GRAPES OF THE gREAT nORTHERN WINES
Cold Hardy Grapes
The University of Minnesota is recognized as one of the top wine grape research programs in the country, with the goal of developing high-quality, cold-hardy, and disease-resistant wine grape cultivars. The wine grape breeding program began in the mid-’70s, and in 2000 an enology lab and research winery opened at the Horticultural Research Center, just 10 miles from the location of the Vineyard at Sovereign Estate.
This close proximity has been an important factor in the successful growth of vines on our Estate. Since the Research Center shares similar growing conditions to that of our Estate, we can be confident the grapes varietals that The University of Minnesota cultivates will also thrive in our Vineyard.
Scroll down to learn more about the grape varietals planted in our Vineyard.
For more information about the University of Minnesota’s grape research, visit their Viticulture Website.
Marquette
Year Developed: 2006
Type: Red Wine
Description: The Marquette grape is a cold hardy, red wine grape variety with excellent disease resistance. The Marquette grape’s high sugar and moderate acidity make it very manageable in the winery. Finished wines are complex, with attractive ruby color, pronounced tannins, and desirable notes of cherry, berry, black pepper, and spice on both nose and palate. As a red wine, Marquette represents a new standard in cold hardy viticulture and enology.
Frontenac
Year Developed: 1996
Type: Red Wine, Rosé & Port
Description: Vigorous and very disease resistant. Wine has flavors of cherry and plum. Can be high in acidity.
Frontenac gris
Year Developed: 2003
Type: White Wine
Description: Frontenac gris wines present aromas of peach and apricot with hints of enticing citrus and tropical fruit. A brilliant balance of fruit and acidity creates lively, refreshing wines. Unique and complex flavors make the Frontenac gris grape excellent for table, dessert and ice wines. Frontenac gris vines are “grower-friendly” due to their winter hardiness, disease resistance, strong vigor, desirable growth habitat and high yield potential. Frontenac gris has proven sufficiently cold hardy for consistent production in central Minnesota where temperatures frequently reach -30°F when good viticulture practices are used.
La Crescent
Year Developed: 2002
Type: White Wine
Description: The La Crescent grape is a very cold hardy grape cultivar that produces a white wine of excellent quality, reminiscent of the cultivar Vignoles. Its relatively high sugar and acidity levels have encouraged winemakers to ferment La Crescent in a sweet or semi-sweet style. La Crescent wines commonly have aromas of apricot, peach, citrus and pineapple and lack strong herbaceous aromas or those associated with V. labrusca. La Crescent vines have tolerated vineyard temperatures as low as -36 F in early February with only minor bud loss. It ripens in mid-season.
Itasca
Year Developed: 2017
Type: White Wine
Description: Itasca, the University of Minnesota’s fifth cold-hardy wine grape, is the first cold-hardy variety with sufficiently low acidity to produce high quality, dry white wines. Itasca produces a clean, pleasant, light yellow to straw colored wine with a long finish. The wine features pear, quince, violet and melon aromas with subtle honey, mineral and floral notes, giving it great potential as a winemaker’s grape. This new grape variety is the latest in a series of cold-hardy cultivars released by the university that led to the nascent wine industry in Minnesota and other northern climates around the world. Itasca has low acidity and high sugar levels, coupled with high resistance to common grape pests (e.g., downy and powdery mildew and the insect phylloxera).
Wine Not?
viticulturist
Isaac Savaryn found a passion for viticulture quickly after the initial vines were planted at Sovereign in 2007. With inspiration from one of Sovereign Estate's original French wine interns and a little persuasion from his Father, Isaac decided to make a career in viticulture.
The Estate
Sovereign Estate is a family-owned and managed estate vineyard and winery located on the north shore of Lake Waconia. Open year-round for retail wine sales, wine tastings, bistro dining, live music, festivals, and so much more!
WineMaker
Ben Banks has been making wine since 2007 when his family decided to plant the vineyards at Sovereign Estate. In 2012, he became the head winemaker at Sovereign Estate and has produced all of their vintages since then