Youngblood Vineyard was one of the first to plant Itasca, the newest super cold-hardy grape to come from the University of Minnesota breeding program. Itasca produces a dry white wine, light acidity, faint straw color, aromas of pear, violet, melon, minerals, and notes of honey. 

Marquette, the grandchild of Pinot Nior, is one of the most versatile grapes producing award winning dry red wine, rose and sparkling wine. Our 2018 Marquette won "Best of Class" at the Michigan Wine Competition in 2019. With it's dark pulp and skin, the color of Marquette wines is intense. Fermented on skin, Marquette dry reds are medium bodied, retain light tannin with aromas of cherry, blackcurrant and blackberry with more interesting aromas of white blossom, plum and cherries.

Frontenac is an excellent grape for crafting full body red wines. With it's intense color, notes of baked berry pie, dark chocolate and dried cherries, it's ideal for producing port-style wine in addition to off-dry red wine.   

Petite Pearl is one of our favorite grapes to grow. It's clusters form a perfect mitten shape complete with a "thumb" matching our Michigan mitten state. This grape has giving us the versatility to make a dry and off-dry light bodied red wine as well as our signature Rose of Petite Pearl for three years in a row. With it's lower acidity and rich tannin structure, compared with other cold-hardy grape varieties, it's also ideal for blending. Petite Pearl's eloquence and complexity in aroma and flavor offer soft, mid-mouth tannins and a smooth finish.

Prairie Star is one of the three white wine grapes we grow at our estate. It's fragrant aroma of peach nectar, pear, wild flower, banana and lower acidity gives this wine a unique flavor and finish. Because of it's desirable aroma and medium body, this rare wine works well for blending and as a single varietal white wine.  

Often compared to stands of dangling pearls, Frontenac Blanc clusters are loose and plumb and hang like jewelry from it's vine as it ripens from yellow to amber perfection over the summer and into autumn. Notes of tropical fruit on the palate and aromas of intense pineapple and wedge of green apple make this wine extremely food friendly. Frontenac Blanc is typically aged in stainless steel allowing it to finish clean and crisp highlighting it's bright acidity.