Beschnett Vineyard 15 years in Waseca

Beschnett Vineyard and Winery, the only vineyard in Waseca County, took root in the year 2007. Bill and Phyllis Beschnett, with help from their son Bil Beschnett, own and operate the vineyard, which was licensed in 2018. “We live on an acreage south of Waseca and had a few tillable acres,” said Phyllis, who is now president of the vineyard and winery. “We explored many options and had heard of the University of Minnesota’s work developing cold-hardy grapes.  We decided this would be a good use for the land and in 2007 planted our first 200 Frontenac grape plants.” Today, the Beschnetts grow four University of Minnesota grape varieties – Frontenac, Frontenac Gris, LaCrescent, and Marquette – with a total of 1,600 plants.

Bill and Phyllis both grew up on farms, with a deep appreciation for a farmer’s love of the land. Their farm winery is a result of their upbringings, and “feels like a return to our roots,” said Phyllis. Her family farmed in Iowa, while Bill’s farmed in Good Thunder, Minnesota. They met during college at Mankato State University, and moved to Waseca in 1968. Bill is a chiropractor, and still practices in Waseca in addition to working the vineyard. Phyllis started her working life as a teacher, then worked in Bill’s office for many years. Their son Bil was born in 1970, graduated from Waseca High School, and works as an appraiser in Waseca in addition to his role in winemaking. Bill and Phyllis invested in Clear Lake Press Signs and Apparel in 1988, and Phyllis eventually became owner before selling in 2017, just prior to the vineyard’s licensure.

The eleven-year transition from their first plants to the opening of their licensed vineyard didn’t come easily for the Beschnetts. “It’s a process,” Phyllis said. “We knew very little about growing grapes, so we joined the Minnesota Grape Growers and learned a great deal from attending conventions and workshops and by reaching out to the Arboretum and Horticultural Research Center.” Each year after 2007, the Beschnetts built up their numbers by adding a few hundred plants. Growing grapes requires setting posts every six feet with wires run between to allow tendrils to climb. Once the vines mature, they must be regularly pruned and trained by hand to grow within the wires. A larger pruning of old growth is necessary every winter, and the growing season begins anew as soon as snow begins to melt around March. Phyllis explained, “It is hard work, but it’s fun. I like to be out when it’s quiet.”

While the grape varieties the Beschnetts grow have been bred to handle northern weather, some plants are lost: “They’re pretty good about coming back, but when it’s really cold for a long period it does some damage.” Phyllis explained that when this happens, a new plant can grow from the roots of the old, but it must be re-trained. Doing so requires a full three years to get a good harvest again, the same time period as for a new plant.

Grape harvest takes place in September, and requires “all hands on deck.” 

 “When we first started harvesting the grapes, we had a group of friends and family that gathered to help,” Phyllis remembers. “As the years went on this became a day we looked forward to, a day when we worked together, enjoyed some food and beverages, and spent time enjoying each other.  We still depend on family and friends to help with the harvest and with the crushing and pressing of the grapes.”

Bil Beschnett, the son of Phyllis and Bill, handles the winemaking. The process starts the same day the grapes are harvested. First, grapes are put through a de-stemmer and crusher. White grapes are then pressed immediately, and the fermentation process for the white wine begins. Settlings fall to the bottom and are removed several times, and the wine is put through a cold stabilization process. Phyllis said, sometimes during winter, the wines can be put out in the snow. Dark grape varieties ferment on the skins, which helps the wine to retain color. Some varieties and batches ferment this way for about a week, some for longer. The grapes are then pressed and oaked and the aging process – at least two years for the red wines–begins. During the winemaking process, Bil regularly performs tests of the Ph, sugars, and other components to ensure quality.

As soon as their crop was established, the Beschnetts tried their hand at winemaking in small batches for personal use. Until they obtained their farm winery license in 2018, this was the only use for the wine they made – a hobby. Minnesota’s farm winery license sets requirements for minimum acreage devoted to growing and producing, the use of locally produced products, and maximum gallons produced per year, to which the Beschnett Vineyard and Winery must adhere. This license permitted them to sell their wine, officially marking the establishment of the vineyard and winery business in Waseca County.