Welcome to Sheppard Fruit Wines

Hello, from Jim and Julie Sheppard, owners of Sheppard Fruit Wines.

We started making fruit wines as a hobby in 1998.  The abundance of wild blackberries and elderberries, and old orchards of pear and plum trees in the area, provided a bountiful supply of fruit we could glean for wine making.  Diligence with the winemaking science soon paid off with consistent, beautiful and delicious wines.  In January of 2007, we began to turn our growing hobby into a commercial endeavor, motivated by accolades for our wines.  Our winery now produces over 800 cases a year, and is widely available throughout North Idaho, as well as Central and Eastern Washington State.

The wines we create are just from the fruit on the individual labels, as per our motto, "No grapes were harmed in the making of this wine".  We challenged the industry standard for fruit wines by finishing them in the Dry range, just like a Fine grape wine.  The results are carefully balanced wines with emphasis on the fruit taste, that are not overly sweet.  This style enables the wines to be paired with meals and appetizers, and having a freshness that can be enjoyed anytime.