American Viticultural Area Petition

For

Upper Mississippi River Valley

Pursuant to the provisions of 27 CFR Sections 9.3 and 4.25a (e) (2) the members of the
Upper Mississippi River Valley Appellation Committee respectfully petition the Alcohol
and Tobacco Tax and Trade Bureau (TTB) to establish a viticultural area (AVA) by the
name of “Upper Mississippi River Valley.”

Introduction:
The Upper Mississippi River Valley AVA petition involves a 29,914 square mile area, or
19,145,006 acres, along the upper Mississippi River Valley that includes portions of
northwest Illinois, northeast Iowa, southeast Minnesota, and southwest Wisconsin. The
area is viewable on four enclosed USGS State Topographic maps and two USGS 30 x
60-minute quadrangle maps.

Vineyards and wineries here operate among a unique geologic and topographic
environment as defined by Major Land Resource Area 105 (MLRA 105) and the Driftless
Area Initiative (DAI). While the MLRA expresses a rugged, bedrock controlled
environment with soils lacking the glacial drift of areas outside the boundary, the DAI
slightly extends the MLRA boundary in some areas to more fully capture included
watersheds and transitional areas of increasing glacial drift.

MLRA’s are managed by the Natural Resources Conservation Service (NRCS) under
the United States Department of Agriculture and are characterized by like-patterned
soils, climate, water, and land uses usually over several thousand acres. The DAI was
created and is managed by a joint venture of Resource Conservation and Development
(RC&D) councils under the NRCS in the four-state Midwest Driftless Area. The DAI
mandate is to conserve land, water and habitat resources that are heavily influenced by
the dramatic landscape.

The Upper Mississippi River Valley AVA petition (UMRV) is distinguished as well as
controlled by several components. Broad, well-defined watershed features are
somewhat equidistant on both sides of the river. Exposed and near-the-surface bedrock
supports high bluffs topography. Another component is the unique Paleozoic Plateau
preserved when more recent glacial incursions strangely surrounded and bypassed the
area. This atypical lack of glacial till is denoted by the Midwest Driftless Area.

The UMRV boundary, then, maintains surface topographies and subsurface structures
that were not crushed or scraped smooth or their soils embedded with miscellaneous
deposits as typical with areas outside the boundary. As such, the boundary involves
steep-sided cliffs, bluffs, deeply entrenched stream valleys and Karst features. Overall,
the area’s steep hills, ridges, and thinner glacial till facilitate better drainage for grapes
than topographies outside the boundary. Topographies outside the boundary are
dominated by smoother landforms of unconsolidated materials, or dissections of them,
and are covered by thicker glacial drift and alluvium.

The petition’s east to west and north to south boundaries are established by optimizing
features of the DAI with the nearest large highways. Though similarly positioned, the
UMRV and DAI boundaries are not identical. As well, the UMRV boundary is 4% larger.

The southern boundary is extended by a few miles to consider the Upper Mississippi
River Wild Life & Fish Refuge Act of 1924. (Later: Upper Mississippi River National
Wildlife & Fish Refuge.) Congress created this legislation in part to reflect the unique
habitat of the region’s Paleozoic Plateau. The refuge is America’s longest in the lower
forty-eight states and is an important recreation area and habitat of marshes, backwater
sloughs and lakes, flowing channels, floodplain forests, sand beaches, and bluffs.

The Upper Mississippi River Wildlife & Fish Refuge Act of 1924 offers historical
perspective in support of this petition’s name as well as its north-south position along the
Mississippi River (see Appendix A, references 1-5, naming usage). Various references
to the Mississippi River many times fluctuate when denoting particular Mississippi River
segments.

The Mississippi’s headwaters flow from Lake Itasca in northwest Minnesota to St.
Anthony Falls in Minneapolis, Minnesota — proximal to the point of this petition’s
northern boundary. After delineating the river’s headwaters, naming conventions as to
the river’s additional segments are not standardized with the public, most commercial
entities, and some public agencies. For example, the Mississippi River, sometimes in
conjunction with its valley, is discussed variably as having upper and lower segments.
Other discussions refer to upper, middle, and lower segments. In the case of the latter,
borders of the upper segment vary greatly.

The UMRV’s north-south boundaries also denote important temperature gradients

influential in the region’s varietal selections and vineyard practices. Research conducted
throughout the 20th century in the proposed AVA resulted in a unique optimization of
winter hardy French-American hybrids with enhanced disease resistance (see Appendix
A, reference 6). Growers south of the petitioned area are able to use less hardy varietals
that are more difficult to sustain further north.

Lake Wisconsin AVA

The UMRV petition seeks inclusion of the established Lake Wisconsin AVA in its
boundary. Both administrative organizations including the Upper Mississippi River Valley
Appellation Committee and Philippe Coquard, manager of the Lake Wisconsin AVA, look
forward to public and private recognition of the broader grape growing region in concert
with distinctions of the included Lake Wisconsin AVA (see Appendix C, references
1 & 2).

