Hat Ranch Winery

To be completely honest, I can never seem to remember much about this winery, maybe because it’s so small or maybe it is just that good and I over indulge in their wine. I do know the staff was friendly and patient, especially having to deal with me and my group of girls. I would say it’s quaint, quiet and shabby chic, probably not meant for a big group of loud, obnoxious, but friendly group of girls. Thanks for putting up with us on our girls day!

A country winery in the snake river basin with a cozy tasting room and an beautiful outdoor view to appreciate in warmer times. We did the tasting and they did a good job in providing a varying selection of white, reds, and red mixed wines to get a feel for their brand. Personally, I really enjoyed the Moscato, Rose, and Malbec enough to buy some. I'm no wine aficionado, but I do appreciate tannins more on the mellow side and am happy they have some wines that have that quality. Also, they are open every day. I wouldn't normally point that out but we noticed another winery on the way there that is closed on weekends..

I have visited a lot of wineries, but seldom have. I liked everything on the tasting list. hat ranch was an exception. I enjoyed everything I tasted. To make things better, they are a harvest host. We parked our RV near the vineyard and enjoyed a wonderful evening.

Tasty wines for one! Sara was a delight to talk to and very knowledgeable about what they serve and what the surrounding area has to offer. Views are great. My dog was welcomed. We will be back!

Years ago this was the first winery we tried in Sunnyslope. We thought, what the hell, let's try the wines in the region. Every visit since day one we have been met with friendly, knowledgeable staff and generous pours of great wines. The tasting room was designed by U of I interior design- read that as giving back to the community and providing opportunities for in-state students Patio overlooks the vines with the snake river and owhyhees in the distance. There are plenty of tasting rooms in the area and we love wine. What we love more is getting to know the people behind what is in the bottle. I don't care how good the juice is, if your staff is pretentious we will take our business elsewhere. Here you will find a solid representation of the best The region has to offer. Great hospitable staff, solid wines and a tasting experience that leaves you happy you stopped in

I spent a pleasant few hours with Frank at this winery. I was in Boise by myself but the smoke had run me out of town. I decided to spend the days at the wineries. Only a handful are open on a Tuesday. Frank was very pleasant to speak with. I drank a glass of their rose he let me try a few others. Small winery where the owner lives yards away. Cute inside and a patio area looking over some vines. I hear the views are great when the smoke is not as thick as it was the day I was there. Frank was very kind to me and made my day. Some of the other wineries gave me what I wanted but that was it. When you are a solo traveler it is nice to talk to people. Place is about an hour outside of Boise. I will be sure to come back if in the area again.

It brings me no joy to write this review, but after six years of being members of the winery, my wife and I cancelled our membership this weekend. We live near Hat Ranch, and we are members of several wine clubs. It’s a fun way to spend a weekend afternoon. We enjoyed taking friends to visit. Hat Ranch became one of our favorites over the years. It used to be a fun, easy place to hang out and enjoy a glass of wine. However, there was a staff turnover about a year ago, and the place has gone downhill. Last Saturday, we stopped by the winery to pick up our club purchase. As members, we are committed to purchasing wine on a monthly basis. As usual, we asked to sample our purchase and indicated we wanted to sit on the patio and have our complimentary tasting. There were only 3-4 other tables occupied when we arrived. Live music was playing on the patio. We couldn’t help but notice there were several weeds growing all over the patio area. Many of the tables are placed on landscaping gravels, and the area had been neglected this year. After about 10 minutes, a wine touring van arrived. Several ladies exited and sat at a table adjacent to ours. Immediately, a server brought them their first tasting. Our wine glasses had been emptied for a while, so I expected the server to ask if we wanted our second tasting. Instead, we were ignored. After another additional 10-15 minutes, the server returned and brought the group of ladies their second tasting. Although we were sitting right next to them, no offers were made to bring us our tasting. After sitting there, being ignored for over 30 minutes, my wife and I left our table and went to the front counter to pick up our purchase and leave. We commented we had planned to sit and have a tasting, but no one cared to wait on us. The lady behind the counter said we would not be waited on unless we checked in at the counter first. We had checked in, and the gentleman behind the counter confirmed we had. Sadly, this was the third time in a row we had experienced the same type of service. I had wanted to give the new staff the benefit of the doubt, but after three strikes, we’re out. If a business doesn’t value its members and instead wants to cater to the wine tour crowd, don’t expect me to patronize your business.

Very nice! Frank was a great hostn and had a nice short visit with the owner/winemaker, Tim!

This was one of my favorite wineries we stopped at! The service was great and very knowledgeable. We got there right before 1 and we were one of a few groups there. It did get pretty busy around 1:30/2. There is a beautiful outdoor patio (with misters) and an indoor seating area as well. I'm not sure if they sold food, but you can bring your own. We did the tasting and ending up buying a few bottles. Would highly recommend!

