New wine bar offers casual, neighborhood spot in Idaho.
If you’ve been jonesin’ for a chill spot to sip wine and nosh on something delicious in Driggs, your answers have been met. Maison, located at 85 E. Little Avenue, opened its doors earlier this summer after years of dreaming about a comfortable, casual neighborhood spot in the owner and operators’ favorite town, Driggs, ID.
Jimmy and Julie Fraser’s dream finally has a home, when the 100-plus year-old cottage became available this past spring. They went to work on sprucing up the place, developing a retail space and organizing a menu of small bites to be enjoyed on site, or should we say dans la maison (French for in the house). The name Maison was thrown out casually by Julie when brainstorming names for their new dream wine spot, and it stuck.
If you’ve lived in the valley for some time, you’ll recognize Jimmy from former stints at the Bodega, Basecamp, The Bird and Eleanor’s. Fraser’s been working in restaurants since he was 14. The combination of kitchen jobs and learning about wine while selling it, has produced skills to curate a retail space of natural and old world wines to purchase as well as a small-bites menu to snack on while sipping. Maison’s retail space sells bottles, beers, fine eatable goods and freshly prepared picnic items. In the future, Fraser envisions a selection of prepared meals to grab on the way home from a day of skiing at Targhee this winter, perfect for when you’re just too skied out to cook.
Currently, the vibe of Maison is come as you are, buy wine and hang out for as long as you want. Maison has two wines and four beers on tap, and four house wine pours for those who want just a glass or 2. Currently their wines on tap are Two Mountain Sauvignon Blanc and Le Paradou Rose – perfect for summer sipping. As the weather gets cooler, these selections will change with a cab franc predicted to be on tap in the winter.
Let’s get to know the man pouring the wine: Jimmy Fraser
What is your favorite wine in the bottle shop?
My favorite bottle we sell is the Ruben Calvez Bobinet and by the glass our most popular pour is the Populis Wabi-Sabi. Wabi-sabi is a Japanese philosophy and aesthetic that encourages people to find beauty in imperfection and accept the transience of life.
How do you select your wine when purchasing? (I’m guilty of picking by the label sometimes...)
The old adage of the label sells the first bottle sometimes rings true for me. I usually gravitate towards French wines, with my top blends being cab franc and game noir. I tend to like light bodied reds.
Our wine is organized from dark to light, left to right, in our bottle shop. If you start browsing from the top left you’ll find big cabs and merlots, and finish at the bottom right with Sauvignon Blancs.
If it is your first time here, what should someone eat?
The shallot dip is a must! The tinned fish and/or meat and cheese plates are perfect to share with a bottle. Our homemade pasta is a definite must try too! All our food is made in-house, including our rotating ice cream. We’ve also partnered up with Early Bird Bakes for pastries and Salt Lick Popsicle for cold treats.
What’s on the horizon for the winter?
We’d love to provide a cozy après scene for folks who want to après in town. We will also be offering prepared meals to go. I’d like to host special wine dinners and pair wines we sell with a tasting menu in the future too. We live streamed a Phish concert the other night and we’ve hosted live music outside too. We want to offer a variety of experiences at Maison.
Maison is open Wednesday to Sunday from 3-9 p.m. The Frasers have created a special place at Maison, so go in, sip, savor, enjoy the beautiful outdoor seating and ask Jimmy to help you pick out a few bottles to take home. Follow them at @maisondriggs to keep up with their special offerings.
