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I have 10 grape vines which evolved as a family effort. One of our sons had tried to raise grapes for three years and they did nothing. I suspect he had them in a location that grapes didn't like, an area that was shady and poorly drained. Our son dropped them off one Father's Day for me to plant and take care of. Happy Father's Day.

My wife prunes them each February and the rest is left to me. I'm surprised how well they do since I know very little about raising grapes. Since there is a lot of interest on grapes, I did some research. Much of the increased interest in Minnesota is raising grapes for wine. According to Beth Jaris, from the U of M, it was 1978 when the Alexis Bailly Vineyard released its first wine from Minnesota-grown grapes. In Minnesota there are now 16 bonded wineries, including three or four that make wine from fruit, such as berries and wild fruit, and even rhubarb. Table grapes have been grown in Minnesota since before 1900. The U of M released several table grape cultivars in 1944. The Bluebell cultivar is still available.

Elmer Swenson worked for the U for more than 40 years. Elmer died this spring at the age of 91. While he was at the U he developed at least 10 varieties of grapes including Edelweiss and Swenson Red. Elmer had his own vineyard east of Osceola, Wis., and worked his vines alone until he was almost 90. The U of M and Elmer jointly released the Frontenac grape in 1996 which was the first hardy wine grape introduction.

The wine grape breeding program began in the mid-1970's, and since 1985 has been led by Peter Hemstad, grape breeder and commercial vintner. In 2001, the U hired its first enologist, Anna Mansfield, in charge of the science of wine and wine making. Mansfield doesn't see Minnesota becoming competitive with California. The grapes they grow are classic European varieties like Cabernet and Merlot. If we grew those varieties in Minnesota we would need to bury them due to our extreme cold. This would be labor cost prohibitive, even if they survived.

Minnesota now has the largest cold hardy grape breeding program in the U.S. Vineyards in New England are excited about forthcoming cultivars. The U currently has three wine grape releases––Frontenac, Frontenac Gris (gris is gray in french) and La Crescent.

Getting a new cultivar from seedling to production can take more than 10 years. Hardy grapes start with seedlings grown outdoors to eliminate tender plants or those highly susceptible to disease. The survivors go on to a second round grown in a vineyard where they are again subjected to cold winters, disease and insects, but are also evaluated for fruit production. Then, the fruit is harvested, wine is made and bottled. They make up to 150 wines a year in lots ranging from seven gallons down to under a cup.

Keep checking on when more winter hardy wine grape varieties will be available as well as the numerous wine making classes offered throughout the state.

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This is the time of the year that we start getting a lot of questions from people about lawn care. The Chisago County Master Gardeners are sponsoring a free class with Jerry Spetzman from the Minnesota Department of Agriculture, to answer your lawn care questions.

On May 24, from 6:30-7:30 p.m. Spetzman will be speaking on the new lawn fertilizer laws, weed control at the North Branch Senior Center. This is the first of a series of free classes the Master Gardeners will be sponsoring this summer. They will be held the fourth Tuesday of each month from 6:30-7:30 p.m., at the Senior Center, at 6th and Maple in North Branch.

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Ways to access

information

www.extension.umn.edu/county/chisago

Check out the 'Hot Topics' box in the middle of the page for current Chisago County Master Gardener news and events.

You can also click on 'Ask a Master Gardener' next to the cute little flower on the right hand side of the page. Here you can search 1000's of answers from Master Gardeners around the state. If you don't find your answer, you can submit a question online or search for University publications, Bell Museum of Natural History.

For information about snakes, skunks, raccoons or other wildlife around your yard, call the wildlife information line at (612) 624-1374 or www.bellmuseum.org.

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