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MINNEAPOLIS / ST. PAUL ( 6/15/2007 ) -- With the help of University of Minnesota researchers, eastern Minnesota vineyards are taking home awards from California wine competitions.
"The quality of the wines produced by Three Rivers Wine Trail members continues to impress wine connoisseurs," said Kent Gustafson, University of Minnesota Extension tourism educator. "Wines from the Wine Haven Winery and Cannon River Winery have recently been awarded medals in wine competitions in the Midwest and California."
The Three Rivers Wine Trail is Minnesota's first wine trail and is comprised of six Minnesota wineries all located within the St. Croix, Mississippi and Cannon River valleys. Wine lovers can spend a day or a weekend on the trail visiting wineries amid lush valley scenery and sampling high-quality, locally produced wines. And according to Gustafson, a lot of people are doing just that.
"Over the past year, wine trail members have noticed increased interest, visitors and sales as a result of the collaborative marketing effort," he said.
The success is due, in part, to U of M research that has developed several new grape breeds in the last decade that are better able to withstand Minnesota's rough winters.
"We have at least four new wine varieties planted, not only in Minnesota, but throughout the Midwest," said Peter Hemstad, U of M grape breeder. "These varieties have helped make grape-growing economically viable in this part of the country."
Gustafson is available to talk about Minnesota's wine-related tourism and Hemstad is available to talk about wine growing and vineyards in the upper Midwest.
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