sawtooth winery

We had tried so very many of the "regular" wines it was fun to see some different ones like the chocolate mint wine and the chocolate strawberry. We assumed it would be the same chocolate milk looking wine with strawberry flavors but was surprised when it was basically a strawberry wine with chocolate flavoring. We walked out with two bottles!

This is in response to the extremely negative review by Tiny 1096 ("Tastes like drinking dirt...."). Everyone has a right to an opinion, of course, and wine preferences are by nature a matter of personal taste, but that review seemed unnecessarily brutal and might discourage others from visiting. I am not associated with Sawtooth in any capacity and I don't know anyone who is, but I have been an enthusiastic wine drinker and collector for more than 30 years and, though in no way an expert, I feel pretty comfortable discussing and recommending wines to friends.One, the wines at Sawtooth are NOT all screwcaps, only the more moderately priced ones are. Two, it wouldn't matter a bit if they were. Maybe 20 years ago that was a somewhat useful indicator, but screwcaps are becoming much more common, even with the world's finest winemakers. I prefer them, in fact, for convenience and the elimination of the possibility of spoilage caused by tainted corks. Three, the winery is far from "filthy." It is on a farm, to be sure, so it is not an operating room, but the building and grounds are lovely and among the nicest I've visited.Finally, and most importantly, this is serious wine that should change anyone's mind about the ability of Idaho to produce "the good stuff." No, we don't like all of it equally, but after two tasting room visits, we joined their wine club and have been very happy with the product. The reds are especially appealing to us, particularly varietals like Malbec and Petit Sirah that we don't see a lot in the northwest. The Skyline Red and Pinot Gris (our favorite of the whites), are excellent bargains, especially with the club discount.We are fairly recent transplants to Idaho and would encourage visitors and locals both to explore what the Snake River AVA can produce. You may be pleasantly surprised, as we were.

This was my second time to visit sawtooth. Our server this time was Hannah which was a GREAT improvement from the first time. She was forthcoming with information both about the wines we were tasting and about the upcoming harvest. She asked our wine preferences to help determine what we should taste which was a refreshing experience. Lots of good choices in wine. As we left we tasted some complimentary cheese (nummy), only problem is that Hannah didn't know what kind it was. Enjoyable larger estate winery.

Idaho is becoming better known for it's wines in recent years. I have visited Sawtooth Winery several times, one of them being the venue for my daughter's wedding. The setting is beautiful, with sweeping views of vineyards and the Owyhee Mountains. There is a beautiful yard and gazebo, perfect for the ceremony and dancing, and plenty of room for tables and chairs. The big day was perfect, and the photos stunning. It's also reasonably priced as far as wedding venues go. The only drawback was that the kitchen facilities were limited, but our caterer did a fantastic job and everyone raved about the reception. Beyond it's amenities for special occasions, Sawtooth Winery has great wine and the staff there are very knowledgeable and helpful. If going on a tasting tour of Idaho Wine Country, I definitely recommend a stop at this beautiful winery.

We have been to Sawtooth Winery a couple of times and always have fun when we go. The last time we went we became members. They have a lot of events you can go to with music. It's a lot of fun.

Hi, Tiny-Sorry to hear Sawtooth wines didn't agree with your palate. Likes are very subjective, and we sincerely appreciate you taking the time to taste through.It sounds like your travel companion's palate was more in line with national reviewers such as Paul Gregutt (Wine Enthusiast), Patrick Comiskey (Wine & Spirits) and Dave McIntyre (Washington Post) who gave "outstanding" recommendations on some the very vintages you found disagreeable.Stelvin/screwcap can be off-putting to some, but as more research is published on preserving wine integrity (and avoiding TCA) this is a practice we're embracing - not just us, some of the best-known wineries in the world. We use both cork and screwcap. Our best priced tier is screwcap--incuding the (Wine Enthusiast-reviewed) 90-point Riesling.Although the tasting room is fittingly "country", we assure you we take pride in not only meeting but exceeding cleanliness standards set by state code. This predicates everything we do.It is our hope we have a chance to serve you again, and thank you and your companion for making the trip!

