Marshall's Great River Vineyard/Nursery is a family owned and operated vineyard established in 1988 just north of Lake City, Minnesota.  Located on the shores of the mighty Mississippi directly across Highway 61 from Lake Pepin, which is actually a widening of the Mississippi River that runs from just south of Red Wing, Minnesota to just north of Wabasha,  This natural phenomenon was created by the natural damming of the river by sand brought down by Wisconsin's Chippewa River at its confluence with the Mississippi.  This 25 mile widening of the river creates an excellent meso-climate for our vineyard which grows on the sandy/loam and gravel flats on the Minnesota side of Lake Pepin.  This site, most of it on glacial age lake bottom where pre-historic lakeshores and Indian mounds can still be seen, has proven very suitable to the growing of grapes.  The sandy loam soils under laden by deep gravel deposits has proven rich enough to encourage good growth without the overly vigorous growth often seen on richer soils. It also allows for excellent drainage of excess rains and spring runoff which can be harmful to vines.  Moreover the proximity of Lake Pepin discourages late spring frosts that can reduce the crop and often keeps early fall frost away that can damage the canopy and bring the growing season and the ripening process to a premature end.  Overall we feel we have one of the best sites for grape growing anywhere in the Upper Midwest and we invite you to stop by and see it for yourself.

Located on the Great River Road - Highway 61 - about 70 miles south of Minneapolis/St. Paul, 12 miles south of Red Wing and 3 miles north of Lake City.  We began experimenting long before and have been growing grapes in total for over 30 years.  After many years of trial and error we decided upon and began planting what we think are the perfect grapes for Minnesota's ferocious climate.  This is the fulfillment of our vision for northern grape growing and, in our view, the beginnings of a new and exciting agricultural crop for the far north.

Great River Vineyard does not operate a winery.  We specialize in selling wine grapes wholesale to regional wineries and selling table grapes to the public again, both wholesale and retail.  We also market extremely cold hardy grapevines mail-order, both wholesale and retail throughout the eastern U.S.  We feel this makes us a operation, largely unique in the Midwest.

  Our planting in Lake City, on the shores of beautiful Lake Pepin, began with the sweet and tasty Bluebell table grape and the hardiest grape known - the Valiant.  The Bluebell has become very popular as a table grape and a blend of these two grapes produced Minnesota's first fresh grape juice in 1994.  As the years have passed we have found more and more varieties that will grow both here and in many cold climates beset by extremely cold winters or short and/or cool growing seasons which limit what will grow successfully.  As the years have passed we have added these grapes which we believe have excellent potential for northern and cool sites and the list of suitable varieties continues to grow.  

In fact, thanks to the work of the University of Minnesota and the life of Elmer Swenson, we now have many new cold hardy wine varieties available to us.  Although we do not operate a winery we we are happy to share many of these grapes with home winemakers and commercial wineries throughout the region.  To get on our "home wine makers list" contact us at grv@mcshi.com and let us know if you're interested in picking your own wine grapes.  We have a "Pick Your Own Day" and would be glad to  have you become a part of that fun event. Commercial wineries are welcome to contact us as well as we supply various wineries around the Midwest and would be glad to help you out as well according to availability of given varieties.

Currently, we have nearly 9 acres of producing vines: Frontenac, Frontenac Gris,Frontenac Blanc, Prairie Star, Louise (Swenson), Lacrescent, Sabrevois, King of the North, Bluebell, Brianna, Valiant, Chontay, Sipaska, and Somerset Seedless.  All these varieties are available to homeowners and wineries via our cold hardy nursery as well.  We feel the varieties we have selected are very suitable to growing in many places around the region.  If you feel you are too far north keep in mind that there is an active North Dakota Grape Growers Association and a winery has opened in Manitoba as well. How far north successful grape growing will proceed can only be determined when people plant grapes and experiment with new varieties and develop experience that does not now exist.  It is an exciting time to be part of northern grape growing and we invite you to become a part of it..    .

  Thanks !