Communit y
“Energy is the next wave,” Mahaffey says, talk- community. “We only knew two people in the
ing about the technology that produces al- whole state,” Mahaffey says. “But this is a very
most zero emissions. “If my career can end with welcoming place.”
a venture that helps clean up the environment,
Perhaps Mahaffey’s most lasting local legacy
I would say it’s been a good life.”
will be the successful application for the Snake
“What Idaho needs is some new bragging River Appellation that he and his volunteer
rights,” he adds. “We have the talent. We need team managed to complete in just 18 months,
to produce successful innovations that people record time. The appellation has given much
can point to.” needed recognition to wines produced in this
Eagle Chamber of Commerce President Teri
region. Eagle shares the 43rd parallel with Tus-
Bath has been especially appreciative of Ma-
cany—both regions have hot days and cool
haffey’s efforts on behalf of the community,
nights, and loamy soil perfect for grape grow-
especially during the
ing. “There’s a huge
current challenging “It would be too hard to list all
potential for the
economy. “It would be
the things he has done for Eagle.
wine industry here,”
too hard to list all the
Mahaffey says.
things he has done for
He champions so many efforts
One of the first
Eagle,” Bath says. “He for this community.” things he did after
champions so many
—Teri Bath, Eagle Chamber of
buying his Casa d’
efforts for this com- Aquila property near
munity. He has tre-
Commerce President
Beacon Light and
mendous insights and Ballantyne was have
haffey’s garage, so at 11:00 that night, he
knowledge for both the tech industry and the the soil tested. Then he planted some Merlot,
drove 12,000 pounds of grapes to local author
wine industry—two areas where we hope we Syrah, and Sangiovese grapes. Last October,
Elaine Ambrose’s house in Two Rivers, where
can grow local jobs for our community.” when the grapes were less than a week from
they survived the night in her garage (see
Like many Eagle residents, Mahaffey is a self-
harvest, a sudden cold snap forced Mahaffey
Ambrose’s four sentence novel on the event
selecting transplant to the West. The Ma-
to get the fruit off the vines as quickly as pos-
at right). “Lloyd is a community leader, an as-
haffey’s decided to relocate here after choos-
sible. He enlisted members of the Cole Val-
tute businessman, and my good friend,” says
ing Idaho as a vacation spot in 2002 and falling
ley Christian football team, who worked the
Ambrose.
in love with the area. They lived in Pittsburgh,
fields until 10:30 that night. The boys worked
Mahaffey recently realized the fruits of those
Pennsylvania at the time. In 2004, their daugh-
so fast to harvest the grapes that they forgot
labors with the introduction of his winery’s
ter was entering middle school, and they de-
to calculate how much they weighed. When
first commercially available vintage, a pinot
cided to move to Eagle. Mahaffey’s wife Judy
the tractor wouldn’t lift the brimming bins,
noir called Periple. Local winemaker Angie Riff
does volunteer work in the community. They
they devised a clever counterweight system.
and Lloyd’s partner, who trained under the es-
have been married almost 20 years and have
“We learned it takes five linemen to counter-
teemed Helen Turley (one of the great Ameri-
two children, a son who will be a freshman
balance 2000 pounds of grapes,” Mahaffey
can winemakers), produced the wine.
at Boise State this fall, and a daughter who is
laughs.
Mahaffey grew up in North Carolina, doing his
junior at Cole Valley Christian School. The Ma- The fully loaded trailer wouldn’t fit into Ma-
undergraduate work at the Citadel, the mili-
haffey’s quickly put down roots in their new
16 l www.eaglemagazine.com
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