I spent a pleasant few hours with Frank at this winery. I was in Boise by myself but the smoke had run me out of town. I decided to spend the days at the wineries. Only a handful are open on a Tuesday. Frank was very pleasant to speak with. I drank a glass of their rose he let me try a few others. Small winery where the owner lives yards away. Cute inside and a patio area looking over some vines. I hear the views are great when the smoke is not as thick as it was the day I was there. Frank was very kind to me and made my day. Some of the other wineries gave me what I wanted but that was it. When you are a solo traveler it is nice to talk to people. Place is about an hour outside of Boise. I will be sure to come back if in the area again.

Great, cozy winery on the Sunnyslope Wine Trail. Sarah was very friendly and informative. The wine tasting was fun, and her recommendations were great! We would definitely recommend giving this winery a try!

Years ago this was the first winery we tried in Sunnyslope. We thought, what the hell, let's try the wines in the region. Every visit since day one we have been met with friendly, knowledgeable staff and generous pours of great wines. The tasting room was designed by U of I interior design- read that as giving back to the community and providing opportunities for in-state students Patio overlooks the vines with the snake river and owhyhees in the distance. There are plenty of tasting rooms in the area and we love wine. What we love more is getting to know the people behind what is in the bottle. I don't care how good the juice is, if your staff is pretentious we will take our business elsewhere. Here you will find a solid representation of the best The region has to offer. Great hospitable staff, solid wines and a tasting experience that leaves you happy you stopped in

Interesting place with a variety of hats all over the fence posts in the vineyard. Wines were ok.

Top notch wine and staff. Worth the drive. I left with four bottles and hope to go back before I head south.

Very nice wine and excellent young woman staffing the tasting area. She was the hit of our wine tour! We purchased a nice Muscato and a Cab Franc, both very good.

We love their wine and staff! First winery we visited on our first trip to the area! Incredible wines!! Always enjoy stopping by and catching up with everyone!

Great location, amazing friendly service and delicious Idaho wine!! So happy we took the time to stop and taste.

LOVE this wine! Hands down they have a lot of great wines. Rose, Cabernet and Syrah were my favorite. Dawson helped us out and accommodated is even when we came in 30 minutes before closing. Our group really appreciated that. Will become a member and for sure be telling everyone about this place.

The whites and the rose are the best in their line-up. The reds suffer from the same problem most Idaho wnes have - not a long enough growing season to fully develop complex fruit for reds. Nice place and would be nicer if they didn't have such a steep tasting fee. They should think about dropping their free tasting fee when to you buy 2 bottles to when you buy one bottle. That would be more in line with industry practices. They oversell the view to compensate for the wine.

Staff is knowledgeable and friendly. Tasting room is wonderful. I came with friends who are members and it was nice to see the staff recognize them. Mid-December was a bit cold for the patio, but inside the tasting room was warm and inviting. They showcase local artist's works, which are available for sale. Makes for fun gifts! The Wine Club or membership has different levels, but seems very flexible and affordable. I will be considering a membership here (support local!) and definitely look forward to a warmer spring day to enjoy not just a tasting, but a glass of one of their many delicious wines!!

Beautiful outside seating looking out at the vineyards. Love the hats people left on the posts. Really enjoyed the wines and John was wonderful. We purchased a bottle of the dry reisling, so good! Great vineyard to visit on the Snake River winery tour!

A beautiful drive through the Sunny Slope byway lands you at Hat Ranch Winery, with its gorgeous vista overlooking their vineyard. Then outside patio was a pleasant way to spend an afternoon tasting their superb wines. We tried the Syrah, Merlot and Cabernet Sauvignon, all three did not disappoint us as we ended up joining the wine club and purchasing a few bottles of each to take home with us. Unfortunately we could not try the Tempernillo since they were sold out. This is perfect place to hang out and relax. However the young man helping us let us know that there were more events scheduled for September, including live music. I look forward to coming back!

Really great winery! Love the smaller family atmosphere. The hats in the poles are very fun

Too small of a place yet, needs time to develop but fun part of overall Sunny Slope Wine Tour...

I never would have thought that a small town of Caldwell, Idaho would be a perfect opportunity to do some wine tasting, but as it wasn't far from where we were staying and with family recommendations, We decided to go for it! Carla and Andy were mazing host and so knowledgeable, telling us all about the growth of the grape and the production of the wine, even the local farmers and sellers! We were very interested to see the wines produced in the State and a lot not too far away. We asked questions to get a better understanding of wine itself and Carla and Andy were outstanding at explaining with pure interest and enthusiasm, which really made our experience so enjoyable. Not only were their wines delicious, but the service was outstanding and we learnt and tasted a lot! We will be Back!

Amazing and personable winery. Natalie and Rose are amazing tasting associates. Great tasting wine and fun local shopping. Beautiful view. Can't wait to go back! Cheers.

