 | The Red Trail
The Red Trail Vineyard is named after the historically significant Old Red Trail, one of the first established wagon and cart trails which guided settlers through Dakota Territory. It stretched from Fargo, ND to Glendive, MT, and passed just on the north side of the Vineyard. Through the years, many Native American artifacts have been found near the Vineyard and along the Old Red Trail, some of which are on display in the Tasting Room at Red Trail Vineyard. The Vineyard site is bordered on the west and the south by Buffalo Creek, and is 200 feet above the Maple River Valley. The area is surrounded by trees, some old and some new, and is sloped slightly to the south.
Red Trail Vineyard
The beginning of Red Trail Vineyard was quite humble. In the Spring of 2003, the Hogens decided to plant 1,000 vines to give it a try. The only problem was there were not any vines available to plant. Because cold-climate grape vines were so limited, most vineyards had placed their orders for vines in the previous Autumn. Eventually, 120 vines were secured, of two varieties:
King of the North Swenson Red
There were also about 100 vines that were planted in a nursery area, in hopes to be able to transfer them to the Vineyard in the future. This first year an electric fence was erected around five acres, grass was planted between the rows to help with wind and water erosion and weed control, and these 120 vines were nurtured along.
In the Spring of 2004, another 900 vines were planted, consisting of eight different varieties:
St Croix Frontenac Sabrevois Somerset Seedless
St Pepin Prairie Star LaCrescent Concord-type grape (originating in Greece)
Most of these vines were for wine, but a few were for eating. The same pattern was followed of grass between the rows. Grow tubes were also placed on 300 vines, due to their tender young condition, until they would acclimate to the wind and the weather. Trellises were built for the 2003 vines, as well.
Also in 2004, it was decided that Red Trail Vineyard just might need a gathering place for the people who had been showing up to see what was going on at the Hogen Farmstead. Ever since our first planting in 2003, many people had stopped to check out first-hand the latest that they had heard, and some were even put to work before they had a chance to leave, doing planting and trellis work. So, a 100-year-old granary/bunkhouse was discovered near Casselton, ND and moved to a foundation at the Vineyard. It was later discovered that the site from which this building had been moved was also along the Old Red Trail, which was very appropriate. Work immediately began to convert this very old structure into a Tasting Room. Numerous weekends were filled with many family members (and their children) putting their hands to this project.
The Spring of 2005 brought with it more vines to be planted -- about 150 total of two varieties:
Louise Swenson Toldi (originating in Latvia)
And there were some experimental varieties planted, too. Trellises were also constructed on the 2004 vines, so the days were quite busy.
In late Spring, the Tasting Room was completed, and a Grand Opening was held to celebrate. There was some pomp involved with the ribbon-cutting ceremony, and speeches by Roger Johnson, North Dakota Agricultural Commissioner, by former First Lady of North Dakota, Nancy Schaeffer, and by officials of the City of Buffalo, and the owners. There was also a good measure of hometown hospitality, as people mingled and enjoyed themselves, in helping bring Red Trail Vineyard and its Tasting Room to life.
In September, the first harvest of the 2003 vines occurred. The production of third-year vines is typically very marginal, and this harvest produced only 19 bottles of wine. This first Red Trail Vineyard wine, named Alpha Rose, proved to be very popular. The entire stock was used for tasting only, so that more people could experience a wine produced from grapes grown in North Dakota.
2006 proved to be an eventful year, as well. More vines, again about 150, were planted, of two varieties:
Frontenac Gris Valiant
Red Trail Vineyard was selected as one of the research sites for North Dakota State University’s High Value Crop Program of their Horticulture Department, where different planting depths are being tested, and how plant growth and grape production might be influenced.
The second phase of the business of Red Trail Vineyard was well under way. Tours of the Vineyard occurred every week, and a number of large group meetings and events were hosted. The largest of these was the 1st annual North Dakota Wine and Grape Harvest Festival, held on September 16th. This was an event to help promote and celebrate the wine and grape industries in the state of North Dakota. The day was marked with continuous entertainment, including musical groups, games and trivia contests, caricature drawings, horse-drawn wagon rides, tours of the Vineyard, and the Grape Stomp.
Harvest in 2006 proved to be quite different from the previous year. The vines used to produce Alpha Rose yielded ten-fold what they had the year before, and the St Croix vines, in their first year of production, nearly equaled that of the four-year-old vines. These grapes were processed into a wine by the same name, St Croix.
2007 began, just like previous years, busy, full of promise, and more plans and projects than there was time. The number of vines nearly doubled, with the planting of 1,260 more. These were of three varieties:
Frontenac Gris Marquette St Croix
Frontenac Gris is a very prolific and well-proven white wine grape. Marquette, promising to be a very cold-hardy and disease-resistant red wine variety, is the newest release from the University of Minnesota. The St Croix vines, another red wine variety with a proven history for versatility and excellent tasting wine, were chosen to replace some other vines that were lost. The Frontenac Gris and Marquette were planted in the expansion area, south of the Tasting Room (this is now referred to as the ‘South Vineyard’).
150 elderberry shrubs were also planted, in hope that when they mature, they will be able to be used to make wine as well. It is reported that elderberry has numerous healthful effects, and the wines made with elderberries that we have tasted have been excellent. Hopefully time will bring Red Trail Vineyard to that realization, too.
