In a sense, each bottle that winemakers produce represents a series of experiments. Their knowledge of chemistry is on trial. There’s an expression of artistry as well as an ability to take what the vine provides and the grower nurtures.

Coco Umiker, a microbiologist before she became a winemaker, has been tested throughout her life. It started in earnest at the tender age of 11 when her battle against ovarian cancer began after spending nine hours on a Boise operating table. And yet, it’s apparent she thrives on competition, now more than ever when it comes to Clearwater Canyon Cellars, the project she owns and operates in historic Lewiston, Idaho, with her viticulturist husband, Karl Umiker.

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