The warmest parts of Minnesota are in USDA climate zone 4b so wine grapes there have to withstand -25F from time to time. Rising to meet the challenge, The University of Minnesota has developed a cutting edge reputation for developing new varieties of cold climate grapes. Some of these new grape varietals, including LaCrescent, Frontenac and Frontenac Gris, are so new by wine grape … [Read more...]
Publisher's note: This article is the first in a four part series for winemakers by Nick Smith with the Enology Laboratory at the University of Minnesota. Future stories in the series include "Treatment of Wine to Reduce Hazing" and "Methods for Testing Heat Stability." Snow globes make a nice holiday present and collector item. Your wine however, should be purchased for drinking, not as … [Read more...]
(Publisher's note: This article is the first installment in a monthly feature about noteworthy or award winning wine labels from Midwest wineries.) Winery owner Micheal Bullock thought he had a great name for a white wine that he wanted to market to women: Lady Slipper. Aside from the soft shoe connotation, Lady Slipper orchids are the state flower of Minnesota, the home state of … [Read more...]
Midwest Wine Press recently compiled current TTB data to arrive at the number of wineries in the Midwest. (This tabulation method entails acceptance of the TTB definition of a winery which is subject to debate.) The number of wineries in the Midwest as defined by the 11 states in the Midwest Wine Press market area is now 1,132. There are now also 43 organized wine trails in the Midwest. … [Read more...]
Last fall, I was having a discussion with one of my volunteer pickers about tasting local wines. He had recently visited some local wineries and mentioned one in particular. "It didn’t feel right. It didn’t have a northern winery flavor. All of their wines were the same old California styles," he said. We went on to discuss the differences between vinifera and hybrid wine styles and … [Read more...]
It's possible that winemaker Nan Bailly's kin enjoyed native Minnesota wine during canoe trips through the state in the 1820's when it was still wilderness. Bailly, owner, winegrower and winemaker at Alexis Bailly Vineyard, has a picture of her Minnesota voyageur ancestor, also named Alexis Bailly, in the tasting room of the winery. The original intrepid Bailly explorer would be proud … [Read more...]
Midwestern wineries are increasingly taking advantage of the opportunity to use mobile bottling. Aside from avoiding the massive expense of purchasing bottling equipment, mobile bottling saves hours of labor compared to hand bottling. Still, mobile bottling requires a considerable amount of preparation on the part of the winery. Recently, Midwest Wine Press spoke with two relatively new … [Read more...]
Twenty eight wineries from Minnesota, South Dakota and Wisconsin poured at the 2012 Midwest Wine Stroll at the 2012 Cold Climate Conference in St. Paul Minnesota on February 24, 2012 April 13, 2012, update: 2012 Midwest Wine Stroll Winners Best White- Snowy White- Falconer Vineyard & Winery Best Red- (Tie) Frontenac and Marquette- Hinterland Vineyards Best Label- Lady Slipper- … [Read more...]
Many attendees of the various recent Midwestern wine conferences were entrepreneurs gathering information to start a winery. At the Cold Climate Conference in St. Paul on February 24th, 2012, a panel made up of Midwest winery owners discussed various considerations for starting a winery. Participants in the discussion were: Karin Koenen, Hinterland Vineyards, Clara City, Minnesota, … [Read more...]
As more people seek their region’s local foods to purchase, more than 1,000 new farmers markets began operating across the country last year. As of mid-2011, 7,175 farmers markets were recorded, reports the U.S. Department of Agriculture. Considering that consumer interest in local foods has helped foster interest in regional wines, farmers markets and wineries would seem a natural coupling, … [Read more...]
Recently, Midwest Wine Press spent time with Clara Orban, the author of Wine Lessons: Ten Questions to Guide Your Appreciation of Wine. Clara not only chairs the Department of Modern Languages at … [Read More...]
Publisher's note: This is the second in a three part series on how wineries structure successful events Lacking the dramatic backdrop of vineyards, urban wineries, such as family owned Easley … [Read More...]
