Upper Mississippi Valley AVA
Encyclopedia
The Upper Mississippi River Valley AVA is an American Viticultural Area
covering 29,914 square miles (77 477 square kilometers) located along the Upper Mississippi River
and its tributaries in northeast Iowa, northwest Illinois, southeast Minnesota and southwest Wisconsin. Upon its approval on June 22, 2009, with the effective date of July 22, 2009, it became the world's largest designated appellation
. The boundaries of the AVA share the unique geographical connection of all being part of the Paleozoic Plateau, also known as the Driftless Area, and therefore do not have the same type of vineyard soils as wine regions that were in areas that have experienced glaciation in their history.
The first winery, Alexis Bailly Vineyard and Winery, in the area was opened in 1973 near Hastings, Minnesota
. At the time it was believed that this part of the Upper Mississippi Valley endured winters that were too cold to sustain viticulture
. Many of the areas within the Upper Mississippi River Valley AVA used to support tobacco farming. As smoking
fell out of fashion in the late 20th century and farmers began to lose their federal government subsidies, alternative agricultural options were explored. An agricultural extension agent from Vernon County, Wisconsin
proposed the idea of tobacco farmers replacing their crops with wine
grape varieties.
and its tributaries provide sloping lands that allows maximum exposure to the sun and for air to travel, keeping mildew
at bay. Vineyards are planted in soils composed of mainly clay
and silt
loam
on top of bedrock
of limestone
.
In the Upper Mississippi Valley River AVA, viticultural techniques must be adapted to deal with the cold winters. After harvest
, many wineries will take the grapevines down from their trellises. The vines are then pruned and buried under mulch
. In the spring, just prior to budding, the vines are then guided back into the trellises to begin the next growing cycle However, with new hybrid varietals developed by the University of Minnesota, these newer vines may stay on the trellises during the cold winters and pruned in February and March.
, Edelweiss
, La Crosse
, Marechal Foch
, Frontenac, Marquette
, and Saint Croix. Research at the University of Minnesota
, influenced by the work of horticulturalist Elmer Swenson
, have been developing new hybrid grapes that could better withstand the cold winter and ripen earlier.
American Viticultural Area
An American Viticultural Area is a designated wine grape-growing region in the United States distinguishable by geographic features, with boundaries defined by the Alcohol and Tobacco Tax and Trade Bureau , United States Department of the Treasury....
covering 29,914 square miles (77 477 square kilometers) located along the Upper Mississippi River
Upper Mississippi River
The Upper Mississippi River is the portion of the Mississippi River upstream of Cairo, Illinois, United States. From the headwaters at Lake Itasca, Minnesota, the river flows approximately 2000 kilometers to Cairo, where it is joined by the Ohio River to form the Lower Mississippi...
and its tributaries in northeast Iowa, northwest Illinois, southeast Minnesota and southwest Wisconsin. Upon its approval on June 22, 2009, with the effective date of July 22, 2009, it became the world's largest designated appellation
Appellation
An appellation is a legally defined and protected geographical indication used to identify where the grapes for a wine were grown; other types of food often have appellations as well...
. The boundaries of the AVA share the unique geographical connection of all being part of the Paleozoic Plateau, also known as the Driftless Area, and therefore do not have the same type of vineyard soils as wine regions that were in areas that have experienced glaciation in their history.
History
Hastings, Minnesota
Hastings is a city in Dakota counties in the U.S. state of Minnesota, near the confluence of the Mississippi and St. Croix Rivers. The population was 22,172 at the 2010 census. It is the county seat of Dakota County. The bulk of Hastings is in Dakota County; only a small part of the city extends...
. At the time it was believed that this part of the Upper Mississippi Valley endured winters that were too cold to sustain viticulture
Viticulture
Viticulture is the science, production and study of grapes which deals with the series of events that occur in the vineyard. When the grapes are used for winemaking, it is also known as viniculture...
. Many of the areas within the Upper Mississippi River Valley AVA used to support tobacco farming. As smoking
Smoking
Smoking is a practice in which a substance, most commonly tobacco or cannabis, is burned and the smoke is tasted or inhaled. This is primarily practised as a route of administration for recreational drug use, as combustion releases the active substances in drugs such as nicotine and makes them...
fell out of fashion in the late 20th century and farmers began to lose their federal government subsidies, alternative agricultural options were explored. An agricultural extension agent from Vernon County, Wisconsin
Vernon County, Wisconsin
Vernon County is a county in the U.S. state of Wisconsin. As of 2009, the population estimate was 29,324. Its county seat is Viroqua.-History:...
proposed the idea of tobacco farmers replacing their crops with wine
Wine
Wine is an alcoholic beverage, made of fermented fruit juice, usually from grapes. The natural chemical balance of grapes lets them ferment without the addition of sugars, acids, enzymes, or other nutrients. Grape wine is produced by fermenting crushed grapes using various types of yeast. Yeast...
grape varieties.
