Map quest completed
Posted on July 16th, 2009 – 7:44 AMBy Bill Ward
Today’s Liquid Assets column was the incentive I needed.
I’d been hoping for a long while to add Minnesota wineries to the map on the top right of this page. (Actually, I had hoped for a separate map for them, but I’m fine with this; might actually prefer it. And molto grazie to Chandra Akkira for making this happen!)
Anyway, at some point soon, I’ll try to add the hours that these places are open. Just wanted to get the boilerplate stuff done for now. (And there’s a lot more to come on this page, including recommended red wines and Wine Country travel tips.)
I think Minnesota wines have improved markedly in the last five years. I’m not saying that the wines, often priced in the $14-$18 range, are as good as the better wines from long-established growing regions at that price point — but they’re better than a lot of them.
Growing grapes and making wine in Tundraland is not for sissies — I’ll be posting soon on the latest bad news for the state’s oldest winery. But rewarding these people’s efforts is not the only reason to buy these wines. Nor is state pride. The proof need to be in the bottle, and more and more it actually is.
Plus, a nice ride out in the country and some time spent sipping on some juice at a scenic vineyard is not a sucky way to spend a lovely summer’s day. There should be no obligation to buy — you’ve already spent some dough on petrol to get there — but more and more, there’s incentive to do so.
One response to "Map quest completed"
It has been said that Minnesota wines just don’t get enough credit, but Saint Croix Vineyards has been producing award-winning wines for years. Recently, it took the Best of Show, receiving a double gold for their delicious white wine Seyval in the Indiana International Wine Competition. Wineries from around the world – including large operations such as Gallo, and countries like France, Argentina, Australia, and New Zealand – submitted wines to be judged. Beating out 1,700 other white wines, this is the first Minnesota wine to ever earn the prestigious Best of Show award in this highly regarded international competition. The U of M varietals Frontenac and LaCrescent also took home silver and bronze, respectively. It just goes to show that Minnesota wines are flourishing, and with the introduction of the cold-hardy grapes developed at the University of Minnesota, Minnesota wineries are finally gaining a competitive edge and a positive reputation they deserve.
