An eagle's view of Eagleview Winery near Ashby

The wine bottle labels from Shannon and Lynda Moerke’s Eagleview Winery near Ashby tell the eclectic story of their farming venture. 

Each label bears a picture of a frustrated Shannon taken when he kept missing his shooting target. It’s the basis of the winery’s Angry Farmer line. One of their wine offerings, Laughing Chipmunk made from Frontenac Gris grapes, is named for the animal most likely resonsible for Shannon’s disposition in the picture. 

Then there’s Broken Tractor. The semi-dry wine’s label features the picture of a red tractor with issues. 

 A busted flail grain box, used by the family to haul dirt, is pictured on their Busted Wagon wine. That wine is a semi-dry white. 

Then there’s Burning Combine with a picture of a, well, burning combine. It caught fire in Shannon’s father’s farm field. But there’s nothing burnt about the wonderful taste of this semi-sweet rose blend. 

Summer Drought is a dry red and Frozen Tundra is made from apples. 

A new wine, Dastardly Goat, is named for Nanna, a 4-H project. Nanna ate everything including the bark off the pear tree, Lynda said. 

Even the name Eagleview speaks to the farm’s views of Pomme de Terre Lake and the fact that Eagles are often seen flying in the area. 

They invite the public to enjoy the views and taste their wines from their Ashby farmyard. 

“We are offering an experience,” Lynda said. “We are a Mom and Pop operation. When you come, you are going to sit down with teh owners or children or other poeple who have had a hand in helping with the grape growing or wine making process…In a big winery, you can sit and taste the product, and we offer that as well, but this is more personal. We like to talk to people who visit the farm. We like to talk about what we do and th eprogress we are making on our farm.” 

And they’ve come a long way in their farming venture. 

The couple purchased the 106 acre farm in 1991 shortly after Shannon retired from military service. He worked with his parents on the family dairy farm where he grew up and the couple raised cows and calves at their farm. 

Lynda, who also grew up in the area, was accustomed to the work. Her family raised hobs and beef. 

Now they maintain full-time careers. Besides their work with the farmland and winery, Shannon works full-time as a reservist in the Air Force. Monday through Friday he is a flight engineer on a C-130. Lynda is a hospice nurse. They are parents to four children and they have six grandchildren. 

When someone told Shannon he could make more money on an acre of grapes than an acre of soybeans, he had to give it a try. 

The caveat is they didn’t mention how much work it would be, Lynda said with a smile. 

They did their homework. The two visited wineries in Minnesota and North Dakota. They gathered as much information as possible on grape production. They took classes on grape production and wine making. 

The Moerkes planted their first vines in 2007 and sold grapes commercially to other wineries. Their Le Crescent grapes have been used by Kimball winery Milner Heritage in its Little Liza wine. It is a Governor’s Cup winner. 

Three years ago, the Moerkes began holding some of their harvest for their own wine production. And it’s been a success. Eagleview wines have garnered gold, silver and bronze honors at the Finger Lakes International Competition. 

All grapes grown at Eagleview Winery are Minnesota hardy varieties and can withstand temperatures from 25 to 30 degrees below zero, Lynda said. Some have been developed by the University of Minnesota and others are from Elmer Swenson’s lines. Swenson was a Wisconsin dairyman whose grapes were made to withstand the Upper Midwest climates. 

Due to the polar vortex in 2012, they dropped production, but it’s been picking up. They harvested 11,000 pounds of grapes for last year’s production and expect 16,000 pounds this year. For their own wine producition, the bottled 2,000 bottles last year and 3,000 this year.

Don’t look for a merlot or chardonnay amongst their offerings. The grapes used in those wine types don’t grow well in northern climates, Lynda said. Instead, the grapes they grow are used to make dry, sweet, semi-sweet and rose wines. 

The couple has remodeled two barns on their farm for production and winery events. A former hay mow now has a large cathedral-style window with sliding door opening to a balcony. The view is breathtaking overlooking the vineyards and nearby lake. It’s the perfect spot for wine tastings. 

Another barn has been renovated as an event center. 

Come for a tasting or to enjoy the great view of their area. For more information, check out Eagleview Winery’s website at www.eagleviewwinery.com or call (218) 747-2261.