The Lake Wisconsin AVA is positioned just inside the UMRV’s eastern border and is a
natural portion of the Driftless Area Initiative. While the Wisconsin River also forming
Lake Wisconsin is a major tributary to the Mississippi River, it also serves as northern
and northwestern borders for the Lake Wisconsin AVA.

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Sitting in a substantial watershed of the upper Mississippi River, the Lake Wisconsin
AVA also is supported by similar soil orders and Driftless Area topographies identified in
this petition. Soil orders including the Alfisols and Mollisols are substantial in both areas.
Whereas the UMRV boundary evidences almost no glacial till, area geologists view the
Lake Wisconsin AVA as a transitional area moving toward glacially incurred
topographies to its east. Lake Wisconsin’s higher elevations involve almost no glacial
deposits.

Historical Review:
The major period of carving that would solidify today’s position of the upper Mississippi
River Valley began 15,000 years ago. At that time, the massive Wisconsin Glacier with
Minnesota and Iowa lobes began to melt and retreat into Canada. Not only did Glacial
River Warren result from this melting to help create today’s upper Mississippi River
Valley, so too did overflow from the vast Glacial Lake Agassiz. Lake Agassiz straddled
areas of Canada and North America.

These water flows combined with those of the glacial St. Croix River already draining
glacial Lake Duluth (Lake Superior). The relatively sediment-free waters of Lake Duluth
helped carve the upper Mississippi River Valley to 250 meters in depth before alluvial
deposits later began refilling the channel.

Warming temperatures not only brought glacial retreat to the area, but also humans
around 9,000 years ago. Since that time, Native peoples had been successful inhabiting
campsites and small villages along upper Mississippi River Valley tributaries, hills, and
valleys. Watershed topographies on both sides of the river as well as more distinctive
features of the Paleozoic Plateau provided ample cover for wildlife and therefore
hunting.

Watershed features feeding the valley held many Native tribes including the Fox, Sac,
Dakota, and Winnebago. Many others including the Potawatomi, Menominee, Chippewa,
and Ottowa would travel to the area for trade and special gatherings.

Christopher Columbus likely noted on a map the mouth of the Mississippi River at the
Gulf of Mexico in 1507, and Hernando DeSoto’s expedition in 1541 explored the river’s
midsection. The first Europeans to discover the upper Mississippi River were Jacques
Marquette and Louis Joliet. They entered the river’s upper portion June 17, 1673 serving
as the first to more fully document and claim discovery of the area relating to this
petition.

After subsequent incursions by Europeans, fur and lead mining industries more fully
developed throughout the upper Mississippi River Valley. The Louisiana Purchase in
1803 and resolution of the Black Hawk War in 1832 enabled legal settlements on both
sides of the river by those from the eastern United States. The river always had been
used as a travel and trade route, and it soon began transporting cut logs for an emerging
timber industry.

Today’s pronunciation of the Mississippi River emerged as eastern explorers attempted

to enunciate Native American references to the Big River.

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The region’s native grape varieties added to a thriving grape and winemaking industry
throughout the late 19th and early 20th centuries. In 1919, for example, Iowa ranked sixth
in the nation in grape production (see Appendix A, reference 13) and Illinois realized
even higher production levels in some years.

However, the advent of Prohibition, some untimely freezes and droughts, and a regional
redirection of crops into corn and soybeans weakened these totals. Finally, wind drift
from introduction of the new corn herbicide 2,4-D severely crippled the regional grape
industry (see Appendix A, reference 7).

Fortunately, improvements in commodity crop sprays paralleled regional cultivation of

French-American hybrid grape varietals beginning the middle of the 20th century. These
varietals were produced to combine winter hardiness with high disease resistance and
excellent taste qualities. In the last 15 years, this improving environment for marketable
grapes has provided renewed confidence for grape growers and winemakers throughout
the region.

Since the early 1990s, the region has seen a vigorous return to grape and wine
production using optimized French-American hybrid and other varietals. Today, the
UMRV AVA boundary represents 32 wineries and 445 vineyard acres. Active programs
and associations exist to help more wineries and vineyards to come on line.

Topography and Geology:

The lower Mississippi River spilling into the Gulf of Mexico may be 208 million years old.
It likely began as a perpendicular fault line associated with the continental separation
that formed North and South America. On the other hand, the upper Mississippi River in
its current position is only 11 thousand years old. It formed from glacial water flows over
thousands of years carving its channel, valley, and broad watershed. After scouring from
clean glacial waters, tributaries then brought sediment-filled waters to the Mississippi.
This process began reducing the river’s depth and continues today.

