U-MN Releases Clarion Cold-Hardy Wine Grape
The sixth cold-hardy wine grape from the University of Minnesota is designed for dry white wines and tested across the Upper Midwest.
Updated on Nov. 3, 2026 in Wine
The University of Minnesota has released Clarion, its sixth cold-hardy wine grape, which produces dry white wines with citrus, pear, melon, apricot, and chamomile notes. Clarion was grown under the research name MN1220 for more than 20 years and has known resistance to downy mildew.
Why it matters
Cold-hardy varieties allow vineyards in northern climates to expand production with grapes suited to local winters. For Minnesota, where cold-hardy vineyards and wineries generated more than $80.3 million for the state's economy in 2016, new varieties support continued growth of the industry.
Clarion is marginally hardy in Zone 4 and tested well in Zone 5 in Iowa and Wisconsin during national variety testing, with its loose grape bunches and less vigorous growth habit noted in evaluations. Its long-term commercial yield and performance at scale have not been reported in the release.
The players
University of Minnesota
The University of Minnesota is a public research university whose horticulture researchers have developed multiple cold-hardy grape varieties for northern climates.
Matt Clark
Matt Clark is a University of Minnesota grape breeder and horticulturist who expects Zone 4 growers to experiment with Clarion in small quantities.
The details
Researchers at the U-MN Horticultural Research Center developed Clarion and evaluated it in test plots with nurseries and university and Extension partners across the United States. The grape is expected to be used by commercial and backyard growers in Zone 4 who will experiment with it in small quantities.
Timeline
Growth testing of Clarion under the name MN1220 began more than 20 years before its release.
Test plots of Clarion have been evaluated for more than 10 years with partners.
Limited Clarion vines will be available to vineyards beginning in 2023.
Legacy Varieties
Clarion follows Itasca, La Crescent, Frontenac, Edelweiss, and Marquette, all previous wine grapes introduced by the University of Minnesota. Its release continues a decades-long effort to adapt wine grape varieties to Minnesota's cold winters.
Minnesota growers in Zone 4 can begin testing Clarion in small plantings, potentially adding a dry white option suited to local winters. Backyard growers may find it useful as a cold-hardy variety for home vineyards once vines are available.
The takeaway
Growers in colder regions now have another cold-hardy option for dry white wine production. Those interested in planting may want to watch for limited vine availability starting in 2023.
What happens next
Limited Clarion vines are scheduled to become available to vineyards beginning in 2023.
Further reading
Explore more on Wine to see how cold-hardy varieties are reshaping Minnesota's vineyards.
More information
Read more about the variety on the Clarion cold-hardy wine grape information page.
Source note: This article includes information reported by Farm Progress.
