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Interviews

Prairie viticulture has always advanced through practice long before it appeared in journals. This section collects first-hand accounts from growers, breeders, researchers, historians, nurseries, and experimenters working in cold-climate and prairie regions.

These conversations are conducted as oral history and field documentation not as a podcast. The transcripts are lightly edited for readability and published alongside supporting audio at times to preserve the speaker’s voice and experience as accurately as possible.

The goal is not to reach conclusions here, but to preserve knowledge — including failures, uncertainties, and long-term observations — that rarely survive outside of memory

ID#:

PV-SD-GROW-01

NAME:

ROLE:

STATE:

YEARS OF EXP:

Vanessa Wergin Grower Interview

Grower

South Dakota

8

INTERVIEW DATE:

Sept 24th 2026

Petite Pearl, St. Pepin, Marquette, LaCrosse

CULTIVARS:

ID#:

PV-MN-UNIEXT-01

NAME:

ROLE:

STATE:

YEARS OF EXP:

Dr. James Luby - University of Minnesota, Frontenac Founder

University / Extension, Breeder

Minnesota

40+

INTERVIEW DATE:

Sept 11th 2026

Frontenac, Frontenac Blanc, Frontenac Gris

CULTIVARS:

ID#:

PV-SD-WINERY-02

NAME:

ROLE:

STATE:

YEARS OF EXP:

Jeff Wilde Prairie Winery

Winery, Grower

South Dakota

26

INTERVIEW DATE:

Sept. 9th 2026

Frontenac, Brianna, Marquette, Valient

CULTIVARS:

ID#:

PV-MN-HIST-01

NAME:

ROLE:

STATE:

YEARS OF EXP:

Patrick Pierquet - Grape Breeder/Winemaker/Frontenac Founder

Breeder, Historian

Minnesota

50+

INTERVIEW DATE:

Sept. 3rd 2026

Frontenac

CULTIVARS:

ID#:

PV-SD-WINERY-01

NAME:

ROLE:

STATE:

YEARS OF EXP:

Dave Greenlee Tucker's Walk Vineyard

Grower

South Dakota

20

INTERVIEW DATE:

July 10th 2026

Frontenac, Brianna, Marquette, St. Croix, St. Pepin, Frontenac Gris

CULTIVARS:

ID#:

PV-ND-WINERY-06

NAME:

ROLE:

STATE:

YEARS OF EXP:

Bob Grosz Dakota Vines Vineyard & Winery

Winery, Grower

North Dakota

7

INTERVIEW DATE:

Jun. 20th 2026

Crimson Pearl, Itasca, King of the North, Frontenac Blanc

CULTIVARS:

ID#:

PV-NE-GROW-05

NAME:

ROLE:

STATE:

YEARS OF EXP:

Al Vybiral Grower Interview

Grower

Nebraska

21

INTERVIEW DATE:

Feb 21st 2026

Frontenac, Brianna, LaCrosse

CULTIVARS:

ID#:

PV-ND-WINERY 05

NAME:

ROLE:

STATE:

YEARS OF EXP:

Greg Cook 4e Winery

Winery, Grower

North Dakota

14

INTERVIEW DATE:

Jun 20th 2026

Frontenac, Brianna, Marquette, Petite Pearl, Frontenac Blanc

CULTIVARS:

ID#:

PV-ND-WINERY-04

NAME:

ROLE:

STATE:

YEARS OF EXP:

Mark Vining Rookery Rock Winery

Winery, Grower

North Dakota

20

INTERVIEW DATE:

Jun 20th 2026

Frontenac, Edelweiss, Marquette, Crimson Pearl, Prairie Star, Wild Riparia, Frontenac Gris, La Crescent

CULTIVARS:

ID#:

PV-ND-BREEDER-01

NAME:

ROLE:

STATE:

YEARS OF EXP:

Sean Ballinger Grape Breeder and Vineyard Manager Bear Creek Winery

Breeder, Vineyard Manager

North Dakota

15

INTERVIEW DATE:

Jun. 20th 2026

Crimson Pearl, Frontenac, Itasca, La Crescent, Petite Pearl

CULTIVARS:

ID#:

PV-ND-WINERY-03

NAME:

ROLE:

STATE:

YEARS OF EXP:

Wild Riparia Vineyard Jason Kesselring Vineyard

Grower, Winery

North Dakota

27

INTERVIEW DATE:

Jun. 20th 2026

Wild Riparia

CULTIVARS:

ID#:

PV-ND-UNIEXT-01

NAME:

ROLE:

STATE:

YEARS OF EXP:

Dr. Harlene Hatterman Valenti NDSU Researcher

University / Extension, Breeder

North Dakota

26

INTERVIEW DATE:

Jun. 20th 2026

Dakota Primus, Radiant, Frontenac, Marquette, Petite Pearl, Crimson Pearl, La Crescent

CULTIVARS:

ID#:

PV-ND-WINERY-02

NAME:

ROLE:

STATE:

YEARS OF EXP:

Kevin Kinzel Fluffy Fields Vineyard

Grower, Winery

North Dakota

17

INTERVIEW DATE:

Jun. 9th 2026

Frontenac, Marquette, Petite Pearl, St. Croix, Crimson Pearl, Brianna, Prairie Star, Sabrevois, Dakota Primus, Radiant, Frontenac Gris

CULTIVARS:

ID#:

PV-ND-WINERY-01

NAME:

ROLE:

STATE:

YEARS OF EXP:

Mark Lunde 1882 Winery & Vineyard

Grower, Winery

North Dakota

10

INTERVIEW DATE:

Jun. 8th 2026

Frontenac, Brianna, Marquette, Petite Pearl, St. Croix, Crimson Pearl, Frontenac Blanc, Frontenac Gris, Prairie Star

CULTIVARS:

ID#:

PV-ND-GROW-01

NAME:

ROLE:

STATE:

YEARS OF EXP:

Greg Krieger Grower Interview

Grower

North Dakota

34

INTERVIEW DATE:

Jun. 6th 2026

Frontenac, Brianna, Marquette, Petite Pearl, Crimson Pearl, Sabrevois, St. Pepin, Beta

CULTIVARS:

ID#:

PV-NE-WINERY-01

NAME:

ROLE:

STATE:

YEARS OF EXP:

Jennifer Reeder (Deer Springs Winery)

Winery, Grower

Nebraska

25

INTERVIEW DATE:

Apr. 14 2026

St. Croix, Edelweiss, LaCrosse, Vignole

CULTIVARS:

ID#:

PV-NE-GROW-04

NAME:

ROLE:

STATE:

YEARS OF EXP:

Yolanda Bailey Grower Interviewer (Fox Run Farms)

Grower

Nebraska

19

INTERVIEW DATE:

Apr. 2, 2026

Brianna, Marquette

CULTIVARS:

ID#:

PV-NE-GROW-03

NAME:

ROLE:

STATE:

YEARS OF EXP:

Ted Schekirke Grower Interview

Grower

Nebraska

17

INTERVIEW DATE:

Mar. 2nd 2026

Frontenac, Brianna, Chambourcin

CULTIVARS:

ID#:

PV-NE-GROW-02

NAME:

ROLE:

STATE:

YEARS OF EXP:

Henry Prokop Grower Interview

Grower

Nebraska

22

INTERVIEW DATE:

Feb. 2nd 2026

Marquette, Petite Pearl, Frontenac Gris, Prairie Star, Frontenac

CULTIVARS:

ID#:

PV-NE-HIST-01

NAME:

ROLE:

STATE:

YEARS OF EXP:

Nebraska's First Winery with Cindy Drake & Ben Kruse

Historian

Nebraska

45

INTERVIEW DATE:

Jan. 22nd 2026

None

CULTIVARS:

ID#:

PV-NE-GROW-01

NAME:

ROLE:

STATE:

YEARS OF EXP:

Jim & Karen Skinner Grower Interview

Grower

Nebraska

17

INTERVIEW DATE:

Jan. 2nd 2026

Brianna, Marquette, Delaware

CULTIVARS:

ID#:

NAME:

ROLE:

STATE:

YEARS OF EXP:

Tyler Bertsch Grower Interview

Grower

Nebraska

10

INTERVIEW DATE:

Jan. 1st 2026

Frontenac, Petite Pearl, Brianna, Itasca

CULTIVARS:

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