The UMRV boundary contains formidable amounts of loess sediments loosened from
retreating glaciers to the west and whipped into the air by warming temperatures for
deposition along the upper Mississippi River Valley. These fine loess elevations were
then cut into deep, expansive hill and valley configurations by torrid overflows of glacial
lakes outside the region to the north.

The UMRV boundary is denoted by highways and also is recognizable by change from
rugged, dissected, bedrock-controlled landscapes to those of gently rolling, lower relief
landscapes of glaciated erosion surfaces. Having avoided direct glacial incursion during
the most recent Wisconsin Age, this Driftless Area phenomenon left most of the UMRV
boundary with unique topographies and subsurface structures well-suited for grapes.

The region’s control by bedrock in combination with deeply entrenched valleys and Karst
structure enable an integrated drainage network. Bedrock control is unique to the
petitioned area in contrast to areas outside the boundary consisting of unconsolidated

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and heavily dissected materials along smooth, rolling hills. As mentioned earlier, areas
outside the boundary also are covered by substantial glacial deposits.

Deep dissection by streams through inclined landforms reveals Paleozoic rock units with
varying resistance to erosion. These rocks range in age from 350 to 600 million years
and include formations from the Devonian, Silurian, Ordovician, and Cambrian systems.
Exposures are primarily Ordovician dolomite, limestone, and sandstone. Cambrian
sandstone, shale, and dolomite can be found along valley walls of the Mississippi River.
Devonian dolomite and limestone are exposed more so in the petition’s western region
and Ordovician dolomites are exposed more so in the east.

A unique physiographic setting is enabled by the steep slopes, bluffs, abundant rock
outcrops, waterfalls and rapids, sinkholes, and entrenched stream valleys — the
Paleozoic Plateau. This exists in conjunction with extensive Karst development of caves,
sinkholes, springs, and subsurface caverns. These elements combine to provide an area
of many diverse microclimates supporting varied flora and fauna communities not
represented outside the petition’s boundary. While the area is abundant with rivers and
underground water flows, it has few natural lakes due to the absence of kettles usually
formed in areas having experienced direct glacial incursion.

Many surface materials within the petition’s boundary, especially among the Paleozoic
Plateau, date to 100,000 years. This is in contrast to materials outside the boundary that
were scraped and dissembled by glacial erosion and supplanted by glacial till dating to
just 10,000 years.

The regional landform also is controlled by river development. The Mississippi River and
its tributary valleys contain well preserved terraces, older floodplain deposit remnants,
and entrenched and hanging meanders. All of these features indicate complexity of the
alluvial history and river development associated with impacts from glacial melting and
drainage diversions.

Descriptions below of geological and environmental characteristics within the UMRV

boundary are referenced by MLRA 105 found in the Major Land Resource Area section
of the United States Department of Agriculture Handbook 296; 2006 Edition (see
Appendix A, reference 8).

Areas outside the UMRV boundary relative to elevation, water, climate, and soils used
for comparison to MLRA 105 and the UMRV boundary are taken from the following
references also found in the USDA Handbook:

Comparative characteristics north of the petitioned area are detailed within MLRA 90B
(see Appendix A, reference 9).
Comparative characteristics east of the petitioned area are detailed within MLRA 95B
(see Appendix A, reference 10).
Comparative characteristics south of the petitioned area are detailed within MLRA 108C
(see Appendix A, reference 11).
Comparative characteristics west of the petitioned area are detailed within MLRA 104
(see Appendix A, reference 12).

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Physiography (Elevation)
Elevations in the UMRV boundary range from 660 feet on valley floors to 1310 feet on
the highest ridges. Sloping to hilly uplands are dissected by both large and small
tributaries to the upper Mississippi River. Bottom land along all streams is narrow, and
some ridge tops are broad with undulating slopes. Local relief is mainly 10 to 20 feet, but
as much as 50 to 100 feet on valley walls along the major streams. Relief is as much as
250 feet on the Mississippi River bluffs above the river.
Areas to the north are gently undulating to rolling. The steepest areas are adjacent to
river valleys. Natural lakes, bogs, swamps, flood plains, and depressions are fairly
extensive. Still, elevation ranges from about 675 feet at the St. Croix River near Prescott,
Wisconsin, to about 1,550 feet just north of Medford, Wisconsin. Local relief is commonly
10 to 20 feet.
Topography to the east is characterized by gently sloping ground moraines, lake plains,
outwash plains, drumlin fields, end moraines, flood plains, swamps, and marshes. Most
of the area has belts of morainic hills and ridges and nearly level outwash terraces.
Drumlins are prominent features in the north-central part of the area. The area is
dissected by numerous streams and rivers. Elevation ranges from 660 to 980 feet. Local
relief is mainly 25 feet, but the moraines, drumlins, and bedrock escarpments rise 80 to
330 feet above the adjacent lowlands
Area south of the UMRV boundary is a dissected till plain with slopes mostly rolling to
hilly. Some broad ridge tops are nearly level to undulating and areas bordering the major
stream valleys are steep. A few large rivers have nearly level, broad valley floors.
Elevation ranges from 505 feet in the lowest valleys to 1,110 feet on the highest ridges.
Local relief is mainly 10 to 20 feet, but valley floors can be 80 to 200 feet below adjacent
uplands. Also, some upland flats and valley floors have local relief of only 3 to 6 feet.
To the west, landscapes are nearly level to gently rolling glaciated plain with long
slopes. The natural drainage network is well established and commonly described as
dendritic, resulting in few lakes and ponds. Subsurface tile drainage lines are commonly
used to lower water tables and increase crop production. Elevation ranges from 985 to
1,310 feet. Local relief is 10 to 20 feet.

