BIZ BITS: Rivaura banks on its own grapes after cold snap

JULIAETTA – Patience and fortitude are guiding the strategy of Rivaura Estate Vineyards & Winery as the family-owned venture sticks to its approach of raising the grapes for its wines in a year when cold weather is creating challenging conditions.

Merlot, cabernet sauvignon, grenache and syrah are among the varieties of grapes the Hewett family produces on 30 acres near the confluence of the Clearwater and Potlatch rivers where it has its winery and tasting room.

“We are planning additional plantings of new vines in the vineyard to help meet growing demand (and) continue the tradition of what makes Rivaura so special, rather than buying (fruit or juice) from out of state and calling it ‘Rivaura,’ ” according to a recent newsletter of Rivaura.

Partly to be sure Rivaura has enough wine for its club members, Rivaura is shifting the format of its tasting room at 505 Sherman Ave. in Coeur d’Alene, while keeping all of the hours in Juliaetta.

Instead of having set hours Wednesday through Sunday, Rivaura will be open for special events in Coeur d’Alene at its present downtown location. Some will be open to members of the general public and others will be specifically for its wine club members.

So far, the special events in Coeur d’Alene for the public are as follows:

2-7 p.m. Saturday — Wine tasting and discussion with Rivaura winemaker Vince Hewett.

2-9 p.m. June 14 coinciding with the Car d’Lane Cruise — Wine tasting and discussion with Rivaura winemaker Lane Hewett.

2-8 p.m. June 15 coinciding with Artwalk and Car d’Lane Show & Shine — Wine tasting and discussion with Lane Hewett.

2-7 p.m. July 6 — Wine tasting and discussion with both Hewett winemakers.

More events are anticipated to be added in the Coeur d’Alene space in coming weeks such as winemaker dinners, said Reece Hewett, a founder of the winery and the father of Lane Hewett.

The hours of the Juliaetta tasting room remain noon to 7 p.m. Wednesday and Thursday; noon to 9 p.m. Friday and Saturday; and noon to 5 p.m. Sunday at 21622 Rivaura Lane.

It’s not yet clear how much the mid-January cold snap will diminish the 2024 harvest, Reece Hewett said.

Present estimates are that grape volume will be down 70% compared with 2023 at Rivaura, Hewett said.

“Time will tell the true overall impact to this year’s 2024 harvest, but we feel it necessary now to take immediate measures to slow our growth to ensure we can meet our current (club) member and other commitments now and in the near future,” according to the newsletter.

This setback is one Rivaura can easily handle in the context of the agricultural expertise the family brings to the venture and the steadily rising sales of its wines, he said.

The Hewett family grew hay and raised cattle on the land where the vineyard is from the late 1950s until 2014, the year the transition to the vineyard started. The Hewetts spent two years preparing the soil, installing irrigation, building fences to keep out deer and completing other work before planting vines in the spring of 2016. The first harvest was in fall of 2018. The debut of its first wines and tasting room happened simultaneously in June 2020 during the COVID-19 pandemic.

Since that time, its wines have won a number of accolades while developing a loyal following as the number of people visiting the tasting room has risen, Hewett said.

“It’s about the farming and the fruit we grow to make our wine, especially the reds,” he said. “We plan on maintaining that going forward as that is what makes us unique — Hewett family-farmed grapes from that piece of Idaho land along both banks of that Clearwater River.”

Gift and souvenir shop in downtown Lewiston changes ownership

Gourmet huckleberry foods, Sasquatch T-shirts and gemstone jewelry remain popular sellers as Idaho Memories Gift and Souvenir Shop in downtown Lewiston begins its next chapter under new ownership.

The store’s founders, Vikky Ross and her husband, John Ross, sold the business to Morgan Spence and Erik Wilponen, a transaction that coincided with the retailer’s five-year anniversary.

Spence, who most recently was an ophthalmology technician at Clearview Eye Clinic in Lewiston, is overseeing the day-to-day store operations.

Wilponen works in the machine shop at Schweitzer Engineering Laboratories in Lewiston.

The career change, Spence said, is giving her an opportunity to fulfill a dream of being her own boss.

The Idaho-made products that Ross sourced from dozens of artisans still comprise the majority of the store’s merchandise, but she’s refreshing the store’s look and adding products such as house plants, Spence said.

Idaho Memories Gift and Souvenir Shop is open 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. Tuesday through Saturday.

The Rosses continue to have an ownership stake in Newberry Square, the shopping and dining complex at 800 Main St. that opened in 2018 and houses the store.

They renovated the building with Nikky Hites, Vikky Ross’ twin sister, who is also a part owner of Newberry Square.

Lexar Homes branch opens in downtown Lewiston

A branch of Lexar Homes, a custom home-builder in the Inland Northwest, has opened at Towne Square in downtown Lewiston.

The lead sales associate for Lexar Homes in Lewiston is Stephanie Rogers, a Lewiston Realtor with Century 21 Price Right.

The company specializes in constructing environmentally friendly homes for families in a variety of income brackets, said Chelsea Watts, a sales assistant with Lexar Homes in Spokane Valley, in an email.

Typically homes cost $180 per square foot to $250 per square foot and range from 600 square feet to as large as customers need for their homes or shops, Rogers said.

Home buyers can choose from a wide selection of granite and quartz countertops, cabinetry and luxury vinyl plank flooring with the guidance of Rogers.

“We try to make the process as seamless as possible,” Rogers said in an email. “We have in-house design and engineering so our customers don’t need to go elsewhere for these services.”

That expertise gives Lexar Homes the ability to offer customizable floor plans and custom designs as well as home warranties that exceed state requirements, Rogers said.

The company uses a home energy ratings scale to measure the power efficiencies in its homes, she said.

Lexar Homes, for example, can build a 3,000-square-foot home with a $1,100 annual energy bill through its techniques for the framing, insulation and other parts of the residence, Watts said.

The Lewiston location is one of more than 15 offices of Lexar Homes, which was founded in 2007 and has completed more than 500 homes, using contractors in the communities where it has offices, she said.

The Lewiston office is affiliated with Lexar offices in Spokane, Coeur d’Alene and Sandpoint.

Lexar Homes chose to open in Lewiston after being contacted by Rogers, who was impressed by Lexar’s process, communication and focus on energy efficient homes.

The address of Lexar Homes in Lewiston is 504 Main St., Suite 240. Its hours are 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. Tuesday through Friday. Its telephone number is (208) 755-9615.

Williams may be contacted at ewilliam@lmtribune.com or (208) 848-2261.