09/19/2026
Inspired by summer trips spent teaching geology classes in Sardinia, Italy, one of the world’s preeminent w**e regions, C.J. Northrup and his wife, Janet, dreamed of owning a small vineyard and w**ery.
In 2012, the couple bought 6 acres in Caldwell’s Sunnyslope area and planted grapevines. A decade later, they opened a tasting room called Famici W**e Co. The w**ery is a labor of love made possible in part by the University of Idaho’s Food Technology Center and Agribusiness Incubator, located at the Caldwell Research and Extension Center. The facility offers specialized processing and packaging equipment and educational assistance to aspiring food entrepreneurs, as well as space and support for agricultural enterprises, including w**eries.
At the 2026 Pacific Northwest W**e Competition, which included 644 entries, Famici earned, along with five gold medals and one silver, six double-gold medals, awarded when the judges make a unanimous decision. Famici was also recognized as having the top white w**e and rosé in the 2026 Idaho W**e Competition.
“It’s good validation that we’re doing the work in the vineyard and the w**ery to make w**es of high quality,” Northrup said of the accolades. “Our w**ery wouldn’t exist without the Food Technology Center. If that space wasn’t available, it would be virtually impossible for people of regular means to be able to do this kind of thing.”
🔗 Read the full story: https://www.uidaho.edu/newsroom/Caldwell-incubator-supports-w**eries