I recently took out of town guests to Sawtooth for some wine tasting. I had last been out to the vineyard in December of 2010. I felt that we were able to taste the wines while relaxing and enjoying the atmosphere and the beauty of the area. We sat at tables in the wine tasting room and enjoyed the selections of some white wines which was our preference. We were happy with our experience and took home some of the wines that we had sampled. It was a lot of fun as we were able to sip our way through some very wonderful wines. I will not wait for so long to visit again. The tasting fee was waived if wine was purchased.

Like most wineries in the region it's out in the farmland a bit. We stock them at home as part of our regular wine choices and get out to the winery every month or so. The view in early spring/late fall - with a little snow on the resting vines - is fantastic. The wine itself is top quality.

The drive to Sawtooth is not too long from Boise. Great variety of wines. The sample choices were very inexpensive. Kelly was very helpful when picking our wines. They also have free shipping for the month of December. Great picture opportunity from their deck.

This little winery is off the beaten path...almost to Marsing. Although, a great drive on a sunny afternoon. I've been to some fun events here like weddings & Mother's Day brunch. I love the Pintler family (who started this winery several years ago), they are very welcoming people. Try the Riesling & the Pinot Gris! Two of my favorites!!

I'm surprised that this Winery has not received higher marks. I for one think it produces the best wine in the west - yes, even compared to OR and WA, and is certainly the best of the ID wines. I travel to ID frequently and a stop at Sawtooth is always on the list. Aside from the spectacular and very affordable wines...the setting is lovely (once you find it!!! - SIGNAGE is restricted in ID and the Wine Tour Map available is a joke!!!!), the servers are courteous, knowledgeable and FUN! While in the area a trip to Boise and some hiking in the surrounding areas is worth the effort, too! Sawtooth remains my high on my satisfaction list from all perspectives!

Hi, This is Heidi Witherspoon Skrzypek, Communications Director for Sawtooth Winery.I brought this post to the attention of our tasting room manager, who remembered the party well and she thoughtfully replied with this:"I am very familiar with this wedding and the family. I had intimately worked with them right up until the day of and we had a great relationship. I spoke with the bride and mother of the bride a week or so after their big day and the bride thanked me for the perfect day. She said it was beautiful . They were wonderful and never mentioned anything at that time. A few weeks later I received a detailed letter about their experience and they requested no response nor compensation, it just had minor issues mentioned that could have easily been amended but were never brought to the staff’s attention. I did sit down with all of the staff and had a lengthy discussion regarding their experience about that day and made improvements regarding protocol and communication. The cleanliness comment seems unfair. I personally take pride in our clean facility and train the staff to do so as well. It’s protocol for the Sawtooth staff to have the bathrooms and catering room spotlessly clean by 9 a.m. sharp before the wedding party arrives. When I arrived from another morning event at 8:30 a.m. we found this particular wedding party and 20 family members were already on the grounds setting up, outside the contracted hours (which avail them the grounds from 9 a.m.- midnight, when they are expected). I immediately talked to some members of the family and our team personally cleaned the bathrooms and catering room by 9 a.m. This wedding included a lot of family involvement on the day of. I worked with the bride and mother of the bride on numerous occasions leading up to this event and they were a pleasure throughout the process. As for facilities for the physically impaired, we are fully ADA compliant. Sawtooth Winery offers wheelchair accessible facilities, including a bathroom located at the front entrance of our building, ramps for the gazebo entrance, and special tastings in our production room and outdoor facilities to accommodate those who cannot use the stairs that lead up to our tasting room. To this party, specifically: We respectfully hear your concerns regarding this particular wedding and continually strive to ensure the quality of our venue. Sawtooth Estate Winery has earned its sterling reputation for premium, award-winning wines, stunning views from its tasting room, and spectacular customer service with hundreds of successful weddings like this one. We thank you again for informing us on ways we can improve and better communicate with our valued customers.-Kelli Geselle, Tasting Room Manager, Sawtooth Estate Winery"

Yesterday we took a long drive around southern Idaho. Desert, but irrigated agricultural land, brought us to Sawtooth Winery. The winery site is on a lava flow ridge surrounded by the vineyard. The view is long, but not exciting. We paid $3 to taste their cheaper wines. The staff was knowledgeable and friendly. We found the white wines more to our liking. The Viognier, Pinot Gris, and Rose' were our favorites, and we bought them. The reds seemed less succesful, but some aging could change that. It is a long drive out there. Not much to see, but the winery is a pleasant stop with friendly people, some good wine, and, on a Spring day, worth the trip.