On a recent trip I had the distinct privilege to meet a man with a mission.  His mission was to commercially produce the first “Wild Grape” wine in the United States.  I have never heard of such a wine being made anywhere, so I was very curious and wanted to learn more.  So, I asked a good friend to introduce me to this person.

The vintner’s name is Eldon Nygaard and he is the owner of Valiant Vineyards.  What an incredible and fun man to visit with, Eldon is a retired army officer and a State Representative with a passion for wine.  His passion has turned out to be a most profitable enterprise winning awards around the world for his distinctive trademarked “Wild Grape” wines. 

I wanted to learn how Eldon developed this niche market so I could share this motivational success story with other Thai entrepreneurs.  Eldon made his first batch of mulberry and wild grape wine when he was just 14.  His family has been making homemade wines for generations.  His biggest challenge has been to create a commercial wine as opposed to a homemade wine.  In 1996, he created the first commercial wine form vitis riparia a native fruit found along the Mississippi river.  What I found most interesting is his philosophy on supporting the local economy.  Almost everything is done locally resulting in sustainable economic growth for the community.  For example, the “Wild Grapes” are cultivated on a local Indian Reservation and harvested by Native Americans thus creating a macro economy utilizing local resources with knowledge of land and climate conditions.  He also hires locally to process and distribute his wines which has created employment and community growth in an area that has no other substantial attraction.  A very efficient operation for a small enterprise, he had an idea and he stuck with it.

More about the wine, the “Wild Grape” wine vitis riparia  is sold in the United States and Paris, France, it retails for $32.00 in the U.S. and 87 euros in Paris.   In 2007, Wild Grape 2003 won a silver medal in the Long Beach Grand Cru.  My interpretation of the “Wild Grape” wine is big in flavor, fruit forward with a lush plum, fig and black cherry undertones that are tastefully framed with oak character on the long finish. 

Thailand also produces some of the best wines in the world, in my opinion.  My favorite is Chateau de Loei Lable: Chenin Blanc, from the Loei Province at Phu Rua.   

This is not my usual topic of discussion but I was inspired by such success and wanted to share it with you. I also apologize for the poor quality of the pictures but I am sure you will understand that after sampling several, I mean several wines it is difficult to keep a steady hand.