Itasca Grape Vine

Itasca is the cold-climate white wine grape home winemakers have been waiting for. The newest release from the renowned University of Minnesota breeding program, introduced in 2017, it combines exceptional cold hardiness with an aromatic, elegant flavor profile that produces genuinely impressive dry white wines. If you’ve been growing Marquette for reds, Itasca is the natural companion for whites.

A White Wine Grape With Real Complexity

Itasca produces a dry white wine that is light yellow to straw in color, with a beautiful aromatic bouquet of pear, quince, violet, melon, and minerals — with faint notes of honey in the background. Its naturally lower acidity and higher sugar levels also make it an excellent choice for a sweeter wine style, giving home winemakers real flexibility in how they work with the fruit. The grapes themselves ripen to a gorgeous golden hue that’s as beautiful on the vine as it is in the glass.

Cold Hardy and Remarkably Disease Resistant

Itasca was bred for growers in challenging climates, and it delivers on every front. Hardy in Zones 4–8, it shrugs off cold winters with ease. Its high resistance to both powdery and downy mildew — as well as phylloxera — means significantly less spraying and maintenance compared to most wine grape varieties. For home growers who want great results without a complex spray program, Itasca is an outstanding choice.

Why Growers Choose Itasca

• Elegant white wine flavor — aromatic notes of pear, quince, violet, melon, and honey
• Flexible winemaking — naturally suited for both dry and sweeter wine styles
• Cold hardy to Zone 4 — thrives where most white wine grapes won’t survive
• High disease resistance — resistant to powdery mildew, downy mildew, and phylloxera
• Low maintenance — requires significantly less spraying than conventional wine grapes
• Self-pollinating — fruit with just one vine

Growing Tips

Itasca’s vigorous growth responds well to a trellis system and consistent pruning to maintain airflow and fruit quality. Its wide soil pH tolerance (5.5–7.5) makes it adaptable to a broad range of growing conditions across its zone range.

May be covered by USPP #29,847 or other patents. ‘MN 1285’ cultivar.