The wine industry in South Dakota has gotten off to a slow start, as severe winters and dry summers make grape growing nearly impossible. Vitis riparia, a species not commonly associated with winemaking, is the only variety of grape that flourishes naturally throughout the state.  As researchers continue to develop cold-resistant hybrids, the vitis riparia and its hardy genetic makeup has proved extremely useful.  In 1967, for instance, South Dakota State University successfully developed an original hybrid using genes from the native vitis riparia, ultimately creating the Valiant, a variety that can withstand temperatures as low as -70 F.  South Dakota vintners grow other cold-resistant grapes such as Edelweiss, Swensen Red, St. Croix, Frontenac, and French hybrids including Marechal Foch and DeChaunac.  With the passing of the South Dakota Farm Winery Act in 1996, the state now has nearly twenty wineries and vineyards that produced over 102,000 gallons of wine in 2012.