Our Grapes
Red Grapes
Until recently, red grapes have been a challenge in our cold climate. We grow mostly Marquette, a promising release that was patented in 2006 by the University of Minnesota. It has Pinot Noir in its pedigree, tends to be lower in acid than other cold hardy varieties, and we think this is a very special grape for us. We were the first vineyard/winery to grow and sell South Dakota Marquette commercially. We are also growing some St. Croix and a few Frontenac and Sabrevois plants in the original "hobby" vineyard.
MoreWhite Grapes
There are a number of cold-hardy wine grapes that are good for white wine. First and foremost for us is Brianna, a nice big grape that grows in tight clusters. More importantly, it makes a wonderful fruity wine with a pineapple nose and a taste that is special. We also grow Frontenac Gris, (that has very nice apricot notes and a pretty orange color), La Crescent (fruity citrus notes), and St. Pepin (good for late harvest wine and an excellent sweet dessert wine). St. Pepin is unique in that it is a pistillate female that needs to be grown close to male plants that pollinate them at just the right time. The extra planning seems to be worth it.
MoreOther Fruit
Rhubarb
Our friend Jan Sanderson provided us with some wonderful rhubarb plants that we ferment along with grape concentrate. >>>
Raspberries
Our raspberry patch keeps getting bigger and bigger. It takes a lot of time to pick these babies, but the wine we make is really worth it. Some people say that blending raspberry with anything else will only make it better. I tend to agree. >>>
Pear
We got pears from our friend Danielle after everyone else had gotten their fill. It was a great year for their pear trees! They make a delicate but fruity wine.>>>