Call Carson 1-605-464-1667 or Casey 1-605-464-1665 for questions!

• 31293 449th Ave, Gayville, SD 57031-6508, United States

Or E-mail carson.merkwan@gmail.com or (Casey) camerkwan@gmail.com 

Please come help.  The grapes are ready! 2025 pickin' is Saturday, the 23rd of August (we'll be there at 8 am) until we're done.  We'll likely be done at 6 pm, but come when you want and leave whenever you have to.   If you have special requests send them now!  

Bring swimsuits if you want to jump in the river.  

If you want some grapes for winemaking that is a common request, and we can help you.  Thank you all!  La Crescent Grapes are going to Wilde Prairie winery in Brandon SD.  The Edelweiss grapes are going to With the Wind Winery in Rosholt SD. 

2024- 10,600 pounds

We harvested 2,762 lbs of La Cressent, 6,474 lbs of Edelweiss = 9,236 lbs  total white grapes.  Brix was 18-20
2 loads on Saturday August 24th, Sunday, and Monday.  We took them to Valiant Vineyards in Vermillion SD.  

We estimated 900 lbs left on the vine of Marquette grapes, but ended up picking 1425 pounds!  There was some secondary fruit on it.  We picked it on September 5th.  We had one load with about 75 buckets.  John, Leah, Daryl, Skip, Laurel, Blair and her friends Carson, Elenor, Emma and Cadee, Grant, Courtney, helped Pick!

We didn't do any real bird control this year, No fungicide or any spray needed.  High poundage due to good rains.  We had a great hawk (red tail?) that has made his home in the nearby trees and it chases off the birds.  Try to get to one cordone on a wire to make picking easier next year.  

The Ribs and chicken were delicious, the kids had a blast. And lots of smiles from everyone!   IT was hot for the white grape picking.  Sky and his buddies helped with that.  

Thank you to all that helped!   White grape pickers with 100 F weather!  Stainbrooks, Marty and Tony, Darrell Merkwan, Skip and Laurel Merkwan, Leah, Larry, Sky and Merkwan clans.

All grapes were purchased by Valiant Vineyards.

2023 - FEW grapes -Sold to the huterittes- recovery year

2022 - no grapes - hail damage

2021

About 4,000 lbs of Edelweiss (brix 16). 2,000 lbs of La Crescent (bris 20).  Picked on August 21st picked up by Jeremiah from With the Wind Winery from Rosholt SD (near ND border on I-29).  Very nice weather and a large group of pickers.  Started at 9 AM and finished at 2 pm.We found a wild sun flower growing in the end row, that reminded us of the late Carol Wynia (Merkwan), about the same time Amarillo by morning came across the radio, which was Linda Merkwan (Ryken)'s favorite tune.   Kids enjoyed the ATV's and we drank and told stories in the vineyard after picking.

We didn't do any real bird control this year, No fungicide or any spray needed this year due to the drought.  Lower poundage than normal years due to drought too.

The Ribs and chicken were delicious, the kids had a blast. And lots of smiles from everyone! 

Thank you to all that helped!  The Johnson's, Ristau's, Jorgenson's, Xu Wu and family, Marty and Tony, Audrey and Zack and family, Steve Grimme, Darrell Merkwan, Skip and Laurel Merkwan, Leah, Shane, and Merkwan clans.

The Marquette had about 800 pounds.  It was not ready the day of picking, might pick and sell later.

2020 - Picking canceled due to hail

2019

About 10,000 lbs of Edelweiss (brix 18). Picked on August 31st (7,500 lbs) picked up by Jeremiah from With the Wind Winery from Rosholt SD (near ND border on I-29).  It rained until 11 am, and then the Calvary came in and Jeremiah was able to drive away at about 8 pm, His trailer was loaded full and could not take any more, he will make his sellout wine, Berry Crush with it. 

We called around and found a buyer for the rest, so we picked and delivered the remaining 4 rows to Victoria from Wilde Prairie Winery in Brandon, SD on September 2nd (2,100 lbs Labor Day) which she will use to make a mead.

We didn't do any real bird control this year, but owe the success of the crop of Edelweiss to early application of fungicide to fend off bunch rot.

The Ribs and chicken were delicious, the kids had a blast. And lots of smiles from everyone! 

Thank you to all that helped!  The Johnson's, Stainbrooks, Ristau's, Jorgenson's, Phil Tau and Julie Reiland, Caitlin Collier, JB Mitchell, Crystal Kischenmen, Darrell Merkwan, Skip Merkwan, and Merkwan clans.

The Marquette had about 800 pounds and were a really good quality, that crop went to Wilde Prairie Winery as well. Julie's and Phil's friends the Paul family came and helped, Dad, Casey's, and Carson's family were there.

2018

2017 and before

2024