Janesville-area farmers Ray and Lisa Winter got into grapes seven years ago, starting with a modest one-acre planting on their 640-acre farm.

Rather suddenly, this new venture became a labor of love and satisfaction. This year all their cropland is rented out, and the Winter family, including son Tom who quit his off-farm work, now have a full-time business called Winterhaven Vineyard and Nursery.

For 2007, 12 acres of grapes with even more in the future, including construction of a new grape processing facility and the eventual bottling of their own wine. Daughter Angie is studying to become an enologist, the term for those who learn the skills of making wine, with intentions of being the winemaker at Winterhaven when the winery is completed.

“We truly love the business. It’s so much more satisfying than being a corn-soybean farmer and the income is as good, even better since we also have a thriving root stock business,” Winter said. Their nursery, though virtually sold out for the 2007 season, provides 14 varieties.

Allowing wine to be sold in grocery stores

Meanwhile, the state Legislature is again debating grocery store sales of wine in Minnesota. Two Twin Cities legislators renewed efforts for customers to be able to buy wine at their local grocery stores.

Bills were introduced by Sen. Linda Scheid, DFL-Brooklyn Park, and Rep. Phyllis Kahn, DFL-Minneapolis, in the latest effort, which has seen fierce opposition from liquor store advocates.

“Consumers don’t understand why they can buy a bottle of wine with their other dinner items at supermarkets in 33 states, including Wisconsin, Iowa and South Dakota, yet they can’t do it here,” Scheid said.