Idaho grape and wine industry urges new U of I viticulturist, cites growth and reliance on grants

The Idaho Grape and Wine Commission told the Senate Agricultural Affairs Committee on Jan. 30 that the state’s grape and wine industry has expanded in acreage and economic value but needs state support for research and education.

Roger Batt, who identified himself as representing the Idaho Grape and Wine Commission, said an economic study using 2022 figures put the industry’s total economic impact at about $314.1 million, with roughly 1,350 acres of vineyards, 70 vineyard sites statewide and nearly 2,800 tons of grapes harvested in 2023. “We would really benefit from that new position to be filled at U of I Parma,” Batt said, referring to a viticulturist post he said the industry needs for on‑the‑ground research and education.

The commission described the history and marketing advantages of Idaho’s designated American Viticulture Areas, including the Snake River AVA, Eagle Foothills and Lewis and Clark Valley AVA. The commission noted the Snake River AVA is a very large AVA and that federal Tobacco Tax and Trade Bureau AVA recognition helps wineries label and market Idaho wines.

Why it matters: Commission representatives said the industry is now an economic driver for rural and regional communities and that shortfalls in in‑state extension expertise and grant funding could slow quality improvements and market growth. The commission asked lawmakers to consider funding the Parma Research and Extension Center viticulture position, a line item that Batt said is under consideration in upcoming JFAC budget deliberations.

Details and challenges: Batt and other presenters outlined four principal challenges: conversion of farmland to non‑agricultural uses; increased residential‑farm interface and local nuisance issues (the commission said it supports right‑to‑farm legislation); emerging local water‑supply variability in some Treasure Valley return flows; and labor shortages for pruning, weed control and harvest work. Batt said growers have begun to see return‑flow variability in areas that historically did not experience it.

Moya Dolsby, identified as the commission executive director, described the commission’s funding mix — the wine excise tax, optional industry assessments, event revenue and specialty crop grants — and said the commission is heavily reliant on specialty crop grants for program funds. “My job is to market and promote all Idaho wineries and growers,” Dolsby said. She told the committee the commission typically budgets between $150,000 and $300,000 in specialty‑crop grant requests and has used grant funding to pay for PR, education and speaker travel. Dolsby said the commission was briefly concerned when reimbursement timing threatened cash flow but that the grants in question were ultimately reinstated.

Education and out‑of‑state expertise: Commission speakers and an industry winemaker said much of the state’s viticulture and enology instruction comes from out‑of‑state experts because Idaho lacks a dedicated viticulturist at the Parma Research and Extension Center. James Eddern, introduced as a winemaker for Konig and Scoria Vineyards, summarized the capital intensity and time horizon for vineyards and wine production and said improved local research and training would help growers and new entrants manage risks such as frost, sunburn and varietal selection.

The commission also referenced recent wildfire losses to illustrate risk to rural operations; Dolsby showed a slide noting a winery fire and described vineyards acting as fire breaks in at least one case.

What the committee heard and what’s next: Committee members asked about specialty crop block grant funding. Dolsby said the Idaho Department of Agriculture has recently received about $2 million in USDA specialty‑crop block grants and that the commission relies on those grants for a substantial share of certain program funding (she described reliance at roughly 55% of some program budgets). Batt said the commission will present related agricultural legislation next week in the House and that the viticulturist request is included in JFAC budget considerations.

The commission’s presentation closed after questions. No formal committee action on funding or legislation was taken at this meeting.