Bill Ringert is the owner of Cold Springs Winery in Hammett, Idaho, where we stayed the evening of May 11. Cold Springs is a participant in the Harvest Hosts program and allows RV campers on its property without charge (though a purchase of wine is considered appropriate).
We arrived after 5:00 on a Sunday afternoon, but Ringert was still at the tasting room waiting for us, and he gladly poured tastes of several of his wines for us. We started chatting about his background while tasting, and he eventually opened a bottle of one of his favorites and asked us to join him on the porch to continue our conversation.
Ringert got his Air Force wings at the age of 19 on July 27, 1953, the date the armistice agreement was signed for the Korean war. He decided that advancement opportunities in the military were limited and he joined Branniff as a commercial pilot in 1956. In 1962 he received his law degree, and began practicing agriculture law generally and water rights law specifically. In 1982 he was elected to the Idaho State Senate as a Republican, representing a district in Boise. He served until 1988 when he was defeated by a Democrat. During his legislative tenure he worked with Idaho’s two current United States Senators, James Risch and Mike Crapo.
In 1998, Ringert started planting vines at Cold Springs and produced his first vintage in 2002. At 86, he is now interested in selling the property, including all of its equipment, the house on the property, and his inventory of wines, for something over $2 million. Although his son and his daughter are interested in the wine business, it does not make sense for either of them to buy the property.
Given Ringert’s background in politics, our conversation quickly turned to the current political situation. He said that he does not trust Trump and believes Trump exhibits dictatorial tendencies. He even worries that Trump’s actions could lead to the early demise of our constitutional form of government. He believes that Trump is shrewd in his ability to manipulate public opinion, which further worries him.
RIngert expressed disappointment with his former colleagues Risch and Crapo, who are supporting Trump, and he believes they are short-sightedly acting in their own interests rather than the interests of the country and the people they represent.
When I asked Ringert which of the Democratic candidates for President might appeal to Republicans like him who are disaffected by Trump, he bemoaned the current large field. He said that he had recently seen a bit of Cory Booker on the news and thought his policies are sensible, but he is skeptical that many Republicans would support a black candidate.
Toni and I eventually excused ourselves, as I had had a long day on the bicycle, and we still needed to prepare dinner. I left impressed with Ringert’s thoughtfulness and dedication to public service and sorry that he now is enduring a turn of public events that is so disappointing to him. I hope he finds a buyer soon for his winery so that he can relax after a life of public service.