The Winery North Ridge of Minnesota

Discovering the wine region of Minnesota

Minnesota is a state located in the NorthCentral United States, bordered by Canada to the north and Iowa to the South. The state's Harsh continental Climate makes viticulture difficult. However, research at the University of Minnesota on cold-hardy HybridGrape varieties has opened up opportunities for Minnesota wine producers. The state covers 225,000 square miles between latitudes 43°N and 49°N, which puts it roughly on par with the United States.

This puts it about the same Size as the wine regions of France. Unfortunately, Minnesota's inland location results in much more extreme temperatures in both summer and winter, posing Serious risks to all but the most cold-hardy grape varieties. Most of the state's wine regions are in areas where there is a large Body of water nearby to moderate the temperatures. Fortunately, there are plenty of lakes here: Minnesota is known as the "land of 10,000 lakes.

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