It may surprise you to know that 7% of all wine sold in South Dakota is also created in the state.
And while state wide, the industry continues to grow, the drought has produced a bittersweet season for growers this year.
"It started as a hobby now its an obsession," said Mike Gould, owner of the Old Folsom Vineyard.
For the past five years, Gould's obsession has grown with some success on three acres of land just outside Rapid City.
"The soil here is ideal for growing grapes. Same as you seen in Italy, or even in Burgundy. But that's about all we have in common," said Gould.
"Just like California, our sunshine makes for really good grapes," said Rhoda Burrows, Horticulture Extension Specialist with SDSU Extension.
While hail is the number one local threat to grapes, the drought has also yielded mixed results.
"The drought itself is ok, we want the heat, but the vine starts to shut down at about 100 degrees. The 4th year we were hailed out. 95% was gone. This year, our 5th, we lost close to 75% of the fruit,' said Gould.
"Berry size is down, that often means increased flavors and increased sugars, so a little bit of stress isn't too bad a thing for the fruit itself," said Burrows.
While it remains just a hobby for the Goulds for now, they hope to someday sell their wine. They also hope a wet winter will help preserve their dry vines.
"The whole vine is more sensitive to cold if there's no moisture we did see a fair amount of die out from drought stress," said Burrows.
And while the state wine industry has expanded 18% every year for the last 5 years, for Gould, it's a labor of love that he realizes may never yield a profit.
"It is possible we've just had bad luck with the hail. I know I sound like a farmer, but next year is going to be a great year," said Gould.
Horticulture experts say each acre of grapes is worth roughly $10,000.
They estimate South Dakota's wine industry is valued at upwards of six million dollars.
