Wine State Reviews | Wine Cooler Blog

Wine State Reviews: Iowa Wine Industry

Iowa has more to offer than visiting politicians, straw polls, soy beans, pork, eggs and corn. Iowa wine production has been off to a slower start than most of its Midwestern neighboring states, but Iowan people have now shifted into high gear to try and catch up. In the 1950s, I grew up in Minnesota as a youngster and often visited Iowa, where having corn “knee high by the fourth of July” was the primary agricultural goal. However, a new goal of improving Iowa wine production is now becoming more evident.

In 1999, the state had a grand total of 2 licensed wineries, but now can boast that there are more than 85. In the twelve years since 1999, Iowa can boast about what many call an “explosive expansion” in wine related industries. The first commercial vineyard planted in the state was in 1857. When Prohibition became a reality in the United States and following many unplanned events in the late 1800s, the Iowa grape growing industry pretty much disappeared until its recent growth spurt. Iowa was recently ranked 14^th nationally in the number of wineries and 22^nd in production.

Iowa wineries are in what I would call a time of trial and error when it comes to grape growing. Many times new vineyards are initially planted with several grape varieties just to see which ones will grow and which will not. Some of the grape types currently cultivated are: Bluebell, Catawba, Chardonel, Concord, La Crosse, Niagara, Steuben and Vidal Blanc. Several other varieties are also grown, but most commercial wine growing focuses on French hybrids and grapes native to America. Agricultural Extension Services at Iowa and Minnesota Colleges continue to provide expert advice to current and potential grape growers to improve the odds of success.

There are no recognized official wine growing regions in Iowa. The three primary grape growing areas that I recognize are located near the cities of Dubuque (Dubuque and Jackson Counties), Des Moines-Ames (Story, Polk, Dallas, Madison, Warren, Boone, Jasper and Marion Counties) and Council Bluffs (Fremont, Mills and Pottawattamie Counties). Other counties that have notable grape growing operations are Carroll, Jefferson and Van Buren Counties. Many of these operations are small family run collaborations where grapes are often harvested by hand. Total Iowan area in grape production is about 1200 acres spread out on over 400 vineyards.

While the Iowa grape industry is considered in its infancy, a 2007 economic study showed it did account for an economic impact to the state of $235 million dollars with over 10 percent of that total attributed to tourism. Wine touring trails are starting to develop that will further enhance the tourism aspect of this industry. Many wineries make addition income by renting their tasting rooms for use in parties or wedding receptions.

If you are ever in Iowa, take the time to visit some of these family wineries and vineyards. You may be surprised to find a wine you will really like, but I do know you will meet some wonderful, hardworking people in the process. Remember, buy the wine you like, store and serve it at its optimal temperature and enjoy it completely.

Author: Ronald Senn, Vice-president, Idealwinecoolers.com

Wine State Reviews: Virginia’s Surprising Wine Industry

My Marine son transferred to Quantico, Virginia last year and my wife and I were planning a trip to see him and our grandchildren soon. One of our favorite activities is to investigate wine growing in each state that we visit. My wife did live in Falls Church when her father was at the Pentagon and I have visited the Washington D.C. area many times on business. However, neither one of us knew much about the wine production of the state. Before our trip I knew some research would be needed. What I found out about Virginia’s wine industry surprised me.

History of Virginia Wine Growing

Although grape growing first started in the infamous area of Jamestown in the 1600’s, the wine industry was pretty much a failure to begin with. Success finally started to become a reality in the early 1800’s. Notoriety for Virginia wines really came to light at the Vienna’s World Fair in 1873 when a Virginia Norton wine was named “Best Red Wine of All Nations”. The wine industry in the entire United States was drastically set back by Prohibition (1920-1933) and Virginia was no exception. Virginia commercial grape growing totaled only 15 acres in the early 1950’s. Since then Virginia’s wine industry has experienced wide spread growth and now can claim over 190 different wineries in the state. Virginia is currently ranked 5^th amongst U.S. states for wine production.

Wine Growing Regions

Virginia is divided into nine recognized wine growing regions. The Northern Virginia, Shenandoah and Central Virginia Regions have approximately 78 percent of all the wineries in the state. The Blue Ridge Highlands, Southern Virginia and Chesapeake Bay Regions account for another 17 percent of the wineries. The remaining regions, Heart of Appalachia, Hampton Roads and Eastern Virginia account for the remaining 5 percent of the state’s wineries. Annette Boyd is the Director of the Virginia Wine Board Marketing Office. In her presentation to the Virginia Vineyards Association in 2009, Annette stated that “Total grape production was up 25% in 2008 from the previous year” and “Total grape production was up 22.8% in 2009” from 2008. The wine industry in Virginia is definitely quickly on the rise.