The other plans outlined for 2007 included continuing with the landscaping project, seemingly endless at this point, erecting the greenhouse which we moved in, in pieces, last autumn, and, of course, the annual North Dakota Wine and Grape Harvest Festival, scheduled August 25-26. The kitchen in the Tasting Room was commercially approved, so meals can now be prepared at the Vineyard for tours and events, rather than having them prepared off-site.
Those were the plans, but then reality set in. 2007 proved to be less than desirable for these projects and events originally planned. We had started a patio area project in 2006, where seating for visitors would be available in a setting that would provide a gazebo shelter, benches, chairs and tables, a fire pit for evening gatherings, and a waterfall and stream over which bridges would allow movement within the area. This, along with the other landscaping and the erection of the greenhouse never materialized. Spring brought cool temperatures, winds and a lot of moisture, all making it difficult to get these projects going, and all conditions that grape vines do not like. When the sun and heat did finally arrive, it was the perfect condition for weeds to take over everything. Because grape vines are so susceptible to many herbicides, almost all available time was spent dealing, by hand, with weed control. As the year progressed, Red Trail Vineyard found itself in the path of many of the storms which were in the area, and cleaning up after these storms was entered into the time schedule. This included continuous pruning of broken vines and re-trellising the vines blown to the ground. There were multiple times that the cleanup from one storm was not even half completed before the next storm came through. Two of these storms, one on July 15th and the other on August 26th, brought extremely high winds and hail, and the latter one of these continued northeasterly toward the city of Northwood, ND, where it was classified as an EF-4 tornado! Luckily, this storm waited until after the Festival, but only a few hours. These conditions had other effects on Red Trail Vineyard. With the necessary pruning of the broken vines which held clusters of grapes, most of the 2007 crop was lost. The other aspect of these storms was a drop in visitation of about 50-70 percent.
The end of August did usher in great weather during the week preceding and during the North Dakota Wine and Grape Harvest Festival on the 25th and 26th. We had decided, at the end of the 2006 Festival, to expand it from one to two days, and also expand the types of events held. This grew into Saturday, August 25th, being much like the one-day event from the previous year, with Bluegrass bands, tours of the Vineyard, A Lucy-Look-A-Like Contest, and a Grape Stomp competition, all basically for adults. Sunday followed by being geared more toward family and children’s activities, with a magician show, caricature drawings, children’s games and contests, horse-drawn wagon riding around the Vineyard, and two Grape Stomp competitions; one for senior citizens and one for children. We figured that way grandparents and grandchildren could each cheer for the other. This two-day event was very well received, and attendance was over double from the year before.
Now 2008 is well under way. We have experienced some of the same cool and wet weather early this year, with stretches of four inches and seven inches of rain. And, yes, this year’s weeds are no different than they were in past years. Trellises have been constructed for the 1,260 vines planted last year, as well as for the vines from 2005 and 2006. The grass planted between the rows is coming along fine (you could say it is growing like weeds). Pruning the older vines and re-positioning them on trellises, and tying the tender young vines from the 2007 planting to the trellis wires and bamboo stakes has proven to be a note-worthy task. Vine growth is steady, but slow, due to the cool weather.
Plans are taking shape for the 2008 season. Entertainment and events for the 3rd Annual North Dakota Wine and Grape Harvest Festival, this year on Saturday, and Sunday, August 23rd and 24th, are well under way. You won’t want to miss the Festival this year!
There will be a wedding and reception at the Vineyard this August, and two more are in the makings. Numerous groups have booked Red Trail Vineyard for their gathering place and for company meetings, including Extension Services for Grand Forks and Cass County, bus tours, classes for starting a Vineyard, and on planning which varieties would be best for your conditions, and on trellising and pruning.
2008 will be the recipient of the wines produced from the 2007 crop. There are four new wines this year:
- Frontenac - a rich well-balanced semi-dry red wine, with a bright cherry nose and palate
- St Croix - a pleasant medium-bodied fruity wine
- Foch - a vibrant fruity taste and nose, with a hint of spice
- Red Trail White - a pleasing blend of a number of Cold-Climate grapes, displaying a fruity taste and aroma, and excellent finish
Red Trail Vineyard has planted numerous experimental vines in past years. One such experimental vine, developed by Tom Plocher, co-author of the book Northern Winework, describing detailed procedures in growing Cold-Climate Grapes, is very promising. This variety should be released in Canada soon, and to aid in the eventual release in the United States, Red Trail Vineyard is one of three sites in the United States testing this variety.
Red Trail Vineyard has enjoyed its early years of struggle and growth, as have many of the visitors who have joined us. We hope that you, too, will visit us soon, and experience the work-in-progress Vineyard, and wine produced from a North Dakota Vineyard.
Our hours are Saturday 1-9 PM and Sunday 1-7 PM from Memorial Day weekend through September. We also realize that everyone is not on the same schedule and maybe a weekend visit does not fit into your plans. That’s okay. You are welcome to visit during the week, too. We just ask that you call or e-mail first to make sure that the day you are planning to visit isn’t the same day that we were planning to leave to get supplies, etc. Many of the special events at Red Trail Vineyard are planned during the week, and if you have a group of people who will accompany you here, it makes for a nice private party.
We, again, are offering tours and wine-tasting, a venue for small and large groups for gatherings, celebrations and meetings, and North Dakota wine, by the glass and the bottle. Remember, snacks, lunches and meals can also be included in your plans.
We are very excited and proud of our Vineyard, and we think you will be, too, and we look forward to your visit!
Salute!
See you at the Vineyard!
The Hogens
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