By Joanna Miller, Staff Writer

Winemaker Julie Welch took home a cache of awards from this year’s Minnesota State Fair.

It’s not surprising that someone with the last name Welch has a knack for a hobby focused on grapes. However, the amateur winemaker from Prior Lake boasted four wins under different categories, including wines made from a variety of fruits.

She earned third place for a white grape table wine and second place for a rosé grape table wine, both with 100-percent Minnesota-grown grapes.

But she also brewed up a fourth-place award for apple wine and a second place under the “any fortified wine” category.Vines are beginning to bear fruit
at the new vineyard.
(Submitted photo)

Welch’s wine-making endeavors began with a plan hatched by her father, Cletus Link, and her mother Helen, both of Shakopee.

Cletus built a barn in 2006 on land he purchased near the intersection of county roads 42 and 17. “I didn’t realize he built it to be a winery,” Welch said.

Cletus had researched possibilities for starting Shakopee’s first winery, but he died in February 2007 before seeing the plans come to fruition.

“He got the barn finished for us,” Welch said.

The barn entrance includes a stone engraved with the future winery’s name, Fruit of the Vine.

Cletus had visited Crofut Family Winery and Vineyard in Jordan, and Welch said she thinks that convinced him to begin his own winery project.

“After my dad saw his operation, I think he was hooked,” she said of Don Crofut’s business. “Don has been a great friend and mentor.”

Welch said Cletus ordered 400 vines that fall; “then, he wasn’t there to help us plant them.”

However, the project had already taken root for Welch, her five siblings and their spouses and families.

“Everyone pitched in, and we planted them,” she said.

Chris Johnson, Pete and Jean Link, Mary Teich, Julie’s husband Brian Welch, John and Theresa Link, and Pat and Nancy Link all gathered to assist, along with their children and friends.

It takes vines at least three years to get established and begin bearing fruit, so Welch looked to the apple and pear tree orchard for inspiration for her first wine attempts.

Last year, she won a second-place ribbon with a pear wine, for example.

“It’s not kits at all. It’s hand-crafted,” she said. “My mom is my partner along with my brothers and sisters.”

“We’re the tasters,” Helen said, joking.

“I was shocked, but pleasantly surprised,” Welch said of her fair wins. “I guess for two years of entering, that’s not too bad.”

“It’s kind of bittersweet,” she added. “I wish my dad were here to share it.”

The large family came in handy when the first vines planted on the property brought in about three quarters of a ton of fruit this year.

Welch said the harvest will make about 100 gallons (500 bottles of wine) that will be split between the families for holidays and gatherings.

“Without a license, we can’t sell it,” she said. “We divide it up.”Julie Welch, right, of Prior Lake
and Helen Link of Shakopee work
on wine making at the family
vineyard in Shakopee.
(Photo by Joanna Miller)

This year, she streamlined the operation with a grape crusher and de-stemmer, but until now they’ve done all of the grape picking by hand.

“There were 15 people sitting around the kitchen table taking grapes off of stems,” Helen said. “Kids, grandkids, boyfriends, girlfriends.”

With the addition of more vines, the operation grew to 650 plants.

Welch said the family has considered obtaining business status and licensing to become a winery, but all family members will have to take a vote in favor of branching out.

“We talk about going full bore with it as a family. We need to meet as a family and decided if it’s just for fun,” she said.

Learning the wine-making process has been rewarding for Welch, who said she’s come a long way from her first batch, which ended up overly potent.

Since then, she’s learned how to create the right balance to impress judges.

“Bad wine is vinegar or cooking wine,” Helen said.

The fruit wines have become family favorites and bear the names of Helen’s grandchildren.

Fruit wines they’ve made include watermelon, rhubarb, strawberry, raspberry, peach, banana, chokecherry, plum, apple, pear and others.

Welch said the fruit wines are fun for her because she can’t typically find them on store shelves.

“You can’t go to the liquor store and buy pear wine,” she said.

With new varieties of grapes being created by scientists for northern climates, she said there are more options for grape wines, too.

“The U of M propagated a handful of different varieties that are hardy through the winter,” Welch said.

Welch said her State Fair entries stemmed from not having competition at the county fair level this year. Without other entries, she said she didn’t have the chance to learn whether her wine truly made the grade unless put to the test at the great Minnesota get-together.Welch harvested apples to make
fruit wine.
(Photo by Joanna Miller)

“You need something behind you that shows you make a pretty decent wine,” she said. “It’s much better to see where you fall statewide.”

 Joanna Miller can be reached at (952) 345-6375 or jmiller@swpub.com.