Wine Types Grown

Virginia’s climate, topography and soils allow growers to cultivate a broad range of great grapes. The combination of these special characteristics that affect wine helps vintners create wines that are especially tasteful with food. Standard wines include Cabernet Sauvignon, Cabernet France, Chardonnay, Gewurztraminer, Merlot, Virginia Norton, Pinot Blanc, Pinot Gris, Pinot Noir, Sauvignon Blanc and Viognier. Virginia Viognier is now recognized as an acceptable term among wine fanciers. Virginia Viognier wine, along with Virginia Cabernet Franc and native Norton, are fast becoming the state’s most notable wines. You will most probably find a Virginia Wine available to enjoy in many upscale restaurants.

Touring Virginia Wine Country

If you like to tour various areas that produce wine, Virginia offers an extensive choice of “wine trails” to explore. Bedford County, Blue Ridge, Chesapeake Bay, Loudoun, Monticello, Mountain Road, Shenandoah Valley and Tuskie are just a few of the wine trail names. The character of Virginia abounds with American history and small scattered communities across the state that will make any wine tour you decide to try a truly enlightened experience.

I intend to try some Virginia wines when I visit my son on our next trip. I am sure that I will find one or more to my liking. I am betting, given the broad range of grape varieties found in Virginia, that you also will find one to your liking. As I always say, buy the wine that you like, store it properly in a wine refrigerator and then serve it at the perfect temperature. Your enjoyment of that favorite vintage will be enhanced.

Author: Ronald Senn, Vice-president, Ideal Wine Coolers

Wine State Reviews: New York State Wine Industry

The Yankees (not my personal team to root for) are in the 2010 baseball post season again. They are representing a city of nearly 8.5 million people, about 27,900 humans per square mile. Contrast New York City’s population with that of Los Angles (nearing 4.0 million) or Chicago (nearing 3.0 million). Ironically, New York State’s population is ranked only third most among U.S. states. Still the state would seem to be nothing but a “sea of people”. New York State actually consists of a lot of rolling countryside dissected by many river valleys with elevations ranging from sea-level to Mt. Marcy at 5,344 feet. This countryside, I came to find out, has several areas where vineyards and wineries flourish.

New York Wine Growing Areas

New York State has six areas that currently define its wine country. The areas are 1) Lake Erie-Chautauqua, 2) Niagara Escarpment, 3) Finger Lakes, 4) Hudson River Valley-Catskills, 5) New York City and 6) Long Island-North Folk-Hamptons. Another area that previously has not been considered a part of the state’s wine country is Central New York-Lake Ontario, an area experiencing recent wine industry growth. The three most important areas Lake Erie-Chautauqua, Finger Lakes and Long Island-North Fork-Hamptons have over 95 percent of the vineyard acres, over 75 percent of the bonded wineries and over 95 percent of the tons of grapes produced in the entire state. In an article by Debra J. Goon, she discusses New York’s grape and wine industry as contributing $3.76 billion to the state’s economy. New York ranks third behind California and Washington in grape production by volume.

Wine Grape Types

The grape growing seasons in the state range from about 180 days in the northern areas (Finger Lakes and Upper Hudson River Valley) to 230 days near the Long Island area. Annual precipitation across the state averages 30 to 50 inches per year. Wines produced include Sparkling Wines, Seyval, Riesling, Pinot Noir, Ice Wines, Chardonnay, Cabernet Franc, Cabernet Sauvignon, Gewurztraminer, and Merlot. Many American hybrid grapes such as Catawba, Delaware, Elvira, Ives and Isabella are also grown. Important French hybrid grapes grown, noted to make great wines, are Cayuga, Vidal and Vignoles. Concord grapes are grown primarily for use in juices.

Wine Trails and Tours

The state has several notable wine trails that would make excellent tour destinations. Trails can be found near the cities of Fredonia, Niagara, Penn Yan, Fayette, Watkins Glen, Marlboro, Clinton Corners, Williamson, Alexandria Bay and Riverhead. Visiting a winery could easily be coupled with visiting other state attractions like Niagara Falls, Sterling Renaissance Festival, Erie Canal, Everson Museum, Allegany State Park, Catskill Park or even the Long Island Beaches. Often a side-trip taking you away from your primary destination focus is a welcome relief; at least it has been that way for me. I bet you might even find a wine that you can add to your list of favorites.

Take the time to check out New York’s wine industry. As I always say, buy the wine you like, store wine properly in a wine refrigerator, serve it at the proper temperature and enjoy it immensely.

Author: Ronald Senn, Vice-president, Ideal Wine Coolers, October 2010