Working outdoors - yes, please.
Growing things - yes, again.
Growing grapes - the best yet.
Deanna has been interested in grapes since 1985, when she lived close to the University of Minnesota Grape Research Station in Minnesota and participated in growing experimental vines.
DuWayne had to be interested in grapes in order to listen to Deanna talk about them all of the time.
Deanna joined DuWayne in Wisconsin in 2003 and, together, we bought grapevines to plant before we even owned a place to plant them.
Then the search for a location for the vineyard began in earnest;
It had to be West facing with a slope for drainage and have good soil for growing things. We finally found our slice of heaven in Emerald, Wisconsin, and were stunned by the beautiful sunsets! Our project was finally under way.
We purchased the land in 2009 and let it sit for a season, as corn and soybeans had been planted here previously.
Then, in 2010, we (and many family members and friends) planted 1280 vines of both white and red wine grapes, followed by another 125 table grapes a couple of years later and another 245 white wine grapes in 2014. We added a new white wine variety in 2019 and will add another red variety in 2021.
We have been accompanied on our adventure by our Vineyard Dogs, Sophie and Mia. Sophie left us in December of 2017, after four harvests and countless trips through the vines. We will never forget how excited she became every time we turned onto the gravel road leading to the property and we are sure she is chewing vines in heaven. Then came our Mole and Bird Chaser, Mia, who loved the property as much as Sophie did. Sadly, she passed before we started the growing season in 2021. Her energy and happiness is sorely missed.
Emerald Vineyard is truly a labor of love supported by family and friends. DuWayne takes care of all things mechanical, while Deanna works with the vines, pruning and tying. We like to say we have jobs to support our grape habit, but we share the joy of working hard together on a shared goal.
Growing things - yes, again.
Growing grapes - the best yet.
Deanna has been interested in grapes since 1985, when she lived close to the University of Minnesota Grape Research Station in Minnesota and participated in growing experimental vines.
DuWayne had to be interested in grapes in order to listen to Deanna talk about them all of the time.
Deanna joined DuWayne in Wisconsin in 2003 and, together, we bought grapevines to plant before we even owned a place to plant them.
Then the search for a location for the vineyard began in earnest;
It had to be West facing with a slope for drainage and have good soil for growing things. We finally found our slice of heaven in Emerald, Wisconsin, and were stunned by the beautiful sunsets! Our project was finally under way.
We purchased the land in 2009 and let it sit for a season, as corn and soybeans had been planted here previously.
Then, in 2010, we (and many family members and friends) planted 1280 vines of both white and red wine grapes, followed by another 125 table grapes a couple of years later and another 245 white wine grapes in 2014. We added a new white wine variety in 2019 and will add another red variety in 2021.
We have been accompanied on our adventure by our Vineyard Dogs, Sophie and Mia. Sophie left us in December of 2017, after four harvests and countless trips through the vines. We will never forget how excited she became every time we turned onto the gravel road leading to the property and we are sure she is chewing vines in heaven. Then came our Mole and Bird Chaser, Mia, who loved the property as much as Sophie did. Sadly, she passed before we started the growing season in 2021. Her energy and happiness is sorely missed.
Emerald Vineyard is truly a labor of love supported by family and friends. DuWayne takes care of all things mechanical, while Deanna works with the vines, pruning and tying. We like to say we have jobs to support our grape habit, but we share the joy of working hard together on a shared goal.
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