Minnesota wine

Viticulture in Minnesota called viticulture in the U.S. state of Minnesota. According to U.S. law, each state and each county is a protected designation of origin by definition and does not need to be recognized by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives as such.

Minnesota has a continental climate. Thus, the winter temperatures are far more influenced by polar below zero degrees Celsius, Minnesota is considered to be the coldest state of Alaska. Summers are against it - especially in the south of the state - hot and humid. Throughout the winter can cause cold waves and blizzards. The annual average temperature varies between two and eight degrees Celsius.

Due to the adverse conditions and the short growing season there is a significant proportion of French hybrid vines and native American descendants of wild vines. After the harvest, the vines is sometimes pressed the earth between the rows of vines to the vines during the month of November for protection. So you formed about 40 centimeters high and 50 centimeters wide hills that protect the vine against excessive frost.

The Rebzüchter Elmer Swenson worked long on the breeding of new, hardy vines, among others, Edelweiss and St. Croix. At the University of Minnesota, the vine breeding institute in the state where Bluebell and later became a part of Swenson's already created varieties, increased effort for growing extremely winter hardy grape varieties are undertaken since the 1980s. Lately, the varieties Frontenac, Frontenac Gris, La Crescent and Marquette were brought to market.