Thousand Springs WineTrail

For the 68-mile Thousand Springs WineTrail (and Scenic Byway), pack a camera and budget plenty of time for scenic pit stops. Hagerman Valley, Snake River, Hagerman Fossil Beds National Monument, Thousand Springs, and a number of national and state fish hatcheries and wildlife management areas are just some of the attractions along the Thousand Springs WineTrail. Our swirling begins at Cold Springs Winery, conveniently located off I-84 in Hammett. Take time to walk through its vineyards. Next up is Carmela Vineyards at historic Glenns Ferry; this is where Oregon Trail pioneers made the perilous Snake River crossing. Meandering east, your next stop is Holesinsky Winery in Buhl, where you may meet a young winemaker using the sur lie (French for “on the lees”) winemaking style. Farther down the road you come to the spectacular 82-acre Snyder Winery, with its commanding view of the valley. From here, an hour-and-a-half drive north on the Thousand Springs WineTrail takes you to Frenchman’s Gulch Winery, located in one of America’s great destination resorts, Sun Valley. A generous pour of Frenchman’s Gulch Ketchum Cuvée goes great with just about anything at any time — after all, it must be 5 p.m. somewhere.