Fantastic wine. Tasting room is spacious and comfortable. View from patio is amazing looking out over the vineyard at the river and mountains. Staff is friendly and helpful. One of our favorite places to go!

This is my favorite winery in Idaho, not a huge tasting room but great wine and nice people. One of the things I love is even though I had used up all my pours, they had a good idea what I liked and let me try some additional selections without charging for them, and I bought all those additional wines. I would have to say Hat Ranch is my favorite winery in Idaho and I look forward to going back, highly recommend!

Perhaps our favorite of all wineries visited on a recent afternoon of exploring the Sunnyslope Wine Trail. Would have been unknown to us but not for the gentleman (in every sense) pouring wine at nearby Bitner Winery recommending Hat Ranch for both their wine and for local art displayed on their tasting room walls. So pleased to have discovered this, we pass along the same recommendation - 'GO'. THE TASTING ROOM Located on the site of their vineyard, he tasting room us open Fridays, Saturdays and Sundays from roughly noon to 5p. All of the art on the cheery and bright tasting room walls is by local artists and for sale. THE DRILL Nominal fee for tasting ($5) for pours in quality stemware. On the day of our visit they were pouring four wines. Fee is refunded with any purchase. OWNER INVOLVEMENT A thing that makes this kind of tasting room at a small winery delightful is most often the people pouring the wine are the winery owners or wine maker, which are sometimes one in the same, who are so much fun to talk to. As in when you ask "why did you choose this site" or "why did you decide on stainless fermentation for your Chardonnay" they can answer the questions enthusiastically. THE WINES A fledgling effort with the tasting room having opened in 2011, there are currently three acres planted to vines on site with more being added each year. Until the estate grown levels are where needed, grapes come from other growers. In context of Idaho, standouts for us here that we purchased were: * 2011 Chardonnay - stainless steel fermented, crisp and fruit forward. Not typically fans of this varietal, sacrilege I know but we don't enjoy the "pick toothpicks out of your teeth after drinking" heavily oaked style of California vintners, we thought this one was lovely. When we asked the owner why they decided on stainless fermentation, she said when they tasted the juice it was so perfect a representation of the varietal that they wanted to let it shine in the same way Williamson Orchards apple cider shines in representing the apples from which it is pressed. Great analogy and great wine making decision for their 2011 Chardonnay. * 2012 Hat Trick Red - a blend of Malbec / Merlot / Syrah. On in the second day of release when we visited, we thought this was just a little tight so will benefit from time in bottle before drinking. But great flavors, good tannins and we can see why the 2011 bottling sold out. As for the name, in sports a hat trick is made of three goals and note the blend in this wine. Clever! We also tasted the 2012 Riesling. Our favorite white wine varietal, it is wonderful to see more Western vintners making Riesling. We thought this was interesting but not quite there for acidity. Also sampled their Tempranillo which had a great nose but was just a little leathery for our palates. WHY CALDWELL ID FOR A NEW WINERY? We asked that question given there are so many wine regions in the US, some of which might provide easier growing conditions as well as more "panache" on a label than an Idaho origination. The owner told us they chose Southwestern Idaho because they think it has the best mix of terroir and community of any in the West. From a business perspective, I imagine the costs to enter the market with a winery in this emerging region is probably lower than others. ACCESSIBILITY Tasting room is level in and throughout. If you have trouble navigating deep gravel parking lots they have a firm surface apron alongside the building and you can parallel park there to get out on to the firm surface. It has been a requirement of US Civil Rights law (ADA) since 1990 that equal access be provided but you'd be astounded at how tasting rooms don't. Nice that they do here. Good for business too as it allows all people in the door to buy wine. TASTING FEES A controversial topic in the Idaho wine country currently, as a long time wino, ummm..oenophile, I strongly support reasonable fees like this one that are refunded with purchase. Wineries have increased costs associated with on site tasting (like labor and quality stemware) to recoup. A small fee also creates a barrier to entry for those of the "YO DUDE" set who mistake winery tasting rooms for free bars. On the other hand, when fees are too high and not refunded, as in places in Napa and even in the Williamette region now where tastings can be $20 with no refund absent a substantial (as in half case) purchase, it discourages participation by all but those people of deeper pockets. Sometimes even we who can afford those fees are turned off by the apparent avarice and by policies that discourage newbie wine drinkers from coming in the door. Thumbs up to Hat Ranch for having low fees and a fair refund policy. Everybody benefits. GUEST SUITE One on site for rent. Contact the winery.

John was so welcoming and friendly. Thank you John! Loved every single wine. Chardonnay and Cab were the best. Great value for the tasting and great patio for good weather! Definitely add this to the top of your stops !

