Cold Climate Nursery
Due to lack of nursery sources for cold climate grape vines that we regularly recommend, Great River Vineyard became a licensed nursery. Our main concern is vines that will withstand our amazing Minnesota winters without winter protection. Cold hardiness is a must!! Currently, our main stock consists of Frontenac, Frontenac Gris, Sabrevois, King of the North, Sipaska, Clinton, Prairie Star, Louise (Swenson), Lacrescent, Bluebell, Valiant, Chontay, Somerset Seedless, Summersweet.
In our early years we began to discover a number of grape varieties that were suitable to our severe climate and also had commercial value. None of these varieties were available in the wholesale nursery trade at that time. Efforts to introduce wood for propagation to established nurseries met with small orders or actual resistance. No nursery seemed to realize that a new industry was emerging and that it hinged upon the availability of these new grapes.
We had many people contact us looking for these varieties and found a huge need for a cold hardy nursery resource. We decided to go into the nursery business and fill that need. We became licensed as a commercial nursery, dedicated entirely to propagating extremely cold hardy grape varieties for the north. Now, when asked about cold hardy varieties we can offer growers a reliable source of quality vines fit for our northern climate.
We specialize in extremely cold hardy vines from the work of Elmer Swenson, and the ongoing work of the University of Minnesota. We also continually work to identify traditional and historic varieties that may have sufficient cold hardy and commercial quality to be of use to the northern grower.
Click here for a more detailed description of current varieties.
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