Saturday, June 1, 2024 | Country Acres South • Page 1 PRSRT STD ECR U.S. POSTAGE PAID PERMIT #278 Madelia, MN 522 Sinclair Lewis Ave Sauk Centre MN 56378
SOUTH Saturday, June 1, 2024
Volume 3, Edition 1
Focusing on Today’s Rural Environment
For the love
of grapes PHOTOS BY SARAH COLBURN
Grapes hang from the vine at Zumbro Falls Winery. Proprietor Kevin Kautz, who has farmed all his life, oversees the grape production.
Kevin Kautz leads his two Percheron horses past the Zumbro Falls Winery vineyard. The vineyard boasts more than 2,300 grape vines.
Kautz ope opens Zumbro Falls winery BY SARAH COLBURN | STAFF WRITER
ZUMBRO FALLS – Kevin Kautz spent years raising beef cattle on 80 acres in Zumbro Falls. Then, after playing just nine rounds of golf, he transformed his farmland into a golf course and, this year opened an on-farm winery. “I’ve always had a love for agriculture, and horticulture with the golf course, and viticulture was a natural addition,” Kautz said. The land is now home to more than 2,200 grapevines with more coming every year, and he’s opened the winery to the public. A white wedding carriage traverses through the gently sloping hills, giving visitors a glimpse of the care and work that goes into growing the grapes there.
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Publications bli ti The newspaper of today is the history of tomorrow.
The carriage is pulled by two Percheron horses named King and Jack, animals Kautz fell in love with and that serve as the winery’s mascots. The vineyard itself has been years in the making and, today, Zumbro Falls Winery carries 12 different varieties of wine. One, a Frontenac Blanc, carries the name Sweet Laura Lynn and was crafted in honor of Kautz’s wife, who died unexpectedly in December of 2021, at the age of 55. With a smile that spreads from his mouth to his eyes, Kautz tells the story of how the first set of grapes came to be. He bought them after joking with Laura that she liked wine so much maybe he should plant some. And then, they did. Together, side-by-side, in 2016, the
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couple hand-planted the first 200 Marquette vines and Kautz joined the Minnesota Grape Growers Association. Two years later, they planted another 900 and, in 2019, 900 more. They toured 50 or 60 wineries throughout Minnesota, Iowa and Wisconsin and sold grapes to other winemakers. Soon after, they talked of plans to remodel their existing golf clubhouse to make it appropriate for tastings. “She loved wine … I was starting to get full of carbonated beer and took a love for the wine,” he said. While he began researching the best steps forward, Laura often showed people around the property. “My wife loved to take pictures and put the dog in the golf cart,” he said. “She was always giving tours to friends in the golf cart.” 4 6
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Kevin Kautz pours a glass of Merlot straight from the stainless steel tanks at his winery. Kautz has crafted 12 varieties of wine.
Laura died of a heart attack before construction began. That day, she was readying to pick up Kautz and their son, Kaleb, from the airport; the two had taken a trip to Arizona to see Kautz’s parents and play golf. They talked to Laura daily and again just 15 minutes before they boarded the flight. She died before the plane landed back in Minnesota.
Kautz page 2
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