Total elevation outside the UMRV boundary averages 250 feet higher to the Northwest
and 165 feet lower to the Southeast. Though areas nearer the UMRV boundary can
reflect substantial differences in elevation from valley floors to ridge tops, the
concentration of hills and the steepness of valley cuts within the boundary provide a
sharp contrast in landforms.

Soils:
Given the UMRV boundary’s hilliness, commodity crops are not always produced
efficiently, so winegrowing is seen as a substantial alternative. Especially relative to the
broad watershed, grapes are viewed as holding the soil better while not requiring the
quantities of nutrient additives as more common commodity crops.

Dominant soil orders within UMRV boundary are Alfisols and Entisols and, to a lesser
extent, Mollisols. The soils in the area have a dominant mesic soil temperature regime, a

6
udic soil moisture regime, and mixed mineralogy. They generally are moderately deep to
very deep, well drained or moderately well drained, and loamy. Hapludalfs formed in
loess (Downs, Fayette, Mt. Carroll, and Seaton series) or loess over residuum
(Dubuque, La Farge, Norden, and Nordness series) on uplands and benches. Paleudalfs
(Valton series) formed in loess over residuum on uplands. Argiudolls (Tama series)
formed in loess on uplands and terraces. Udifluvents (Chaseburg series) formed in
alluvium on flood plains and alluvial fans. Udipsamments (Plainfield series) formed in
glaciofluvial deposits on outwash plains, terraces, and valley trains.

Soil orders directly north are dominantly Entisols, Alfisols, Histosols, Spodosols, and
Inceptisols with a temperature regime predominantly frigid. Soils in the area have a udic
or aquic soil moisture regime. Mineralogy is dominantly mixed, but siliceous in a few
areas. The soils generally are moderately deep to very deep; well drained to very poorly
drained; and sandy to loamy. Thin to thick layers of loess exist throughout the area.
Alluvium is sandy to silty.

Most of the soils on ground moraines are Glossudalfs (Almena, Alstad, Branstad,
Freeon, Loyal, Magnor, Spencer, and Withee series). Most soils in glacial lakebeds and
which formed mostly in silty and clayey sediments are Glossudalfs (Comstock, Crystal
Lake, Grasston, and Longsiding series) and Hapludalfs (Dalbo series). Soils on outwash
plains and valley trains commonly are Glossudalfs or Hapludalfs (Anigon, Brill, Antigo,
Langlade, Brander, Blackriver, Ribriver, Rosholt, and Chetek series) that formed in silty
or loamy alluvium over outwash or Udipsamments (Menahga and Mahtomedi series)
that formed entirely in outwash.

The major soils on sandstone hills are Glossudalfs (Dobie series) that formed in a thin
loess mantle over loamy residuum, Hapludalfs (Hayriver series) that formed in loamy
slope alluvium and loamy residuum, and Psamments (Twinmound series) that formed in
sandy slope alluvium and sandy residuum. Typic Haplosaprists (Seelyeville series) and
Terric Haplosaprists (Markey series) formed mostly in organic material underlain by
outwash, till, alluvium, or lacustrine sediments. These are in bogs and swamps. The
soils on flood plains throughout the area are Dystrudepts (Moppet series) and
Fluvaquents (Fordum series) that formed in loamy and sandy alluvium. The soils on
flood plains that drain loess-mantled areas are Endoaquolls (Vancecreek series) that
formed dominantly in silty alluvium.

Soil orders east of the UMRV boundary are Alfisols, Histosols, and Mollisols. The soils in
the area dominantly have a mesic soil temperature regime, an aquic or udic soil moisture
regime, and mixed mineralogy. They are very deep, generally well drained to poorly
drained, and loamy. They formed dominantly in a mantle of silty or loamy sediments over
loamy till, in sandy till or mudflow sediments, in a sandy or loamy mantle over
glaciofluvial deposits, in silty or clayey glaciolacustrine sediments, in mixed alluvium, or
in organic material.

