Our Story
Peter Hemstad (left) and Paul Quast (right) in the early 2000s
In 1992, Saint Croix Vineyards founders Paul Quast and Peter Hemstad had a vision to put Minnesota wines on the map. In the past 30+ years, they’ve done just that! How did we become the oldest continuously owned and operated winery in the state? Here’s their story:
In the early ’90s, Peter and Paul were uniquely positioned to be trailblazers in the Minnesota wine industry. Paul was an attorney and wine lover with numerous connections in the wine and farming industry through his work in the MN State Fair Fruit and Wine department for most of his life. He knew Peter through judging wine at the Fair, something they still do together to this day!
Peter had been the grape breeder and wine maker for the University of Minnesota Viticulture department since 1985, working on developing the new cold-hardy grape varieties that now define MN wines. Not only did it give him the knowledge to grow a successful vineyard and make high quality wine, it also gave him the insight to know that more cold-hardy grapes ideal for winemaking would soon be available. He also sought to prove that his grape growing and winemaking work at U of M could work on a bigger scale.
As the lore goes, Paul visited one of the two wineries in all of Minnesota at the time and grew intrigued by the possibilities in a region that was not known for wine yet. He approached his friend Peter to see if he would want to start a winery together, to find that Peter had already been scouting vineyard locations with no luck. Luckily, Paul’s friend Chris Aamodt had fertile land and an extra rustic barn at his family’s apple farm, so the three of them decided to go into business together.
Peter and Paul in the same row of the back vineyard in 2025
The first vines they planted in the newly tilled vineyards in 1992 were Marechal Foch and Chardonnay. Remember, at the time, the U of M grapes that are now synonymous with Midwest wine-making - the Frontenac family, Marquette, La Crescent, and Itasca - had not been released yet. Many of these Foch vines are still in the back vineyard today, though the vineyard now primarily grows Marquette, Frontenac, Frontenac Gris, Frontenac Blanc, and La Crescent.
In their first few years, Peter and Paul struggled to produce enough bottles to keep up with demand, sometimes selling out of the year's wines in mere months! They also had very high standards for their wine. They refused to release a wine that did not meet those exacting standards, even having moments when a federal employee would need to be on site to witness them pouring a tank of mediocre wine down the drain instead of bottling it. Those standards have never wavered at Saint Croix Vineyards, as wine is our passion!
The release of the Frontenac grape by U of M in 1996 brought fervent national media attention to cold-hardy grapes and the growing potential of a new wine region. Saint Croix Vineyards was one of the first wineries to make wine from Frontenac, but they were never allowed to be the first winery to release a wine from the new U of M varieties. Because of Peter’s position there, they were careful to avoid the appearance of favoritism or an unfair advantage, even though Peter knew these grape varieties better than almost anyone in the world after years of working with each one before its release.
The winery and vineyard also became a home away from home for both of their families. With kids around the same ages, Paul and Peter brought them along on weekends and evenings. The vineyards and winery became their playground at younger ages, and workplace at older. This family-friendly sensibility has also been a through line at Saint Croix Vineyards.
Winemaker and Production Manager Martin Polognioli in the front vineyard
In 2004, they brought in Martin Pologlioli from Argentina as an apprentice in both grape and wine production. Martin (pronounced Marteen) was from Tres Arroyos, Argentina, in the province of Buenos Aires and ended up being right at home at Saint Croix Vineyards. He had studied Chemical Engineering at Universidad Nacional de Mar del Plata and was looking for a change. Martin worked side by side with Peter and Paul, taking classes and seminars at U of M whenever he could to transfer his experience to the fields of vineyard management and winemaking. Over the last 20 years, the wines he has produced as Production Manager and Head Winemaker have won countless awards as he has kept the same meticulous standards that Paul and Peter started with those many years ago.
Now, Peter and Paul have retired from their day jobs, but remain devoted to Saint Croix Vineyards and its community. They regularly lead tours to further their goal of educating about winemaking and cold-hardy grape varieties. They serve wine in the tasting room and bring their grandchildren to run in the fields. They share their passion for wine and wine culture at countless events on and off the grounds. And they hope you'll join them.