I’ve got new story over at the University of Minnesota Alumni Magazine about how the University of Minnesota Arboretum’s Horticultural Research Center pioneered cold-hardy grapes and essentially created the northern wine industry: Cultivating Their Own Garden: Jenny and John Thull are key players in the University’s groundbreaking grape breeding program.

And also a love story:

In 2006, Jenny Thull was taking a class on food and wine of the world at Le Cordon Bleu College of Culinary Arts when her instructor arranged for a field trip to see the vineyards at the University of Minnesota Arboretum.

John Thull was working that day. He’d been hired as a gardener at the Horticultural Research Center the year before when his boss, Peter Hemstad, said, “How about you give the tour this time? You can explain what we’re doing as well as I can.”

Thull gave the tour and made an immediate connection with one of the students. “It was one of those instant things,” says Jenny. “I just knew right away. Everybody thought we knew each other.”

A few weeks later, Jenny came back to volunteer with John. She spent the day twisting in earth anchors as they installed a new vineyard. That night, the workers were going bowling to celebrate a birthday, and John invited her along. So Jenny drove home, got cleaned up, then drove back for their first date.

Read the rest here.