Hapludalfs formed in alluvium over outwash (Casco series) and loess over outwash (Fox
series) on outwash plains, valley trains, and kames and in loess over till (Dodge, Kidder,
McHenry, Miami, and St. Charles series) on till plains, moraines, and drumlins.
Haplosaprists formed in organic material in depressions on lake plains, outwash plains,
and till plains.

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Endoaquolls formed in loess over outwash (Drummer series) and in silty and loamy
sediments (Pella series) on till plains, outwash plains, and stream terraces. Argiudolls
formed in loess over outwash (Elburn series), loess over till (Hochheim, Plano, and
Saybrook series), and till (Griswold series) on till plains, outwash plains, and stream
terraces.

Dominant soil orders south of the boundary are Mollisols and, to a lesser extent,
Alfisols, Entisols, and Inceptisols. Most of the soils are Udolls or Udalfs. Some Aquolls
are on the flatter interfluves and on nearly level, broad valley floors. The soils in the area
dominantly have a mesic soil temperature regime, an aquic or udic soil moisture regime,
and mixed mineralogy. They generally are very deep, well drained to poorly drained,
and silty, loamy, or clayey.

The soils on uplands include somewhat poorly drained, nearly level Argiudolls (Mahaska
series); Hapludolls (Muscatine series); moderately well drained, gently sloping to
strongly sloping Argiudolls (Otley series); well drained or moderately well drained,
moderately sloping to strongly sloping Eutrudepts (Killduff series); poorly drained, nearly
level Endoaquolls (Garwin series); and Argiaquolls (Taintor series); well drained or
moderately well drained, gently sloping to strongly sloping Argiudolls (Tama and
Dinsdale series); and well drained, strongly sloping to steep Hapludalfs (Fayette, Downs,
Ladoga, Armstrong, and Clinton series). Somewhat poorly drained Hapludolls (Lawson
series) and moderately well drained Udifluvents (Nodaway series) formed in silty
alluvium on flood plains. Poorly drained Endoaquolls (Colo and Zook series) formed in
clayey alluvium on flood plains.

Soil orders to the west dominantly are Mollisols and Alfisols. The soils in the area
primarily have a mesic soil temperature regime, an aquic or udic soil moisture regime,
and mixed mineralogy. They generally are very deep, well drained to very poorly
drained, and loamy. Hapludolls (Floyd, Kenyon, Marquis, Ostrander, and Readlyn
series) and Hapludalfs (Bassett, Kasson, and Racine series) formed in loamy sediments
over till on uplands. Argiudolls (Dinsdale series) formed in loess over till on uplands.
Endoaquolls (Maxfield and Tripoli series) formed in loamy and silty sediments over till on
uplands.

Compared to surrounding areas, soils within the UMRV boundary have much less clay.
When combined with a greater concentration of hills and steep cuts, soils provide almost
complete drainage. Areas outside the boundary require much tile drainage to rid water
resulting from precipitation, glacial pools, and overall flatter landscapes.

Climate:
The UMRV boundary includes average annual precipitation from 30 to 38 inches. Two-
thirds or more of the precipitation falls during the freeze-free period. Most of the rainfall
occurs as high-intensity, convective thunderstorms during the summer. Snowfall is
common in winter. The average annual temperature is 42 to 50 degrees F. The freeze-
free period averages about 175 days ranging from 145 to 205 days.

North of the boundary, annual precipitation averages 27 to 33 inches. Most of the

rainfall occurs as convective thunderstorms during the growing season. Annual snowfall

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ranges from about 35 to 50 inches. It generally occurs from October through April. The
average annual temperature is 40 to 46 degrees F. The freeze-free period averages
about 160 days ranging from 135 to 180 days.

Average annual precipitation east of the boundary is 30 to 38 inches. Most of the rainfall
occurs as high-intensity, convective thunderstorms during the summer. Snowfall is
common in winter. Average annual temperature is 43 to 48 degrees F. The freeze-free
period averages about 170 days ranging from 150 to 190 days, decreasing in quantity
moving from south to north and from the shore of Lake Michigan inland.

Precipitation south of the boundary is 33 to 38 inches. Most of the rainfall occurs as

convective thunderstorms during the growing season. About 10 inches of the
precipitation occurs as snow during winter. The average annual temperature is 46 to 51
degrees F. The freeze-free period averages about 185 days ranging from 170 to 205
days.

Average annual precipitation west of the boundary is 29 to 37 inches. Most of the rainfall
occurs as high-intensity, convective thunderstorms during the summer. More than two-
thirds of the precipitation falls during the growing season. Precipitation in winter occurs
mainly as snow. The average annual temperature is 44 to 50 degrees. The freeze-free
period averages about 180 days ranging from 160 to 195 days.

