Fine Wine meets Fine Art

by Sheila Helmberger

The marriage of fine art and fine wine is a natural one.

Paul and Sharon Shuster and John Wildmo are the owners of the Forestedge Winery near Laporte. Each August the trio closes their winery for a couple of days to daily tours and instead hosts what they call A Celebration of Art, Music, Food and Wine.

The art festival will take place this year from 10 a.m. - 5:30 p.m. Aug. 15 and noon - 5 p.m. August 16.

There is no charge for either parking or admission to the fair.

Wildmo said that he and the Shusters have operated Forestedge Winery for the past 10 years. This is the eighth year the trio will host the art fair. The Shusters were traveling artisans themselves, making and selling fine wooden cooking tools, before starting to operate the winery. Working there, however, soon took more of their time and the couple was no longer able to travel to shows with their wares, so they decided to bring the art fair to them. Many of the artisans that come to the festival are those the Shusters met at other fairs.

This year the event will feature nearly 30 artisans. Many are returning from past fairs. "We could have 300 if we wanted," said Wildmo, "But we like to keep it quaint."

There is great variety in the art that will be offered for show and sale at the fair. "There will be potters, jewelers, wood workers, painters, leather workers and more," said Wildmo. Food will be offered from locals restaurants. "We set it up on the lawn of the winery. It will be cordoned off for the food vendors that will be here and we'll have wine by both the glass and by the bottle available." "There will be folk music in the morning and professional jazz in the afternoon," said Wildmo, "It's a weekend that's about the art, wine, and music."

As for the winery, the Shusters and Wildmo produce almost 8 thousand gallons of wine per year at the Forestedge Winery. Forestedge features wines that are made from fruits native to Minnesota including rhubarb, chokecherry, raspberry, and plum. The Winery also produces popular blended wines that include such delicacies as Summer Blush (strawberry rhubarb), Headwaters Classic Red (chokecherry rhubarb), raspberry rhubarb, and blueberry rhubarb. Their products are carried throughout the state.

The Forestedge Rhubarb wine has been the most popular with customers for the past 10 years according to Wildmo - but there may be a new number one soon. "We have a new white cranberry that may take over first place this year," he said.

Forestedge Winery is located on State Highway 64 near Laporte. It is open six days a week May through December, and closed on Mondays. Tours of the winery are available daily but will not be offered during the art fair.

For more information on Forestedge Winery, its products or the art fair call (218) 224-3535. The Web site is http://www.forestedgewinery.com.