Climate and geography
The climate of the Upper Mississippi Valley is continental and cool. The nearby Mississippi RiverMississippi River
The Mississippi River is the largest river system in North America. Flowing entirely in the United States, this river rises in western Minnesota and meanders slowly southwards for to the Mississippi River Delta at the Gulf of Mexico. With its many tributaries, the Mississippi's watershed drains...
and its tributaries provide sloping lands that allows maximum exposure to the sun and for air to travel, keeping mildew
Mildew
Mildew refers to certain kinds of molds or fungi.In Old English, it meant honeydew , and later came to mean mildew in the modern sense of mold or fungus....
at bay. Vineyards are planted in soils composed of mainly clay
Clay
Clay is a general term including many combinations of one or more clay minerals with traces of metal oxides and organic matter. Geologic clay deposits are mostly composed of phyllosilicate minerals containing variable amounts of water trapped in the mineral structure.- Formation :Clay minerals...
and silt
Silt
Silt is granular material of a size somewhere between sand and clay whose mineral origin is quartz and feldspar. Silt may occur as a soil or as suspended sediment in a surface water body...
loam
Loam
Loam is soil composed of sand, silt, and clay in relatively even concentration . Loam soils generally contain more nutrients and humus than sandy soils, have better infiltration and drainage than silty soils, and are easier to till than clay soils...
on top of bedrock
Bedrock
In stratigraphy, bedrock is the native consolidated rock underlying the surface of a terrestrial planet, usually the Earth. Above the bedrock is usually an area of broken and weathered unconsolidated rock in the basal subsoil...
of limestone
Limestone
Limestone is a sedimentary rock composed largely of the minerals calcite and aragonite, which are different crystal forms of calcium carbonate . Many limestones are composed from skeletal fragments of marine organisms such as coral or foraminifera....
.
Viticulture
Harvest (wine)
The harvesting of wine grapes is one of the most crucial steps in the process of winemaking. The time of harvest is determined primarily by the ripeness of the grape as measured by sugar, acid and tannin levels with winemakers basing their decision to pick based on the style of wine they wish to...
, many wineries will take the grapevines down from their trellises. The vines are then pruned and buried under mulch
Mulch
In agriculture and gardening, is a protective cover placed over the soil to retain moisture, reduce erosion, provide nutrients, and suppress weed growth and seed germination. Mulching in gardens and landscaping mimics the leaf cover that is found on forest floors....
. In the spring, just prior to budding, the vines are then guided back into the trellises to begin the next growing cycle However, with new hybrid varietals developed by the University of Minnesota, these newer vines may stay on the trellises during the cold winters and pruned in February and March.
Grape varieties
The Upper Mississippi River Valley grows mainly hybrid grape varieties like ChardonelChardonel
Chardonel is a late ripening white wine hybrid grape which can produce a high quality wine with varietal character. It is a result of a cross made by the New York State Agricultural Experiment Station of the popular French American hybrid Seyval and the classic vitis vinifera Chardonnay...
, Edelweiss
Edelweiss (grape)
Edelweiss is a very winter-hardy wine grape variety derived from crossing the Minnesota 78 and Ontario grapes. It was developed by Elmer Swenson in 1980 in cooperation with the University of Minnesota. The clusters are large and rather loose, weighing a pound or more. Early picking of the grape...
, La Crosse
La Crosse (grape)
La Crosse is a modern hybrid cultivar of wine grape, mostly grown in North America. It produces grapes suitable for making fruity white wines similar to Riesling or as a base for blended wines. The grapes also make a good seeded table grape for eating. It has the benefits of early ripening and when...
, Marechal Foch
Marechal Foch
Marechal Foch , is an inter-specific hybrid red wine grape variety. It was named after the French marshal Ferdinand Foch , who played an important role in the negotiation of the armistice terms during the closing of the First World War. It was developed in Alsace, France by grape hybridizer...
, Frontenac, Marquette
Marquette (grape)
Marquette is an inter-specific hybrid red wine grape variety. It was developed at the University of Minnesota, and is a cross between two other hybrids, MN 1094 and Ravat 262....
, and Saint Croix. Research at the University of Minnesota
University of Minnesota
The University of Minnesota, Twin Cities is a public research university located in Minneapolis and St. Paul, Minnesota, United States. It is the oldest and largest part of the University of Minnesota system and has the fourth-largest main campus student body in the United States, with 52,557...
, influenced by the work of horticulturalist Elmer Swenson
Elmer Swenson
Elmer Swenson was a pioneering grape breeder who introduced a number of new cultivars, effectively revolutionizing grape growing in the Upper Midwest of the United States and other cold and short-seasoned regions....
, have been developing new hybrid grapes that could better withstand the cold winter and ripen earlier.