Climatic conditions of the UMRV boundary show more contrast with areas to the north
and south. These conditions primarily include average temperature and average freeze-
free days that dictate differentiated growing protocols and precautions as well as
opportunities in the use of optimized regional cultivars. Another factor influencing
growing protocols is adherence to air circulation given the region’s landscapes
characterized by steeper turns and cuts.

A discussion of growing degree days was not used in this petition. Many viticulturists
realize that temperature behavior relative to grapes is better calculable in regions of the
country other than the Midwest. For example, Midwestern temperatures do not witness
such stark temperature reductions at day’s end as found in the western United States.
Hence, growing potential during Midwestern days can linger into the night.

Growing degree days are used in the Midwest relative to other crops such as corn.
However, these crops are constrained in growth by both upper and lower temperature
thresholds. Grapes, on the other hand, generally are not constrained by an upper limit.
Therefore, calculation of growing degree days for Midwestern grapes is not succinct.

Water:
In most years the moderate precipitation in the UMRV boundary is adequate for crops
and forage, but in years of little or no precipitation yields are reduced on soils that are
shallow over bedrock. The many springs, streams, and farm ponds are additional
sources of surface water in the area. The surface water is abundant and generally of
good quality. Poor water quality in stream reaches primarily is the result of non-point
sources of sediment, nutrients, and pesticides from agricultural land or wastewater

9
discharges downstream from larger cities. Ground water is abundant in glacial outwash
deposits in most of the region’s river valleys.

Water here is moderately hard or hard but generally of very good quality. The level of
total dissolved solids is typically less than 250 parts per million. The supply of ground
water varies in the uplands where the sandstone and dolomite layers in the Jordan and
Prairie du Chien aquifers usually provide adequate yields to wells. Water from these
aquifers is suitable for all uses, although the level of total dissolved solids approaches
1,000 parts per million in some areas.

The Mississippi River flows through the area dividing Minnesota and Wisconsin and then
Iowa and Illinois. The petition’s Mississippi River tributaries are represented by the
Kickapoo, Wisconsin and Pecatonica Rivers in Wisconsin; the Zumbro, Whitewater and
Root Rivers in Minnesota; the Upper Iowa, Turkey, Yellow, Volga, Maquoketa and
Wapsipinicon Rivers in Iowa; and the Apple, Plum, and Rock Rivers in Illinois.

Precipitation north of the UMRV boundary generally is adequate for crops and pasture.
However, in dry years crops on sandy soils become damaged by lack of moisture. Most
of the area’s wet lowland soils need to be drained for good crop and forage production.
Ground water is abundant in deep glacial drift deposits but scarce in areas where the
drift is thin. The many lakes and streams also are sources of water.

Precipitation for crops and pasture outside the UMRV eastern boundary generally is
adequate. But in years of little or no precipitation, some crops on coarse textured soils
become damaged by lack of moisture. Many of the area’s fine-textured soils need water
management practices to facilitate tillage and harvesting operations. These poorly
drained soils must incorporate artificial drainage for good production of cultivated crops.

Ground water is abundant in the underlying drift wherein sandy and gravelly drift yield
the largest amounts. Sandstone and limestone bedrock formations below the glacial drift
are good sources of water. The many inland lakes and streams are additional sources of
water for domestic uses.

Area south of the UMRV boundary finds that water is favorably distributed from
moderate precipitation as well as the many perennial streams, which are important water
sources. Ground water is abundant in the glacial drift that underlies much of the area.
The Mississippi River and a few large tributaries serve as transportation arteries and
recreation.

West of the petition boundary, precipitation generally is adequate for crops; but yields
are reduced in years of little or no precipitation. Ground water is adequate for livestock,
domestic, and municipal needs. Bedrock aquifers are used extensively for groundwater
resources. Seasonally high water tables in this region generally require artificial drainage
systems for good crop production.

Grapes grown inside the UMRV boundary have excellent access to water while also
benefiting from superior natural drainage. This is in sharp contrast to areas outside the
region where, for the most part, more complex soil systems exist in combination with the
need of growers to install tile drainage to remove standing water.

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Boundaries:
Given the large area covered by this petition, well developed highways have been
selected to delineate its boundary. These highways were selected not only to follow the
DAI boundary, but also to include transitional areas of low to gradually increasing glacial
till; particularly along the western boundary. Areas just inside the petition’s extended
western boundary initiate headwaters of the watersheds moving toward the Mississippi
River.

1. The border begins just south of St. Paul, Minnesota in Dakota County where
Minnesota state highway 56 intersects the Interstate 494/694 beltway. Follow the
beltway east and then north to its intersection with Interstate 94.

2. Follow Interstate 94 east into Wisconsin at St. Croix County continuing to Eau Claire,
Wisconsin. From Interstate 94 at Eau Claire, take Wisconsin state highway 85
northeast into Eau Claire to connect with U.S. highway 12.

