Purple Sky Winery Vineyards

From Snowville Soil to Award-Worthy Wine:
The Purple Sky Winery Journey

At Purple Sky Winery, our story began with a bold question: Could grapes thrive in the rugged, untamed terrain of northern Utah? What started as a passion project—nestled among gardens and animals on a remote property in Snowville—quickly transformed into something extraordinary.

After expert guidance from Utah State’s extension specialists, we took a chance on French-American hybrid grapes, specifically bred to endure harsh winters. In 2019, we planted our first 5 acres. Just two years later, that vineyard had expanded to over 100 acres. The dream was growing—fast.

By 2021, Purple Sky Winery broke ground on our future: expanding Parkland Blvd and beginning construction on our state-of-the-art winery. But nature had its own plans. Snowville’s soil and short growing season presented serious challenges that couldn’t be ignored.

Undeterred, we searched for a new home for our vines—and found it. In 2021, we discovered a 20-acre gem along the Bear River in Honeyville. Planted in 2022, this vineyard yielded its first estate-grown fruit by 2024—beautiful, cold-hardy grapes with a distinct Utah character. These varieties, developed over decades in Minnesota, have proven to be the heart of our wines.

With the clear leap in success with the land in Honeyville, we continued to search for land along the Bear River and ultimately purchased another 25 acres in Deweyville which we began planting as our “Big Dewey” and “Little Dewey” vineyards in 2023. Last year, we added another 30 acres that we will plant this year as our “Dewey Springs” vineyard.

From Snowville’s humble soil to Honeyville’s thriving vines, Purple Sky Winery is redefining what’s possible for winemaking in Utah. And we’re just getting started.

Snowville

110+ Acres

Where it all began. This vineyard is mostly used for research purposes. While we hope to bring it into commercial production, the micro-climate makes farming a serious challenge.

Year Planted: 2019

Grapes Planted:

Whites: La Crescent, Brianna, Aromella, Itasca
Reds: Frontenac, Marquette, Marechal Foch, Leon Millot

Soil Type:

83% Hansel silt loam
17% Thiokol silt loam

Honeyville

20 Acres

The Honeyville vineyard at Purple Sky Winery is our first successful estate site, producing cold-hardy hybrid grapes that showcase the unique character of Utah terroir.

Year Planted: 2022

Planted Varieties: