Iowa St. Croix
St. Croix is a very winter-hardy variety in our vineyards and with care the grapes produce a lucious, full-bodied, very deep-colored wine. Aging with French oak adds wonderful complexity.
This dry full bodied, deep-colored red wine from our vineyards is aged with French oak. St. Croix has a complex bouquet and currant and other dried fruit flavors.
Gold Medals:
2004 Tasters Guild Intl., MI
Silver Medals:
2005 Tasters Guild Consumer, Wash. D.C
Bronze Medals:
2006 Tasters Guild Intl., MI
2005 New World Intl., CA
2005 Lone Star Comp.,TX
2004 Florida State Intl.
2003 American Wine Society, CT
Winemaker Notes:
Our Iowa St. Croix is a 100% St. Croix wine from our vineyards. St. Croix is a Elmer Swenson variety that is very winter hardy and I believe has the greatest potential to be Iowas premier red wine. St. Croix will be important in defining a regional identity for wines from the Upper Mississippi River Valley. We produce 250 cases of St. Croix annually. When the crop production is well managed, St. Croix grapes produce a luscious, full bodied wine with dark, dried fruit flavors and wonderful complexity. Some vintages of our St. Croix have benefited from aging with French oak. I find our Iowa St. Croix has many similarities with full bodied old vine zinfandels. At harvest the grapes can not be allowed to hang in the vineyard and must be picked carefully because the grape berries are prone to fall off the cluster called shelling. We are encouraging Iowa growers to plant St. Croix to be able to increase our production of this premier red wine for the upper Midwest.
Food Pairings:
Steak or roast beef, pasta with red sauces, hearty stews