Fall is the time for “The Crush” at local wineries – Alexandria Echo Press

DOUGLAS COUNTY – Not only is fall a time when leaves change color, temperatures drop and an abundance of flannel moves out of closets, it’s also known as “The Crush.”

The Crush is the symbolic time for the wineries’ grape harvest. According to a search on Google, pressing is a critical step in the winemaking process that refers to the point at which the grapes are harvested and the winemaking process begins.

There are several wineries in the Douglas County area that are currently harvesting or have completed their harvest, including Burr Vineyards, located east of Brandon on County Road 58, and Carlos Creek Winery, located north of Alexandria on County Road 34 lies.

According to Burr Vineyard’s Facebook pages, the harvest was completed earlier this month, while Carlos Creek only finished this week.

A note from Russ Funk on the winery’s Facebook page states that as of Tuesday, October 15, the winery had crushed a whopping 300,911 pounds of grapes. Funk, the winery’s head winemaker, said it was the most Minnesota fruit they had ever received in a year. Of the 300,911 pounds, 250,621 pounds were cold hardy grapes from Minnesota and 50,290 pounds came from California.

Harvest at Burr Vineyards began in late September and was completed the first week of October.

During the September harvest, Burr Vineyards harvested nearly 10,000 pounds of Marquette grapes, which are used for both red wine and rosé. On October 5, the winery posted on its Facebook page that all grapes were outside the vineyard and in the production room. This second harvest produced 10,000 pounds of Frontenac grapes.

Burr Vineyards, owned by husband and wife team Peter Kvale and Katie Ledermann, is currently closed for the winter but will reopen next year.

Carlos Creek Winery is part of the Bold North Cellars umbrella, which also includes 22 Northmen Brewing Company and Grand Hall. It is owned and operated by husband and wife team Tyler and Michelle Bredeson.

Oktoberfest takes place this weekend at 22 Northmen Brewing Company, located on the same property as Carlos Creek Winery. For more information about the celebration, visit the Bold North Cellars website at boldnorthcellars.com/event/oktoberfest-4/.

Celeste Edenloff is a special projects editor and reporter for Alexandria Echo Press. She has lived in the Alexandria Lakes Area since 1997. She first worked as a reporter for Echo Press from 1999 to 2011, returning in 2016 to once again cover the community she calls home.