Camas Prairie Winery

“It’s nice to be recognized,” admitted a modest Stu Scott, owner and winemaker of Camas Prairie Winery. Stu was referring to the fact that in 2007, Wine Press Northwest named Camas Prairie Winery the Idaho Winery of the Year. A big contributing factor for this accolade is Camas Prairie Winery’s knack for racking up “Best Buy” awards. With most prices in the teens, Camas Prairie wines are a good value. Even Stu’s cabernet sauvignon checks in at less than $20 a bottle.

Stu and his wife, Sue, have had more than 20 years to fine-tune their winery business, and they understand how to survive in a difficult market. “Let’s face it, Moscow, Idaho, is not exactly a wine destination,” Stu noted. But as the owner of the oldest winery in northern Idaho (it acquired the title of Idaho Bonded Winery No. 15 in 1983), he understands that “if you make what you like, that’s a hobby, but if you make what the customers like, that’s called a business.” Thus, Camas Prairie Winery offers a variety of wines: In addition to premium table wines, it makes a full slate of slightly sweet wines (residual sugar between 2 percent and 4 percent), sweet dessert wines (a lip-smacking 8.5 percent and 12 percent residual sugar), plum wines and honey wines. Stu even makes sparkling wines using the traditional méthode Champenoise technique. WineTrail Note: : If someone in your touring group has a hankering for beer rather than wine, no worries! Camas Prairie Winery has on hand the largest selection of European bottled beers in northern Idaho.

Camas Prairie Winery is a case study in efficiency. Everything about the winery — the use of space, the makeshift equipment it relies upon, and even the implementation of rooftop solar panels speaks to efficiency. Stu, a past guest speaker at the University of Idaho’s entrepreneurship program, understands the production costs associated with making and selling wine. For example, by making plum and mead wines, he is able to use his equipment during non-harvest times. And by selling more than 70 percent of his wines at the tasting room, he can make a modest profit. Even his living quarters are nearby — upstairs, as a matter of fact. (I figure that Stu and Sue’s commute time is roughly 22 seconds.) It’s little wonder that he can sell wines at such remarkable prices; I didn’t blink when purchasing a $12 bottle of Ewe Eye White (gewürztraminer). Cheers!