Wine Grapes
When we began experimenting with grapes back in the 1970s none of the wine varieties then available were cold hardy enough to be reliable in Minnesota. David Bailly of Alexis Bailly Vineyard at Hastings, MN and others were experimenting with French Hybrid grapes that had been hybridized in France as one way to combat the Phylloxera epidemic that was killing off the vineyards in France and throughout Europe in the late 1800s. Bailly found a source of these in the U.S. and began to plant some. He soon found he was having some success with Seyval, Leon Millot, and Marechal Foch. However, none were reliably cold hardy in the region and froze off over winter. Among these the closest grape, then identified as a wine variety, that was hardy as well was Marechal Foch (commonly call "Foch") but even this grape was hardy only down to about -20 F or a little below. Since we often get temperatures well below this, serious growers were forced to bury them in soil or cornstalks to be sure of getting a crop the following year. Other French Hybrids being tested were even less hardy and the pure Vitis Vinifera grapes from California and Europe always froze off unless covered in winter. Although Bailly and some others undertook this project of burying vines every fall after harvest we here at GRV felt this labor intensive practice was not practical in the long run.
Thus when we began making our first serious plantings we rejected wine grapes as being impractical but we knew of some grape juice and table grapes that were reliably cold hardy and thus we intially moved toward table grapes and making grape juice. We found that both these products were successful and sold well. Although we continue to sell table grapes and regard them as a very high profit/acre product grape juice proved to be a high input product that was marginally profitable. In 2004 we ceased making grape juice despite excellent price and demand. We found that in order for it to become profitable we had to increase our volume greatly and begin wholesaling. Since the availability of local juice grapes was restricted and wholesaling would subject us to several more state regulations that were going to be expensive we had to turn away from grape juice and move on.
However, Elmer Swenson, who had been hybridizing grapes since the 1940s began to get more serious about his work and his hybrids were starting to get notice in many parts of the U.S. and even abroad. Even so, we discovered that his first releases, St. Croix, St. Pepin and Lacrosse were really no hardier than Foch and thus could not offer us the reliability we needed. Even Kay Gray, that was in fact quite hardy was difficult to make wine of and thus all of them fell rather flat during the 1980s and early 90s. While some of these did make an impact in Nebraska, Iowa and Northern Illinois, growers in Minnesota found them lacking.
Although local growers held Elmer's work in high esteem it was not until the University of Minnesota's grape hybridization program matured and was able to release Frontenac that we began to see dramatic growth and expansion of the area's wine industry. The visibility and the faith people had in the University's work brought a certain acceptability to local wines and wine growing. Soon the University followed with Lacrescent, Frontenac Gris and Marquette. All of them have proven to be great successes in terms of public acceptance and this has brought the industry along. More recent Swenson releases have had the hardiness growers need and thus both of these programs have pushed the industry along as a whole and with increasing speed. Thus we have moved from 4-5 wineries in the late 90's to over 30 today, barely 15 years later. Despite predictions of over-production and saturation, vineyards are being planted and wineries are opening at an increasing speed. Where it will end and how large it will get no one can say but it is an exciting time to be part of northern grape growing and winemaking.
Therefore despite uncertain beginnings the wine industry and the grapes upon which it will depend have come of age. Elmer Swenson's work is being recognized for its value in both hardiness and quality and the University of Minnesota's Hybrids have created the visibility the industry always lacked in past. If interested in wine grapes either for planting at your home or for a business opportunity please see our nursery catalog for a description of varieties we offer. If interested in a pick your own opportunity send us a note regarding our pick your own day. We would be glad to have you aboard for that fun event.
These grapes are
available either pick your own or picked.
Contact us at: grv@mchsi.com