Montana Wine Country

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🤓 Did You Know?

Flathead Lake in northwest Montana is not only the largest natural freshwater lake west of the Mississippi — it's also one of Montana's best wine regions, where the lake's thermal mass moderates temperatures enough for fruit and grape production.

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About Montana Wine Country

Montana wine country is the Northern Rockies at their most dramatic. Thirteen producers spread across the state from Flathead Lake's glacier-fed shoreline to the Yellowstone River corridor make wines from both local grapes and fruit — and the tasting experiences here are inseparable from Montana's extraordinary landscape.

Flathead Lake in the northwest is Montana's wine crown jewel. The lake's enormous thermal mass moderates temperatures enough to support both cherry orchards (producing some of the finest cherries in North America) and grape viticulture. The drive around the lake to tasting rooms is one of the most scenic wine country road trips in America, with the Mission Mountains rising behind every view.

In Missoula, Ten Spoon Vineyard has proven that Montana can grow real wine grapes. Their Pinot Gris and cold-hardy hybrids from the Bitterroot Valley's thermal belt have surprised more than a few tasters who expected something rustic and found something genuinely refined. For Montana wine enthusiasts, the trail from Missoula to Flathead Lake and on to Whitefish is one of the West's great undiscovered wine roads.