Winemaking in Wyoming? (Cheyenne, Laramie, Jackson: pine, backyard, best)

[Goin'toasquarestate]

Originally Posted by ElkHunter

Some of the best wine I've had was made from rhubarb and watermelon.

Sounds delicious, EH

[Joe33]

Originally Posted by tigergal

Apparently, it's possible. Cody has a winery here that opened in November, 2011 and is quite successful from all reports - Buffalo Jump Wines.

They import their grapes.

The only grape that will grow well here is the Valiant. It is a good eating grape but a terrible wine grape. Some wineries do mix it with other grapes to make wine. Dosent make it good wine.

There are other wine grade grapes that grow but you have a 50/50 chance of losing your crop due to early frost.

[Goin'toasquarestate]

No terrible wine grape bud, but understand your point for sure; LOL

[Joe33]

Originally Posted by Goin'toasquarestate

No terrible wine grape bud, but understand your point for sure; LOL

I agree with you. But there are many terrible wines. Usually made from terrible grapes. Thunderbird or a swig of Ripple anyone.

[ElkHunter]

Originally Posted by Joe33

I agree with you. But there are many terrible wines. Usually made from terrible grapes. Thunderbird or a swig of Ripple anyone.

Or Night Train Express. I understand that Tuesday was a good year.

[Goin'toasquarestate]

Just gotta' use the imagination a bit when swiggin on this kinda' stuff; I consistently return to Franzia boxed Chillable red, however!

See ya!

[jody_wy]

"Most Italians would buy between one-half to three ton of wine grapes each year. A ton of grapes in the early 30's cost thirty-five dollars but this cost escalated to sixty dollars. The cost became too high for my dad. Wine was usually made into three grades, namely: the first wine was served at the table or to your best friends who you wanted to impress, the second wine was served to friends when they were about half crocked, and the third wine which you served when you wanted the party to break up. My mother would also make and bottle beer. I can still recall the heating of the beer ingredients on the stove in a very large copper tub. Bottling the beer was a family chore.

One year one Italian family discarded the residue from the grapes (after the grape juice was extracted) into an open ditch near their home but did not cover it up with dirt. The Easton cows found the residue after it had fermented in the sun. The feast caused them to get very drunk to the point that they couldn't walk. They became deathly sick and their stomachs became distended. They finally recovered but the milk was blood red for a few days"
Oakley

was trying to find the story about tain loads of grapes that were shipped to Rock Springs and Kemmerer and the miners made wine

[BeatrixPax]

I own a small nursery just west of Casper and I have two varieties of wine grape that do really well here: Valient (which is a cultivar of the wild Concord grape) and Reliance which is a red grape. I use them in hedgerows and they spread so perfectly over the fence in my private garden. The four-year-old vines look like something out of a classic Italian villa or vineyard. Very cool...

[MRVphotog]

Ag technology has greatly advanced things, wine grapes are no exception. Here in Vermont 20 years ago no wine grapes were feasible. Now with hybrid hardy grapes developed in France are making a big diference.

We now have 20 vinyards and about 10 award winning wineries. The vinyards start with importing root stock of these new cold weather resistent wine grape varieties. Takes about 5 years before any grapes are produced once planted.

I realize the Wyoming climate is harsher but I bet something like this could be done in some areas Wyoming. The lowest area of the state is in the Belle Fouche River region. I have no doubt that in a few years Wyoming will be producing some awesome wines somewhere.

[Wm Jas]

Back in the day in northern Maine chokecherry wine & dandelion wine were winter staples. Both of these hearty plants are native, drought-resistant and thrive throughout Wyoming.

Does anyone have recopies for them?

As an aside young, tender dandelion greens are a favorite [bless mother]. Although a bit bitter, which is one of their best features, you can soak them overnight to make them less so. A pat of real butter – a splash of vinegar – a sprinkling of sea salt & fresh ground pepper. Yummee!! Not only free for the picking but good for you too.