Zone 3 Grape Varieties

Note: All cultivars listed bellow are hardy to Zone 3 (to approximately -31°F or -35°C).

Red wine grape varieties

Concord: Medium hardy, great juice/jelly, good sweet wine.

Frontenac: Heavy producer, and vigorous red grape variety release from the University of Minnesota, producing large, loose clusters of small berries. Highly resistant to downy mildew, moderate resistant to black rot and powdery mildew. Susceptible to Anthracnose and Phylloxera in some years. Wine is medium bodied with cherry and plum flavours.

Geneva red: Heavy producer, quite winter hardy, good red wine.

Lucy Kuhlman: Early ripening produces a medium dark red with dark sour cherry flavour.

Sabrevois:  Red grape variety having the same parents as St. Croix, but hardier, and more vigorous. Disease resistant, heavy producer, with moderate to large clusters of medium size dark blue berries. It makes a more complex wine then St. Croix.

St. Croix: A medium producer, and vigorous grower red grape variety, producing medium sized blue berries on medium and slightly loose clusters. Disease resistant. St. Croix wine is balanced, tasty, and dark red in color.

White wine grapes

Louise Swenson: Big berries and long clusters. Disease resistant and very hardy.

Kay Gray: Reliable white grape variety, extremely resistant to diseases. Clusters and berries are medium to large in size. The variety produces a neutral vine.

St.Pepin:  White grape variety, good production and sugar accumulation. Berries are medium in size and clusters are loosely formed.

Prairie Star: One of the cold hardiest white wine variety, resistant to mildew diseases but moderately susceptible Black Rot and Anthracnose. Berries are medium and clusters are slightly loose. Wine is neutral with a good body.

Vandal Cliche:  A very hardy and very productive white grape variety, with intermediate resistance to diseases. Clusters are loose and long.