Colter’s Creek Winery fire

Colter’s Creek Winery, located in Juliaetta, Idaho, was destroyed by fire July 25th. The entire inventory of the winery was also consumed by the blaze.

“The winery is gone,” confirmed owner and vineyard manager Mike Pearson, who founded the winery with his wife and winery director Melissa Sanborn. “Our house was spared. Everyone was evacuated at noon, and it burned at 5.”

According to early reports, fires started south of Juliaetta after a lightning event. The fires joined and are now named the Gwen Fire. The fire forced a level three “go now” evacuation of Juliaetta, which had a population of 634 as of 2022. The fire has currently burned approximately 20,000 acres.

Rivaura Estate Vineyard & Winery is the only other winery in Juliaetta. The winery reported on Facebook at approximately 12pm Friday that the flames were nearby the tasting room at 3:30 a.m., saying, “So thankful and blessed that this is as bad as it got.” The winery did not immediately respond to a request for further information.

Colter’s Creek Vineyard had already sustained significant damage from the January freeze event. This, along with the fire, mark the winery’s end.

“We’re throwing in the towel,” Pearson says.

Located in Lewis-Clark Valley, Colter’s Creek was founded in 2007. The winery was situated along the Potlatch and Clearwater Rivers. Colter’s Creek produced estate wines as well as wines from grapes sourced elsewhere in Idaho.

During their time in operation, Colter’s Creek didn’t just make the best wines in Lewis-Clark Valley, Colter’s Creek also consistently made some of the best wines in Idaho. The winery made exceptional Syrah, Riesling, and red blends. Colter’s Creek raised the bar for Lewis-Clark Valley specifically and Idaho wine more generally. The loss of the winery is a blow to Lewis-Clark Valley, to Idaho wine, and to the broader Pacific Northwest wine industry.

Colter’s Creek Vineyard was over 20 years old at the time the couple purchased it in 2007. The vineyard had its first commercial harvest in 2008. Pearson and Sanborn expanded the acreage to approximately 33 acres of grape vines and 19 varietals.

“We always knew that we wanted to grow grapes and part of our business,” Sanborn told Northwest Wine Report in 2018. “For us, viticulture is the heart of wine.”

Lewis-Clark Valley is home to 9 wineries and 16 vineyards. The area received appellation status in 2016.

There are no additional details at present about other structures involved in the fire. No loss of life has yet been reported. Our heart goes out to everyone affected.

Image courtesy of Mike Pearson. This article has been updated. 

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