We currently grow three varieties of grapes on property.
In addition to our grapes, we have hedges of Aronia Berries growing on property. Aronia Berry is at the heart of our operation.
The Aronia berry, also called the chokeberry is considered to be the highest antioxidant berry of all the fruits. The berries come naturally in three colors: red, purple, and black-purple. The Hillside Vineyard grows Aronia melanocarpa, the black-purple species.
A grandson of Pinot Noir, this selection sets a new standard in cold hardy wine grapes. The wine is very complex with black currant, cherry, black pepper and spice in the aroma profile and moderate tannins. This is an excellent choice for medium bodies dry red wine, but can also be blended or make very good rose.
Louise Swenson can be outstanding wine with aromas of flowers, honey and tangerine. Low acidity makes this a perfect selection for dry white wine. Somewhat light in body, Louise benefits from a small addition of Prairie Star of Frontenac blanc. Plantings have grown specifically in recent years and we expect this variety to become even more popular in the future.
This is the newest member of the Frontenac family. Just like the family of Pinot noir, Pinot gris, and Pinot blanc, another variety of Frontenac has been found. Berries are yellow to gold when ripe, producing a very light straw colored wine. Dry white blends, semi-sweet whites, late harvest, ice wines and straw wines are all possible with Frontenac blanc and Frontenac gris.
Aronia Berries are an antioxidant powerhouse berry that exhibits more free-radical fighting ability than any other fruit including blueberry, acai berry and even elderberry. Because of their exceedingly high levels of anthocyanin, flavonoids, polyphenols, antioxidants and vitamins, Aronia Berries deliver an incredible benefits of reducing inflammation and balancing the digestive system.
