Meet the Grapes:
Marquette
Marquette is a close relative to the Pinot Noir grape. This variety was developed by the University of Minnesota and introduced to the market in 2006. Marquette is an ideal grape for our chilly Northern climate and short growing season. Marquette’s high sugar and low acidity make a complex and delicious wine. Our Marquette is smooth, rich, and complex without the tannic bite typically found in red wines. Our Marquette wines range from dry "Bird Dog" to semi-sweet "Second Child" and "Middle Child".
Frontenac
Frontenac is a hybrid of a native grape and the French Landot. Frontenac is very cold hardy and disease resistant, making it perfect for growing in the chill winters of Northern Iowa. The blue-black Frontenac grapes produce a deep, garnet-colored wine. It generally retains some of its wild "roots" with a distinctly grape flavor early on the palette, moving toward cherry, blackberry, black currant, and plum, especially with decanting. The brilliant balance of fruit and acidity creates a unique and complex red wine. Our Frontenac wines range from dry to semi-sweet. Our "Black Sheep" is almost-dry and our "Third Child" is semi-sweet.
Frontenac Gris
Frontenac Gris began as a mutation of Frontenac Grapes and every plant descended from a cutting of that one plant. Frontenac Gris yields a bronze fruit and amber-rose colored juice. Frontenac Gris wines are characterized by hints of citrus and tropical fruits. The wines can either be rose or white, and are generally crisp, refreshing, and fruity. Our Frontenac Gris "Oldest Child" wine is between semi-dry and semi-sweet.
Frontenac Blanc
Frontenac Blanc is a hybrid of a native cold-hardy grape and the French Landot. Frontenac Blanc is the white grape sister of a Frontenac. It has a light, crisp and fruity nature, uniquely different from the deep red Frontenac. This next year may be our first production of wine from this "Little Sister".
Edelweiss
June's favorite, the Edelweiss is a winter-hardy child of the Ontario grape. It was developed by Elmer Swenson in 1980 at the University of Minnesota. Edelweiss is characterized by it's distinct fruity and sweet flavor, described by some as strawberry-banana and some as cotton candy. Edelweiss produces large, golden fruit and a light golden wine. Ours is semi-dry.
Brianna
Brianna is a cold climate grape developed by Elmer Swenson. It yields medium to large, golden berries and a light gold wine. Brianna creates a wonderful semi-sweet table wine, with notes of peach, apricot, and pineapple flavors. Brianna is similar in taste to Edelweiss, but lacks the distinctive hints of cotton-candy, vanilla or brown sugar characteristic in its sister. Our Brianna grapes make two of our sweetest wines, and therefore, named "Favorite Child" and "Youngest Child" by our youngest child.
La Crescent
La Crescent is a cold climate grape developed by the University of Minnesota. It yields medium, golden berries and a light gold wine. The La Crescent grape's complex flavor was developed from crossing several varietals. La Crescent juice is often combined with our Edelweiss juice to enhance the complexity of the wine. La Crescent produces an aromatic wine with floral and tropical fruit flavors. You will find it in our Edelweiss, our most complex white wine.