Minnesota Wine Trivia

   David A. Bailly, founder of Alexis Bailly Vineyard, aspired to

        make a great Minnesota wine. French winemakers have long

        held that in order to produce great wine, the grapevines must

        endure hardship - wind, sleet, snow, and drought.

        Enthusiastically, Bailly adopted the motto, "Where the grapes

        can suffer."

   In August of 2005, Minnesota’s very first AVA was approved

        and established as “Alexandria Lakes Viticultural Area” in

        Douglas County. Robert Johnson on behalf of Carlos Creek

        Winery filed the petition for the area. “This approval will put

        Minnesota on the map as a wine producing state,” said

        Johnson. “The Viticultural Area puts Minnesota on the same

        level of official recognition as that of Napa or Sonoma areas in

        California.

   July 22, 2009 the Upper Mississippi River Valley AVA is

        established and becomes the largest wine region in the

        world.  Spanning portions of four states including Minnesota;

        it is 39 times the size of Napa Valley! 

   Minnesota has 24 wineries, approximately 50 commercial

        vineyards, and many hundred small hobby vineyards.

   “Minneapolis lies at the same latitude as the Bordeaux region

        of France (45 degrees North), and several hundred miles farther

        south than the great Rheingau region of Germany. As in these

        regions, the summers in south-central Minnesota are well

        suited to grape vines -- sunny, warm, and with ample rainfall.

        Also, we too have an abundance of good vineyard sites, with

        rolling hills and bluffs along rivers and lakes.”

        --Northern Vineyards Winery

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Minnesota's Award Winning Wines

   Minnesota wineries have been producing awarding winning wines

   for the last two decades. Listed below are the most celebrated

   wines.  See the wineries' web sites for more award-

   winning wines in the gold, silver, and bronze categories.


   The Minnesota Gold Medal Winners

 

   WineHaven Winery of Chisago City, MN won three gold medals at

   the 7^th annual Finger Lakes International Wine Competition in New

   York, March 31^st-April 1st, 2007.  WineHaven’s 2006 Riesling

   earned a gold medal in the highly competitive Riesling category.

   WineHaven’s Deer Garden Red also won a gold medal and

   WineHaven’s Raspberry Wine won a rare “Double Gold” medal.

   This honor is reserved for wines receiving top scores by all 5

   judges in the scoring panel. 

 

   Falconer Vineyards of Red Wing, MN won the gold medal at the

   Indy International Wine Competition for their 2005 Frontenac Port

   and also achieved a gold medal for their 2006 Frontenac.

  

   St. Croix Vineyards of Stillwater, MN won the gold medal at the

   International Eastern Wine Competition for their 2005 Vignoles.

   In 2009, they won the double gold for their Seyval Blanc at the Indy

   International Wine Competition and Marechal Foch at the

   International Cold Climate Wine Competition.

  

 

   Minnesota State Fair Winners

 

   Morgan Creek Vineyards of New Ulm, MN placed first in the

   white wine competition at the Minnesota 2008 State Fair for their

   Zeitgeist wine and first in the red wine competition for their Saint

   John Reserve.  Both of these wines have also placed in the San

   Francisco competition and the Mid American Wine Competition

   in 2007 along with being chosen to be served at the Slow Food

   Nation taste event in San Francisco Labor Day weekend. 

 

   

   Best of Show Awards

 

   Cannon River Winery won the prestigious Midwestern Regional

   "Best of Show" at the 14th annual Twin Cities Food and Wine

   Experience for their 2006 Cannon River Red wine and their

   Classic White won the 2009 "Best of Show Award".

 

   Fieldstone Vineyards won the “Best of Show” award at the 13th

   annual Twin Cities Food & Wine Experience held in February, 2007

   for their Frontenac Gris wine, competing with 70 different Minnesota

   wines. 

 

   WineHaven Winery Slippery Slope White Ice Wine won the “Best

   of Show” award at the first International Cold Climate Wine

   Competition, held August 2009.

   Honorable Mention

   St Croix Vineyard’s Raspberry Infusion wine received this

   acknowledgement from the Minneapolis Star Tribune. “This

   massive dessert wine begs to be consumed with chocolate.”

   WineHaven Winery of Chisago, MN received rave reviews in 2005

   for its Riesling in Wine Spectator magazine, USA Today called

   WineHaven a “notable producer,” and WineHaven’s popular gold

   medal Honeywine was featured as a “top pick” on the Fine Living

   Network’s television show Simply Wine with Andrea Immer.