Advancements in vitculture has given winegrowers an understanding to plant vines in warmer localities limiting exposure to Idaho's severe winters which devastated crops during the 1970s and 1980s.

In recent years, improved viticultural practices common in Idaho included open canopies over the vines, drip irrigation and aggressive pruning to ensure lower yields.

In recent years there have been an increased focus on red wine productions, notably Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot and Syrah.

[10] Vineyards with elevations up to 3,000 feet (914 m) have an extended growing season, similar to Argentina's Uco Valley, home to some of the "world's best" Malbecs.

The Snake River Valley lies in southwestern Idaho and two counties in Oregon encompassing 8,263 square miles (5,288,320 acres) and was designated an American Viticultural Area (AVA) by the Alcohol and Tobacco Tax and Trade Bureau (TTB) on April 9, 2007.

It is credited as a specialized grape-growing region because of the influence of nearby Prospect Peak at 4,874 feet (1,486 m) in elevation and the granite pebbles mixed with volcanic ash/sandy loam as a result of Ancient Lake Idaho.

[14][15] In the 1969 film Cactus Flower (based on two earlier plays) Ingrid Bergman reads the label of a bottle in a nightclub and says, "I didn't know they made champagne in Idaho."

When Mary presents a bottle of champagne to celebrate a new job, Phyllis reads the label and says, "I didn't know they even made it in Idaho.

"[17] The gag gets extended treatment in The Muppet Movie from 1979, as Kermit the Frog orders a bottle of wine from the waiter (played by Steve Martin) to share with Miss Piggy.