Our Grapes

Temperatures in Vermont can frequently dip below zero.  And while our summers are short, they are often hot and humid.  Grape varieties grown in our climate must be disease resistant and hardy enough to withstand such extremes of cold and humidity.

Meet our Grapes

	Marquette This Pinot Noir hybrid developed by the University of Minnesota is super cold hardy and disease resistant while producing outstanding quality red wines with complex notes of cherry, berry, pepper and spice.
	St. Croix This cold hardy hybrid, developed by Elmer Swenson is well suited to our climate.  It produces red wine with berry, tobacco and spice characteristics and is used primarily for blending.
	LaCrescent A recent hybrid developed at the University of Minnesota has excellent winter hardiness and produces white wines with distinct apricot, citrus and peach aromas and flavors.  Wines can be made off-dry or sweet.
	Louise Swenson An Elmer Swenson hybrid (and named after his wife), this varietal makes white wines light in body with a moderate acidity and with delicate aromas of flowers and honey.  Well suited for blending.
	Prairie Star Another Elmer Swenson hybrid.  This white wine grape produces wine with a delicate floral nose and is best used as a blending component to add body to a thinner wine.
	Vidal Blanc A hardy French American hybrid white wine grape.   Requires a long season to produce the sugars needed for dessert wines.  Used primarily for late harvest dessert wines and ice wines.
	Riesling Considered one of the “Noble” grape varieties, this traditional cool climate European grape (vitis Vinifera) produces a wonderfully aromatic  crisp white wine with bright acidity and notes of peach and honeysuckle in our vineyard.
	Arctic Riesling This grape has winter hardy qualities with a unique pear flavor profile and is used for our signature late harvest dessert and ice wines.  The nursery stock for this vinifera varietal was supplied to us in 2000 by the pioneering Konstantin Frank Finger Lakes vineyard.
	Petite Pearl A very new Minnesota hybrid red wine grape with excellent cold hardiness and disease resistance.  Produces complex wines with soft tannins and low acidity.