minnesota.publicradio.org/display/web/2006/06/13/mnwine -
[Cached Version]
Published on: 6/25/2006
Last Visited: 8/12/2007
"You can make absolutely decent, drinkable wine with hybrid grapes, but in general, they do have a little bit of a hard time competing, if you're going to throw them into blind tastings," says Tim Teichgraeber, a wine critic with the San Francisco Chronicle and former wine critic for the Star Tribune.
Larger view"It has a nice fruity taste!"
Teichgraeber judges at a number of major wine competitions, where, he says, hybrids are often put into their own category since they're just not of the same caliber as wines from California, Oregon, Washington, or of course, Europe.
But, Teichgraeber says, that doesn't mean Minnesota winemakers should throw in the towel.Even if their wine doesn't taste like it came from California, they can offer a taste of California wine country, minus the cost of a plane ticket.
"With these local wineries, the great thing is that people are able to go out and experience wines and where they come from first hand, maybe meet the vintner, see the winery, see the vineyards, even pick the grape," Teichgraeber says.
...
Whatever budding enthusiasm there is for Minnesota's wines, wine critic Tim Teichgraeber says the market depends on a certain amount of local pride, and therefore is likely to be confined within the state's borders.
"Minnesota is like a lot of states around the country, where there's a certain amount of consumption of wines from that state within that state, but they don't get exported a whole lot," Teichgraeber says.
59 online sources [ view sources ]
Profile is not claimed [ this is me ]
