in an industrial warehouse that's been transformed into the Urban Winemakers Cooperative.
"There are two other start-up winemakers I know quite well, so the three of us went in together on this," Krause said. "Splitting up the cost will improve the quality of what we do, allow us to buy better equipment and help us all out."
At this stage, production of Cinder is around 1,000 cases.
"The ultimate size is hard to say. I imagine we'll stay fairly small - unless I decide to conquer the world," Krause said with a smile.
If the first year is any indication, she's well on her way.
Cinder Wines, Urban Winemakers Cooperative, 107 E. 44th St., Garden City, Idaho, 83714, 208-407-4347, cinderwines.com.
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