Now that harvest season is officially here, let’s learn a little bit more about the grape varieties we grow onsite!
Some quick numbers:
- 2 acres of grapes
- 900 vines
- 9 varieties (5 red, 4 white)
- 3 tons harvested each year
- 3200 bottles of wine produced
- Fun fact: It takes anywhere from 1.5-2lbs of grapes to produce a 750mL bottle of wine!
The first grapes planted at the vineyard were Valiant back in 2002. Since then, we’ve expanded to 9 varieties total including Frontenac, Marquette, Petite Pearl, St. Croix, Frontenac Gris, La Crescent, Itasca, & Niagara. With the exception of Niagara, these are hybrid grape varieties that were developed and bred in the Midwest (primarily at the University of Minnesota). These grapes are cold-hardy and commonly found across the Midwest, New York, New England, and even parts of southern Canada.
Read on to learn a little bit more about each variety!
St. Croix (red)
St. Croix was developed at the University of Minnesota as a side project for their fruit tree manager, Elmer Swenosn, and released in 1982.
- Flavor profile: black cherry, blackberry, plum, earthy, & spice
- Our wine: St. Croix, Estate Blend
- Our first planting: 2003
Valiant (red)
Developed at South Dakota State University, Valiant grapes are a cross between wild riverbank grapes native to northern US and Cananda and the cultivated variety Fredonia. Both these grapes are similar in flavor to the popular Concord grape resulting in a hybrid grape with a strong jammy flavor that is most common as a table grape or used in jam making.
- Flavor profile: jammy & tart
- Our first planting: 2002
- Our wine: PB& J, Chocolate Dessert wine
Marquette (red)
Released in 2006 from the University of Minnesota, Marquette is a hybrid grape variety that can be traced back to the Frontenac & Pinot Noir varieties. It’s most commonly used to produce dry, barrel-aged reds. While it is a cold hardy variety, it breaks bud early, leaving the grapes in danger from late frosts – an issue that we at Zorvino ran into in 2023.
- Flavor profile: cherry, berry, black pepper, & spice
- Our first planting: 2008
- Our wine: Marquette, Estate Blend
Petite Pearl (red)
Petite Pearl was released in 2009 from the University of Minnesota. This variety gets its name from the small berries and dense clusters it grows. It is particularly cold hardy with a late bud break, late harvest – here at Zorvino it is usually one of the last varieties to be harvested towards the end of September – and even if the first buds are killed off by late frost, the secondary buds can be up to 80% fruitful.
- Flavor profile: blueberry, cherry, plum, & spice
- Our first planting: 2017
- Our wine: Petite Pearl, Estate Blend
Frontenac (red)
Frontenac was released in 1996 from the University of Minnesota and marked the start of widespread interest in cold hardy grape varieties. It is now the most wildly planted red wine grape in Minnesota. With its high levels of sugar & acidity, it’s a good option for rosés, ice wines, & dessert wines.
- Flavor profile: cherry, black currant, & red fruit
- Our first planting: 2008
- Our wine: Chocolate dessert wines
Frontenac Gris (white/rose)
Released in 2003 from the University of Michigan, Frontenac Gris originated from a genetic mutation on a Frontenac vine that was then isolated, propagated, and eventually developed as its own variety. The name, “Gris,” comes from the French word for gray and refers to the pale pinkish/gray color of the skin. After harvest, this grape can be pressed immediately for a lighter wine or allowed to sit on the skins for a deeper color & flavor profile.
- Flavor profile: peach, pineapple, honey, & florals
- Our first planting: 2008
- Our wine: Harvest Blush
Niagara (white)
First developed & sold in the late 1800s in New York, Niagara is the oldest grape variety we grow here at the vineyard! It’s a cross between a Concord (a red grape) and a Cassady (a white grape) and is most commonly used to make white grape juice.
- Flavor profile: foxy, apple, & floral
- Our first planting: 2005
- Our wine: Sandown’s Finest Niagara
La Crescent (white)
La Crescent was first released in 2002 from the University of Minnesota. It can be traced back to Muscat grapes – the grape used in making Moscato – and is known for being very aromatic. It’s commonly used for making off-dry or sweeter wines.
- Flavor profile: apricot, citrus, & tropical fruit
- Our first planting: 2006
- Our wine: La Crescent, Harvest Blush
Itasca (white)
Itasca was a recent release back in 2017 from the University of Minnesota. As a newer grape, it allows for more experimentation in wine-making but has commonly been used to make drier whites similar to Sauvignon Blanc. It’s the newest addition to our vineyard. With only 60 vines planted and seeing our first real harvest in 2022, we’ve only produced enough to blend into other wines like the Harvest Blush.
- Flavor profile: butterscotch, honeysuckle, kiwi, honeydew, & pear
- Our first planting: 2018
- Our wine: La Cresent, Harvest Blush
Learn more about harvesting
