PLAINVIEW — For most of Eric Hanlon’s life, he has been surrounded by grape vines and bottles of wine. His passion for winemaking began as a teen and has grown over time, evolving into Whitewater Wines, a winery Eric and his wife, Wanda Hanlon, have owned for nearly 20 years.
“We had a few grape vines that my dad used to make wine,” Eric said. “I kept doing it.”
Sitting on 30 acres near Plainview, Whitewater Wines — established in 2007 — overlooks prairies, woods and a vineyard. Around 1,200 vines, spread across roughly 2.5 acres, produce more than 15 varieties of grapes, with processing and production happening in-house. A tasting room and outdoor patio give visitors space to try different wines, have a bite to eat and take in the scenery.
Originally from Pennsylvania, Eric’s interest in winemaking never left, leading him to plant grapes at several locations. Soon after getting married, the Hanlons relocated from the East Coast to Wanda’s home state in the Midwest, settling in Minnesota in 1996.
“When we moved here, I wasn’t sure we could actually grow grapes that would make decent wine,” Eric said. “We planted 150 vines, and for 10 years, I experimented with the grapes that would and wouldn’t grow here, until we determined we could make good wine from grapes that grow here in a way that’s not too frustrating.”
After several years of experimenting and planning, the Hanlons had a decision to make: stay in Plainview or move on. At the time, there were not many opportunities in Eric’s line of work, and they had been considering the possibility of opening a winery.
“We agreed to give it a go, to do the winery and just stick it out here,” Eric said. “In 2007, we got our permit approved from the state and federal governments.”
The winery opened its retail site in 2009, where, at times, more than 30 types of wines have been available. The name, however, was not the Hanlons’ first choice.
“We talked about it for a long time, came up with an idea, and then went to the lawyer to file our business papers,” Wanda said. “Our lawyer suggested we name it something so people will know where it’s located, and together, we came up with Whitewater Wines because it’s close to Whitewater State Park.”
Eric and Wanda welcomed the new name, hoping the connection would help guests easily locate the property when visiting the area. Yet, in the first few years of being open, Wanda said almost all guests had to call for directions, as the winery sits on a gravel road outside of town.
“Nobody drives by our winery accidentally,” she said. “Once people come this far out into the country, we want them to be able to enjoy themselves here for as long as they’d like.”
Even early on, the Hanlons knew the importance of marketing. They entered contests, poured wine at events and tried a variety of methods to get their name known. The most effective, they found, was simple.
“Our customer base has grown steadily from word of mouth,” Eric said. “That seems to be our best way to get new customers; our customers love it, they bring others and it just keeps growing.”
Today, their wine can be found at local liquor stores in Plainview, Elgin and Lewiston. In the vineyard, grape varieties such as La Crescent, Marquette, Crimson Pearl and others give the couple opportunities to create unique styles and blends. For many visitors, those names are unfamiliar, turning each tasting into a small lesson.
“Most people that aren’t used to buying Minnesota wines or Midwest wines don’t know any of these grape names,” Eric said. “They come in and say, ‘I like a Merlot,’ or, ‘I like a Pinot Grigio,’ and then you have to say, ‘Well, this tastes kind of like that.’ It’s an education and a fun experience.”
The Hanlons aim to offer that experience at the table, not just the bar. Unlike many wineries, where customers order at a counter and then go sit down, the Hanlons offer table service. Staff walk guests through each pour, explaining the style while offering suggestions. Flights can be chosen from several preset options or built by the customer.
“I think what people appreciate the most is our staff; they are very knowledgeable and personable,” Wanda said. “We don’t have many staff, and all of them have been here for years, so there’s a consistency there.”
Behind the scenes, the work stretches throughout the year — all four seasons. The Hanlons begin pruning grape vines in March, wrapping up by early April. They then go right into bottling. In the midst of bottling, the winery opens for spring, and they jump back to vineyard shoot thinning. They spend the early summer bottling and tucking and tying vines along trellis wires, thinning clusters and managing pests. By late summer the grapes begin to ripen and the vines must be netted to protect from birds. An audio bird-repelling device and electric fence are used as well to further deter birds and raccoons.
Harvesting occurs mainly in September, with some in late August and, in some cooler years, occasionally into October.
“With these hotter and hotter summers, we’re consistently getting all our grapes in before the end of September,” Eric said.
Weather remains one of the winery’s biggest challenges. Heavy rains can cause thin-skinned varieties to swell and split, attracting insects and ruining fruit. Late-spring frosts can damage buds and wipe out a year’s worth of certain varieties. In some cases, the Hanlons have removed grape types that are struggling and not producing well. They replace them with something they hope will do better.
Once harvested, grapes are crushed and fermented, with primary fermentation lasting anywhere from one to three weeks. Secondary fermentation then occurs on some wines for several more months. During the process, wines are racked, which is when all the liquid is removed from a barrel or tank using a pump, clarifying the product while leaving behind sediment, such as dead yeast cells.
The wine is then filtered multiple times to clarify, remove all yeast particles and bacteria, making it stable and bright.
Most of the dry red wines age in French and American white oak barrels, which are chosen based on toast levels that bring out specific flavor notes, such as vanilla or cherry.
“February is our quiet month,” Eric said. “January is year-end books and finishing cold stabilization, and then in February, usually we can get a week off to go ice fishing or something.”
Over the years, the couple has curated a wide range of approaches to handle changing weather patterns, new pests — including Japanese beetles — and evolving customer tastes. Their daughter, Hannah, who grew up around the vineyard, pursued formal training at the University of California, Davis, and now works at another Minnesota winery. Hannah has been able to contribute ideas to improve both the wines and experience at the Hanlons’ winery.
“Someone said it takes a generation to build a winery, and I get that,” Eric said. “We’ve learned what grows here, what blends are really interesting and how to make wine from grapes that, 30 years ago, people weren’t sure would even work.”
In Plainview, residents have embraced the winery as part of their identity.
“I overhear people talk and say, ‘Oh, yeah, we have a winery,’” Wanda said. “Well, you don’t personally, but yes — they think of Plainview as having a winery, and it’s pretty cool to hear.”
The Hanlons continue to find ways to grow while connecting with the community. The couple donates wine for local fundraisers and buys their ingredients from local stores when they can. They also host free, live music Saturday nights in the summer.
“Seeing our retail grow as much as it has, it is just beautiful,” Wanda said. “Hearing people’s feedback of how they love our wine and our property, that, to me, is the biggest success.”
Additionally, Eric and Wanda enjoy sharing what they have learned with others; interns have assisted in the vineyard and production area, with the couple helping other wineries get started.
“We’re always up for helping any local winemaker with how to get going,” Eric said. “We’ve come up with solutions to a lot of different things, and we have a good toolkit.”
Looking toward the future, the Hanlons are focused on maintaining steady operations while scheduling more vacations and personal time.
“I retired from my day job almost six years ago, and there was a lot of change when I was able to focus 100% on the things around here,” Eric said. “We’ve come to a nice, steady state now.”
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