Minnesota’s wine industry is built on cold-climate innovation. In the 1980s, researchers at the University of Minnesota began developing hardy hybrid grapes—Frontenac, Marquette, and La Crescent—that could withstand subzero winters. That breakthrough turned the Upper Midwest into one of America’s most dynamic new wine regions, and it made education a key part of the story.
The University of Minnesota’s Enology and Viticulture Program, housed within its Horticultural Research Center, anchors the state’s academic wine training. It conducts research, vineyard consultations, and fermentation workshops that have shaped wineries across the region.
For professional certification, the Vine Lab Wine & Spirits Academy in St. Paul stands out as Minnesota’s premier private wine school. Founded in 2017, it’s a WSET-approved program provider and also offers Wine Scholar Guild certifications, serving both hospitality professionals and advanced enthusiasts.