Bring your fly swatter lots of flies. There is little shade except the patio that 2x4 ceiling looked like it was about to fall. And, they are not pet friendly, unlike other wineries in the area like Ste. Chapelle who greeted our dogs with treats. It would of been nice if they would have posted a sign stating not dogs.

Had such a nice time here drinking their flavorful wines and munching their chocolate. The people in the tasting room were all very conversational and it made for a wonderful afternoon. We will go back.

Hat Ranch was under construction, at the time we visited. Nonetheless, service was excellent and knowledgeable, and the wines were unique. The dry Moscato is unlike most American Moscato wines, not sweet.

Tried this place back when they were totally new to the area, or at least their tasting room was, and the experience was awful. $5 for three 1-oz. tastes and they were all mediocre. We finally tried it again and thank goodness we did! They have an extensive list, a super-classy and informative pourer, and all of their wines were way, way, way above par. I was seriously impressed and, as much as I hate to pay $20+ for a bottle of wine, their wine is totally worth it. Try the wine here, it might seriously be some of the best in the Nampa / Caldwell / Marsing area.

Can't say enough about this winery. The service was great and the wines were excellent. We returned a second time just to make sure, and everything was the same again... excellent!

Great wine, very welcoming, knowledgeable, loved sitting out under their beautiful trees!!!

Wonderful family run vineyard with some great wines. Checkout the Chicken Dinner labels.

Lovely location, larger selection of dry wines over sweeter ones which I enjoys husband would have loved the tasting but he was the DD the day we visited, will have to return in future so he can enjoy. Left with Reissling, which was my favorite from the samplings. Small to mid size tasting room, was crowded when we arrived and everyone ahead of us left with wine

I recently visited Hat Ranch Winery and found the staff to be welcoming and friendly. The wine I'm sorry to say was not appealing to my own tastes but my issue came upon leaving the winery in that they had left construction materials in a parking area that were not marked or cordoned off in any way. I wound up backing into this material and damaging my car as a result. I notified the staff and we both took photos and the staff person said she would notify the winery owner and have them contact me. Well needless to say the winery has never even bothered to make contact. To me that simply speaks volumes about the winery and it's owners.

I decided to surprise my wife with a weekend stay at a B&B in the middle of wine country in Caldwell, ID. Staying at the HAT Ranch was one of the best decisions I've made. Wonderful people own HAT Ranch and they have some of the best wines that we had the privilege of tasting in the valley. They were truly friendly and accommodating. It was one of the most relaxing weekends of our lives! Feel free to check out the pictures that were uploaded from our stay. Of course, we have tons more pictures, we just didn't want to inundate the site with our complete set of vacation pictures. Feel free to message us if you have any questions regarding our stay. I would recommend the HAT Ranch B&B to all of our friends and family!

Experienced many wineries from the willamette valley in Oregon to Boise, where my girlfriend and I just relocated to. This small and young winery is our favorite, they are very personable and educated about the wine they produce. We have been to the winery twice in less than a month to pick-up our new favorite wine. Hat Ranch has produced a Tempranillo, which is a grape native to Spain. The Tempranillo wine they have produced is to die for!! Words cant describe this full-bodied red wine, you have to go experience it for yourself. They also have a fantastic red blend, riesling, and chardonnay. Again this is an excellent winery that is located by several other wineries so swing on in and check them out.

Although they were currently under remodel, the patio setting was relaxing and the hosts were very attentive and engaging. This was our last visit to wineries for the day and we had a fun, great time. Love to see the new tasting room when we return in the fall. Purchased several wines as well. Great ending to a great day!

From the minute you pull up you know you've come to a special place. The wine is amazing and the hospitality is just as awesome. Although small, the wines are big and bold. You won't regret you stopped here.

The wine from Hat Ranch is the best! Idaho wine is discussed on the Sunset magazine blog.

My boyfriend and I drove in from Portland to visit Boise and wanted check out some of the wineries- if you're ever in the area, go here! This was by far our favorite during our visit and Andrew, our wine guy, was amazing. He let us try a variety of wines that fit our taste and gave us a lot of information on the delicious wine! If you like varietal reds such as Malbecs or Tempranillo's this is a must stop! Whites and Rose were also great! We will definitely be back when we are visiting Boise! Thanks for the great experience!

First time going to this winery and we loved it. The two gentlemen working were amazing. Super friendly and truly cared about the wine! We felt very comfortable chatting with them even though we aren't huge wine people. We normally prefer the wineries that don't charge a tasting fee but we felt it was worth it! Great wine - we walked away with two bottles but could have bought more! We will be back and we will add them as a must stop when we bring visitors on a wine tour. Highly recommend for both the wine and the customer service.

I have been here a few times and have never had a bad experience. Their tasting room is quaint and the owners and others who work there all have extensive knowledge of their wines. Any wine you try from either their Hat Ranch or Vale label are awesome in their own ways. This is my top winery in the Snake River Valley. A definite must stop for your wine tour.