3. Follow U.S. highway 12 southeast from Eau Claire and through the Wisconsin cities
of Fall Creek, Augusta, Fairchild, Humbird and Merrillan to its intersection with
Interstate 94 at Black River Falls, Wisconsin.

4. From Black River Falls, Wisconsin follow Interstate 94 and its merge with Interstate
90 moving southeast into Madison, Wisconsin.

5. At Madison, Wisconsin continue following Interstate 90 south into Illinois to the

Rockford, Illinois beltway. Follow Illinois highway 2 southwest from the Rockford
beltway to Dixon, Illinois in Lee County. From the intersection of Illinois highway 2
and Illinois highway 26 in Dixon, follow Illinois highway 26 south to its intersection
with Illinois state highway 5.

(Illinois state highway 5 on the USGS State of Illinois map is now Interstate 88 on
contemporary traffic maps.)

6. Follow Illinois state highway 5 southwest to its intersection with Interstate 80 in Rock
Island County. Follow Interstate 80 west into Scott County in Iowa.

7. Follow Interstate 80 west to its intersection with Interstate 380 in Johnson County.
Follow Interstate 380 north past Cedar Rapids and then northwest to its merge with
U.S. highway 20 southeast of the Iowa cities of Waterloo and Cedar Falls in Black
Hawk County.

(Since Interstate 380 moving north from Cedar Rapids, Iowa is more recent than to
be viewed on the USGS State of Iowa map, please refer to the enclosed USGS
maps titled Anamosa, Iowa and Marshalltown, Iowa.)

8. Continue following Interstate 380 west into Waterloo/Cedar Falls to its intersection
with U.S. highway 63.

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9. Follow U.S. Hwy 63 north into Minnesota’s Fillmore County where it immediately
meets Minnesota state highway 56 moving west into Mower County. Follow state
highway 56 west and then north through Mower, Dodge, and Goodhue Counties and
into Dakota County as it merges with U.S. Hwy 52.

10. Continue following state highway 56 north through Minnesota to its intersection with
the Interstate 494/694 Beltway at St. Paul, Minnesota completing the boundary.

Conclusion:
The Upper Mississippi River Valley AVA petition is characterized by a higher
concentration of hills infused with particularly long, deep valleys not found beyond its
boundary. These hills and cuts are accentuated by glacially derived dust settled by
westerly winds and by several substantial tributaries of the Mississippi River’s broad
watershed. This unique availability of topographical choices including supplies of
southern facings slopes provides growers more sunlight and natural drainage than areas
outside the boundary.

The boundary includes significant elements such as a Driftless Area phenomenon that in
turn helped preserve extensive Karst features and a Paleozoic Plateau. The un-scraped
region provides many special microclimates enhancing the potential for more diverse
grape varieties. Soils here are less encumbered by clay and standing water evidenced
outside the boundary.

The above elements are atypical to those just outside the boundary and contribute to
one another as an integrated system. Soil scientists classify most of this area as MLRA
105. The four-state Driftless Area Initiative collaborative body and the Upper Mississippi
River Wildlife & Fish Refuge exist to support this complex system.

Over the years, this hill country with exposed bedrock has prompted many local
commodity growers to transition to alternative crops resulting in the steady creation of
vineyards and wineries. Temperature gradients along the petition’s northern and
southern borders have led grape growers to use optimized French-American hybrid
varietals within the climate regime.

Area grape growers appreciate the early 20th century work of Elmer Swenson. Swenson
lived near the cross-roads of the four states involved in this petition and was responsible
for introducing and further cultivating the French-American hybrids. These varietals
carrying more diverse taste qualities can be depended upon for yearly marketability
based on their winter hardiness and disease resistance. They carry a regional
identification with names such as La Crosse, St. Pepin and St. Croix.

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 References

Appendix A

Five name references to Upper Mississippi River Valley

1. United State Geological Service

Name usage by Federal Government

[http://biology.usgs.gov/s+t/SNT/index.htm]

Part 2 — Regional Trends of Biological Resources: Section — Mississippi River,

by James G. Wiener, Calvin R. Fremling, Carl E. Korschgen, Kevin P. Kenow,
Eileen M. Kirsch, Sara J. Rogers, Yao Yin, and Jennifer S. Sauer
… The Upper Mississippi River valley then began filling with glacial outwash, mainly sand and
gravel, a process that is still under way. … The Mississippi River valley widens considerably where
it joins the Minnesota River, 13 kilometers downstream from St. Anthony Falls …

2. United States Environmental Protection Agency

Name usage by Federal Government

[http://www.epa.gov/fedrgstr/EPA-IMPACT/2005/December/Day-05/i6814.htm]

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: The Upper Mississippi River National Wildlife and Fish
Refuge encompasses 240,000 acres along 261 miles of Mississippi River floodplain in Minnesota,
Wisconsin, Iowa, and Illinois. The Refuge was established by Congress in 1924 to provide a
refuge and breeding ground for migratory birds, fish, other wildlife, and plants. The Refuge is
perhaps the most important corridor of habitat in the central United States due to its species
diversity and abundance, and is the most visited refuge in the United States with 3.7
million annual visitors.

