A Two Day Guide to Wine Tasting in Garden City

Day 1: Morning

Arrive in town by 11am, get checked in to your hotel, and be ready for tasting rooms that open starting at noon. Rent an e-bike or scooter from Greenbelt Market near the Riverside Hotel and get on the path before you do anything else. The Boise River Greenbelt runs right through Garden City and sets the tone for the whole trip. You’ve got the river on one side and tasting rooms on the other.

Ride toward Esther Simplot Park first. The 55-acre park has ponds for paddleboarding and fishing, big cottonwood trees, and a clear view down the river. Vacation mode: Activated.

Midday

Grab lunch at the original Push and Pour — a coffee shop founded by former professional skateboarders Lucas Eriebach and Brennan Conroy. Sit on the outdoor patio with shade sails overhead and order the Classic Avo Toast. It’s so good, you’ll be thinking about it the rest of the day.

Into the Night

It’s time to get to sippin’! Choose a couple — even three — tastings you’d like to visit on your first day. Each tasting room has its own unique personality, as does the wine. It’s perfectly acceptable (even encouraged) to ask for a glass of their signature wine. The winemaker is almost always on site and happy to share their story. The experience is personal and memorable.

Wine tasting locations, features, and personality types:

• Telaya Wine Co. sits right off the Greenbelt with a patio that faces the river. They don’t mess around when it comes to a charcuterie board and the wine is a serious Idaho production. Ask about a tour if you have the time.
• Rolling Hills Vineyard. It’s about the wine and it’s also about the patio and the puppies. Sit under the pergola, near the pink flowering tree in the spring, and order yourself a wine slushie. If you’re an animal-lover, 10% of the proceeds of Mascot wine are donated to animal shelters in the state of Idaho.
• Laissez Faire Wine Co. feels like a neighborhood gallery with an itty bitty market and a wine window. Walk on up and get your glass of white wine, which is particularly good.
  Split Rail Winery brings the energy. The neon signage alone is a moment and the wine list moves between approachable and genuinely interesting. This stop will shift your pace.
• Split Rail Winery brings the energy. The neon signage alone is a moment and the wine list moves between approachable and genuinely interesting. This stop will shift your pace.
• Veer Wine Project is a venture into the offbeat and unknown — and you don’t need to know a thing about wine to feel completely at home. The whole point is transparency: no gatekeeping, no pretension, just genuine curiosity about what wine can be. Named 2024 Idaho Winery of the Year, this one is worth finding.

Cinder Wines, Meriwether Cider Co, Proletariat Wine Company, Morris Hill Wine Co., Sturman’s Garden City, and 3100 Cellars round out the full Garden City wineries. 

In the mix,  you’ll find Parcero. A wine bar that makes you feel like a big deal. Carved wall panels, velvet seating, pendant lighting — the interior is dramatic in a way that earns every bit of it. Order a glass, sink into a booth, and order a little something off their food menu… like tinned fish.

Dinner

End the night at Bardenay Distilling Co., one of Idaho’s original craft distillers. The Garden City location feels like a neighborhood restaurant that happens to make its own spirits. The fish tacos and the Kobe Steak Sandwich are total wins.

Day 2: Morning

The second day is a good day to get artsy. Start at Zion Warne Studios in the Garden City arts district. It’s a working glass art studio where you can watch hand-blown pieces being made right in front of you.

Walk over to Barbarian Brewing next. The exterior mural stops you on the sidewalk before you even get to the door. Inside, it’s relaxed, the beer is cold, and it is the right energy for a morning when you’re not quite ready to leave.

Know Before You Go

Hours: Most Garden City tasting rooms open at noon and close between 8pm and 10pm. Hours vary by season, so check each winery’s website before you go.

Pacing yourself: With twelve tasting rooms in walking and biking distance, it is easy to try to do everything. Pick three or four for day one and save the rest for day two. The winemakers would rather you linger than rush.

Getting around: An e-bike is the best way to move between stops. All of the core tasting rooms are within a 10-minute ride of each other along Chinden Boulevard and the Greenbelt. Three rental options near the district:

• Greenbelt Ebike Rentals — dedicated e-bike rental shop with direct Greenbelt access, open daily. 504 E 45th St, Boise.
• Sunrise Electric Bicycles — located 50 yards from the Greenbelt, they specifically recommend riding to Telaya Winery as part of the route.
• George’s Cycles — longtime Boise bike shop with rentals available. 312 S 3rd St, Boise.

Call ahead or book a reservation on weekends.

Parking: Park once at the hotel and leave the car. You will not need it again until you leave.

Dogs: Several tasting rooms along the trail are dog friendly, including Laissez Faire Wine Co. and Rolling Hill Vineyard. Bring your dog. They will be welcomed.

Wine to go: Planning to bring bottles home? Most tasting rooms sell by the bottle and can help you pack for travel.

Where to Stay in Garden City

The Riverside Hotel puts you directly in the middle of it. The Boise River Greenbelt is at the door, and the tasting rooms are within walking or biking distance. Park when you arrive and leave the keys alone. You won’t need them.

For recommended hotels nearby, short-term rentals, and other lodging options, search through Places to Stay.

How to Get to Garden City

Garden City sits just west of downtown Boise along the Boise River. Take I-84 west and follow Chinden Boulevard into the district.

• From Twin Falls: approximately 2 hours via I-84 west
• From Pocatello: approximately 2.5 hours via I-84 west
• From McCall: approximately 2 hours 15 minutes via ID-55 south
• From Boise: Garden City is minutes from downtown — no highway needed

Frequently Asked Questions About Garden City, Idaho

Is Garden City the same as Boise? No. Garden City is its own incorporated city, surrounded by Boise and Eagle. It has its own city hall, its own character, and its own craft beverage corridor along Chinden Boulevard and the Boise River Greenbelt.

How many wineries are in Garden City, Idaho? Garden City has twelve tasting rooms as part of the urban wine trail along Chinden Boulevard and the Greenbelt. Most are within walking or biking distance of each other.

Can I walk between the Garden City tasting rooms? The core cluster of tasting rooms near the Riverside Hotel is walkable. Renting an e-bike is the best way to reach every stop on the full trail comfortably. See the Getting Around section above for rental options.

When is the best time to visit Garden City, Idaho? Garden City is worth visiting year-round. Spring and summer are ideal for the Greenbelt, outdoor patios, and the Boise Whitewater Park. Fall brings beautiful river color and harvest season for Idaho wine.

City Sips. Idaho Roots.