About Minnesota Wine Country
Minnesota is where cold-climate wine was invented. The University of Minnesota's grape-breeding program, based in Excelsior, developed the varieties that made northern viticulture possible: Marquette, Frontenac, La Crescent, and a dozen others that can survive winters below -30°F. Today, 130+ wineries make wine from these grapes across the state.
The Twin Cities metro and St. Croix Valley form the core wine corridor; Waconia's three-winery cluster (Sovereign Estate, Schram, Parley Lake), Stillwater's Saint Croix Vineyards, and Hastings' pioneering Alexis Bailly are all within an hour of downtown Minneapolis. Urban producers like AxeBridge and Urban Forage bring winemaking into the city.
Southeast Minnesota's Mississippi River bluff country, from Red Wing through Winona to La Crescent,offers the most dramatic landscapes, with steep hillside vineyards overlooking the river. The Marquette grape produces a medium-bodied red with real complexity, and La Crescent whites rival Viognier for aromatics. This isn't novelty wine, it's a legitimate wine region still being defined.
Premier Regions
Minnesota's most notable wine regions and tasting destinations.
More Minnesota Wine Regions
From the Twin Cities' urban wine scene to the lakes and prairies of outstate Minnesota.