Upper Mississippi River Wild Life & Fish Refuge Act

(Later: Upper Mississippi River [National] Wildlife & Fish Refuge)

3. National Park Service, United States Department of the Interior

Name usage by Federal Government

[http://www.nps.gov/efmo/parks/hist.htm]

The Upper Mississippi River valley was not only the home of prehistoric Indians for thousands of
years, but also has been the scene for over 300 years of recorded human history as well. Early
explorers found the area along the big river occupied by groups of Native Americans.

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4. PBS Airdate: May 6, 1997 "Flood!"

Name usage by national media referencing local citizens

ANNOUNCER: Tonight on NOVA, a river rages out of control. Along its banks, people brace for
catastrophe.
… And he shook his head and he said, "Levees are going to break like guitar strings, up and down
the Upper Mississippi River Valley."

5. The Upper Mississippi River Valley: A Personal Web Site and Guide

Example of the petition’s name usage by a local citizen

[http://soli.inav.net/~atkinson/k/UpperMissRiver.htm]

6. With a Tweezers in One Hand and a Book in the Other: The Grape Breeding
Work of Elmer Swenson, compiled by Penelope Krosch. Published by Minnesota
Grape Growers Association.

7. Department of Agriculture and Land Stewardship

Horticulture & Farmers' Market Bureau, Home Page
[www.agriculture.state.ia.us/horticulture/grapeHistory.htm]

References 8 – 12 are taken from:

United States Department of Agriculture Handbook 296 (Issue 2006)

Natural Resources Conservation Service: Land Resource Regions and Major Land
Resource Areas of the United States, the Caribbean, and the Pacific Basin.

Access: [ftp://ftp-fc.sc.egov.usda.gov/NSSC/Ag_Handbook_296/Handbook_296_low.pdf]

8. (Central focus of this petition)

105—Northern Mississippi Valley Loess Hills, pg. 326-327.

9. (Characteristics comparisons bordering on the north of MLRA 105)

90B—Wisconsin & Minnesota Thin Loess and Till, Southern Part, pg. 279-280.

10. (Characteristics comparisons bordering on the east of MLRA 105)

95B—Southern Wisconsin and Northern Illinois Drift Plain, pg. 300-301.

11. (Characteristics comparisons bordering on the south of MLRA 105)

108C—Illinois and Iowa Deep Loess and Drift, West-Central Part, pg. 338-340.

12. (Characteristics comparisons bordering on the west of MLRA 105)

104—Eastern Iowa and Minnesota Till Prairies, pg. 324-325.

13. Iowa ranked sixth in the nation in grape production in 1919

[www.agriculture.state.ia.us/horticulture/grapeHistory.htm]

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Appendix B

Included States & Counties

The Upper Mississippi River Valley AVA petition includes four states:

Illinois, Iowa, Minnesota, Wisconsin

Counties entirely or partially comprising the four-state bounded area include:

Illinois

Jo Davies
Stephenson
Winnebago
Carroll
Ogle
Whiteside
Lee
Rock Island

Iowa
Scott Chickasaw Buchanan
Cedar Howard Delaware
Johnson Winneshiek Dubuque
Linn Allamakee Jones
Black Hawk Fayette Jackson
Bremer Clayton Clinton

Minnesota

Houston Dodge
Fillmore Wabasha
Mower Goodhue
Winona Dakota
Olmstead Washington

Wisconsin

St. Croix Jackson Columbia

Dunn La Crosse Grant
Eau Claire Monroe Iowa
Clark Vernon Dane
Pierce Juneau La Fayette
Pepin Crawford Green
Buffalo Richland Rock
Trempealeau Sauk

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Appendix C

Reference 1 (see attached Lake Wisconsin AVA support letter by Wollersheim

Winery)

Reference 2 Establishment of Lake Wisconsin AVA

Lake Wisconsin Viticultural Area, Final Rule. Federal Register: January 5, 1994
DEPARTMENT OF THE TREASURY
Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco and Firearms; 27 CFR Part 9
[T.D. ATF-352; RE: Notice No. 781]; RIN 1512-AA07
Lake Wisconsin Viticultural Area (92F-017P)
Agency: Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco and Firearms (ATF), Treasury.
Action: Final rule, Treasury decision.

SUMMARY: This final rule establishes a viticultural area in Columbia and Dane
Counties, Wisconsin, to be known as Lake Wisconsin. The petition was submitted by Mr.
Charles W. Dean, Viticultural Area Consultant, on behalf of Wollersheim Winery located
near Prairie-du-Sac. Effective date: February 4, 1994.

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