Western North Dakota is not where you'd expect to find wine country, and the producers here would be the first to acknowledge that. This is harsh, beautiful, frontier landscape: rolling prairies, buttes carved by wind and water, and winters that test every living thing.
Yet a small number of determined producers make wine here, working with what the land provides. Chokecherries and other wild prairie fruits form the backbone of many offerings, supplemented by cold-hardy hybrid grapes from varieties like Marquette and Frontenac that can survive the brutal winters. The wines are distinctive, deeply flavored, and completely unlike anything from a temperate wine region.
Visiting western North Dakota's wine producers is part of a bigger adventure. Combine your tasting stops with hikes in Theodore Roosevelt National Park, drives through the Enchanted Highway's massive metal sculptures, and meals of bison and locally sourced Great Plains cuisine. This is wine at the edge of possibility.
Browse all Badlands & Western North Dakota wineries on Wino Notion. Click any card to visit the full page.