Itasca
Developed at the University of Minnesota, ‘Itasca’ is the newest wine grape that will be available to growers in 2017. Offering disease resistance, winter hardiness, and improved wine chemistry such as lower acid than other hybrids, ‘Itasca’ will create new opportunities for grape growers and wine makers across the cold-climate wine growing regions. With aromas of apple, pear, and violet and lower acidity, this selection is very well suited to making dry white wines and sparkling wines.

Hardy to around -30F. Quite vigorous. This offspring of Edelweiss was an attempt by Elmer Swenson to improve upon that variety. We think that Swenson White is a great improvement! Trailing growth habit suited to top wire cordon. Large berries on large clusters makes this selection easy to harvest. Ripens mid to late season to just over 20 brix, but has thick skins that allow it to hang on the vine very late. In warmer climates, Swenson White may develop labrusca aromas if over ripe.

Crimson Pearl
This new red wine selection is a sister seedling of Petite Pearl, from breeder, Tom Plocher. Crimson Pearl has shown itself to be more winter hardy and earlier ripening than Petite Pearl. Juice is less dark than Petite Pearl and less tannin in skins, but has excellent balance of tannin, acid, and alcohol. Best wines to date were a very fruity cold soak rose, a saignee rose, and a soft fruity dry red. All had complex aromas of temperate climate fruits.

Hardy to -35F. This is a sister seedling of St. Croix. Ripens about a week after St. Croix to around 20 brix. Very good disease resistance, this is one of the toughest vines that we grow. Trailing growth habit with strong vigor. This variety may prove useful in areas too cool for most other varieties. Seems to produce better wines in cool years or from colder sites. Sometimes develops off-aromas on hot sites. Wine is dark in color and fruity with nice berry aromas and flavors.

Cold Hardy to -32F. This new red wine variety was bred by the esteemed Minnesota viticulturist and author, Tom Plocher. It Ripens after Marquette to around 24 brix and 6-7 g/l acidity. The wine has a dark garnet color. It shows complexity in aroma and flavor that can be easily shaped by yeast selection and blending. Moderate levels of French oak are suggested. Petite Pearl begins growth rather slowly in the spring, making it less susceptible to spring frost than many other varieties.

Louise Swenson is another Minnesota hybrid grape, developed by pioneer grape hybridizer Elmer Swenson (and named after his wife Louise). Both tough and tender, this grape can withstand freezing winter temperatures and short summers, and still produce wines that are fresh and light-bodied with a pleasing minerality. Consistently hardy to -40F. Rarely requires shoot pruning. Wine can be outstanding with aromas of flowers, honey and tangerine.

Cold Hardy to -35F. This is a very vigorous vine with immunity to downy mildew and fair resistance to powdery mildew. Black rot must be controlled. Buds out mid season and ripens late to 25 brix or higher. Wine is garnet in color with an intense cherry, plum and sometimes chocolate aromas. Frontenac has proven itself very versatile in the winery. In addition, medium bodied red table wines, excellent rose or port wines are also being made from Frontenac.

This mutation of Frontenac was found growing at the U of MN. Culturally it is identical to Frontenac, with great hardiness and good disease resistance. Small grey to bronze berries are born on medium sized, loose clusters. Suitable for high quality table and dessert wines, possibly ice wine as well. When given a short period of skin contact, or when blended with cold pressed Frontenac, Frontenac gris makes an amazing rose. Ripens mid season with aromas that include grapefruit, peach, & pineapple

This is the newest mutation of the Frontenac family. In the vineyard, Frontenac blanc performs identically to Frontenac and Frontenac gris. Very productive, vigorous, immune to downy mildew, and hardy to near -36F. Berries are yellow to gold when ripe, producing a very light straw colored wine. Exposure of clusters to full sun will achieve the best aromatics. Wine can be outstanding , expressing more pure stone fruit and melon in the nose. Ripens late mid season with moderate to high acidity.