By Karen Snyder

Minnesota, long celebrated for sky blue waters, has uncorked another vibrant liquid. It’s wine, made in Minnesota from Minnesota-grown grapes. Now, with vineyards beginning to speckle the state’s landscape and wineries opening apace (21 now and more to come), you can embark on a Minnesota wine tour.

Several wineries opened in the past year alone: Crofut Winery in Jordan, Garvin Heights Vineyard in Winona, Glacial Ridge Winery in Spicer, Olde Country Winery near Willmar and Salem Glen Vineyard near Rochester. Most wineries are in the southern half of the state, but the northern-most enterprise, Two Fools Vineyard, is in the far northwest near Thief River Falls.

Cold-Hardy Grapes

Credit cold-hardy grapes as the catalyst for the thriving new industry. Cold-hardy grapes are hybrids developed to survive frigid winters and make wine that tastes good. Harsh winters kill grapevines that aren’t cold-hardy unless the vines are laid down and buried, an arduous undertaking.

The University of Minnesota began its program for breeding wine grapes about 20 years ago, and introduced its first cold-hardy grape, the Frontenac, in 1996. Frontenac grapes are used to create a dry red wine. Three more varieties have followed, including the La Crescent, which produces a crisp white wine. Other cold-hardy varieties grown by Minnesota wineries include the St. Croix and St. Pepin, developed by a Wisconsin viticulturalist. St. Croix produces a dry red similar to a Merlot, and St. Pepin is a white similar to a Sauvignon Blanc.

These are some of the wines you’ll find at Minnesota wineries, but you’ll also find wines created from French and German varietals, such as Cabernet, Merlot, Chardonnay and Riesling, and wines crafted from blends of European and Minnesota varietals. Some Minnesota wineries eschew the grape and specialize in fruit wines. A few make honey wine, too.

Tastings & Events

All the wineries offer tastings of their wines, and some offer tours that explain the wine-making process. Several have gift shops with wine-related items. And many offer special events.

At WineHaven, the Celebration of Art and Wine Weekend June 7-8 will feature the handiwork of local artisans and cooking demonstrations. Arts and crafts, jazz and food will highlight Forestedge Winery’s art fair August 16-17.

St. Croix Vineyards, with 40 picnic tables and 50 acres, invites you to bring a picnic lunch and enjoy a stroll through the vineyards. The Cannon River Winery offers wine appreciation classes. Check winery websites for events scheduled for this spring and summer.

Winery settings are part of the appeal. The winery at Fieldstone is a 1930s dairy barn. Lanesboro Creamery became Scenic Valley Winery. Originally, Olde Country was a school. The back terrace at Northern Vineyards Winery in Stillwater overlooks the scenic St. Croix River. Many are in the countryside, while others are in charming towns with antique shops, art galleries and B&Bs, making for a nice weekend getaway.

Award-Winners

Minnesota-made wines are winning prizes. Alexis Bailly Vineyards owns a wall-full of honors. WineHaven wines have captured 120 awards, including gold medals in international competitions the last three years. “What fun to see the list of winners,” Kyle Peterson of WineHaven says, “Napa Valley, California . . . Bordeaux, France . . . Chisago City, Minnesota.”

“The fruit coming from Minnesota is unique,” says Paula Marti of Morgan Creek Vineyards which has earned awards, too. “Wine lovers are always searching for new and hidden treasure, and Minnesota has many treasures to offer.”

Wine Tour Sampler

Alexis Bailly Vineyard in Hastings was the state’s first winery, opening in 1978, long before the Minnesota hybrids were developed. Bailly’s vines of French hybrid grapes (Marechal Foch, Leon Millot, Seyval Blanc) were carefully buried each fall. “That is a long time we were producing wine without the aid of cold-hardy plants,” says Nan Bailly.

Today the vineyard grows both the French varieties, which are still buried for the winter, and the new cold-hardy grapes, and creates elegant dry table wines from both. Alexis Bailley’s new Voyaguer, a rich red wine, is a blend of Frontenac and French hybrids. It won “Best Wine of North America” award at the 2007 Vino Challenge in Atlanta.

“Our bucolic setting is reminiscent of vineyards in Tuscany and Provence,” Nan says. Highlights include the vine-covered deck, bocce ball courts, picnic area and resident dog, Jimmy, who loves to play.

Morgan Creek Vineyards, in the countryside between Mankato and New Ulm, is celebrating its tenth anniversary this year. Its owner, Georg Marti, is a descendent of August Schell, founder of the Schell Brewery in New Ulm. In keeping with this heritage, Morgan Creek features German varieties, producing Riesling and Gewurztraminer wines, in addition to wines using Minnesota hybrids.

You can “Winedown for the Weekend” at Morgan Creek every Friday night, May through October, on the winery’s portico with live jazz and pizza baked in a wood-fired oven. There are special events throughout the season, plus cooking classes; check their website for dates.

Ron and Kimberly Wothe bought an apple orchard near Spicer, enhanced it by planting a vineyard of Minnesota hybrid grapes, and opened Glacial Ridge Winery last August. Glacial Ridge also has a home winemaking center where customers can make their own wine. It’s fun and easy, Ron promises, and your wine will taste great. From August to October, several varieties of Minnesota apples are available, too.

“It’s not just grapes that make fine wine,” says Paul Shuster, owner of Forestedge Winery at Laporte, west of Leech Lake. The winery specializes in fruit wines, including rhubarb, berries, currants, chokecherries and blends thereof. The rhubarb is the signature wine, selected Best Minnesota Fruit Wine at the 2005 Twin Cities Food and Wine Experience. Visitors to Forestedge enjoy its nature trails, garden, a bistro and a gift shop.

The symbol of the WineHaven Winery in Chisago City is the bumble bee, and the winery is noted for its honey wines. There were beekeepers in the Peterson family long before they opened their winery in 1995. The diversity of Winehaven’s offerings is really representative of Minnesota winemaking. The Petersons use European varietals, Minnesota hybrids and fruits, as well as honey, to make their wide selection of wines.

Originally a fruit winery, Diamond Ridge Winery in Peterson expanded to grape and cooking wines, too, because creating wines is so much fun for owner Kerry Lea. “I consider myself a wine artist,” she says, “and I try to hit a little bit of everything - cooking, sweet fruit, dry grape, fortified, blended.” Four of her wines - Honeycrisp apple, Red Diamond raspberry, Valhalla grape and Hot Lips grape and jalapenos - earned medals at the 2007 Indiana International Wine Competition. “It’s fabulous to taste what you can do with Minnesota fruits,” she says.

“Minnesota wines differ from French, California, Australian wines,” Kerry Lea says, “just as Minnesota beaches differ from ocean beaches. You will very much enjoy the experience.”

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