Minnesota Wine Time

Katie here. So I know we typically promote wine you can get in Kansas, as we should! We want to give you wines you can actually go buy!

However, my mom and I go on a girls’ long weekend once or twice a year to Minnesota, our favorite place to go. Why? Because it’s north, away from this obnoxious summer heat, and a direct flight, so we don’t waste time in travel. And did you know, you can fly in just over an hour to Minneapolis, and then drive just 20 minutes west and you’re out of town and in the Lake Minnetonka area? And it’s beautiful!!

We have been all around the area over several trips, and though we’re sure there’s more places to discover, we’ve got some fantastic places to recommend if you find yourself in the area, or if you are looking for a long weekend trip!!

Our Favorite Place: Sovereign Estate Winery

Hands down, bar none, we LOVE going to Sovereign Estate Winery in Waconia. It’s really the main reason we keep coming back to this same area, every year. It’s our happy place. It has everything: great wine, great scenery, great events to come enjoy, etc, etc. We go out every day while we’re here and get wine to enjoy on the beautiful patio, overlooking the winery and Lake Waconia. It’s such a peaceful, beautiful place that relaxes your soul. They do a really great job with all of their wines, too. As we tend to be more red wine people, we enjoy their wine made from their local grape, Marquette. It’s a grape developed by the University of Minnesota to withstand the cold weather of Minnesota. It’s generally known for flavors of cherry, black pepper, and spice. Though it’s not a grape you’ve heard of, it’s one we definitely recommend trying! Minnesota is proud of it and should be! Don’t miss going to Sovereign. You won’t be sorry you did. You may even end up club members like we did…

Schram Vineyards

Schram Vineyards is also in Waconia, on the lake, and you really shouldn’t miss this, either. The location is lovely and fun, and they have all kinds of wine for all tastes as well. They often have cheese and wine pairing or barrel tasting classes on the weekends as well that you can sign up for. We’ve done several, and we always have a great time. This weekend, we participated in their competition grape stomp! While we took second in our first heat, we learned from our mistakes and won our second heat! It was a blast!

Crow River Winery

This one is a little further west, in Huthchinson, Minnesota, but a fun place to visit. They have many wines to enjoy, but we were surprised by their hard ciders! They’re delicious! Definitely worth going back for. They have a huge event space as well. They also sell many different olive oils. Hutchinson itself is a cute town if you’re looking for some little boutique shops.

Jomas Hill Winery

If you’re going out to Crow River, also hit up Jomas Hill in Darwin, MN. This is a small winery, but their Marquette is pretty dynamite. Though small, it also has a beautiful patio overlooking the grapes. We’re planning to go back.

Mousse Sparkling Wine Company

Located in Jordan, MN, this is a super fun sparkling wine bar that makes their own tasty sparkling wines from the local grapes. Get a flight with some popcorn and enjoy! We love coming back here.

J. Carver Distillery

This is a new find for us in Waconia! It’s only open on Saturdays and you should get a reservation, but they make vodka, gin, whiskey, bourbon, absinthe, brandy… and some really killer cocktails. You know how much I love Old Fashioneds, and they have several versions. DELICIOUS.

All that to say, go check out Minnesota to the west of Minneapolis, and stop in on these wonderful places! We already can’t wait for our next trip!! And if you find other fun places we should go, let us know!!