Why you should visit Waconia wineries
This blog post covers the best wineries in Waconia, Minnesota.
Waconia wineries are nestled in the rolling hills of Waconia just west of Minneapolis and St. Paul.
Waconia is a small town that’s full of natural beauty and good wine. The town’s three wineries craft award-winning wine from Minnesota-grown grapes.
The University of Minnesota developed many of the cold-resistant grape varieties grown in Waconia wine country. These northern grape varieties are super unique and well worth a try.
When you’re not tasting wine you can enjoy the area’s natural beauty. The wooded acres of Carver Park Reserve are a short six minute drive from the center of town. The Minnesota Landscape Arboretum is 16 minutes away.
And of course there’s Lake Waconia complete with a little beach to sit back, relax, and enjoy the summertime sun.
How to access Waconia wineries
Waconia wineries are located west of the Twin Cities Minneapolis and St. Paul, Minnesota.
According to Google Maps, Waconia is a 50 minute drive west of Minneapolis, Minnesota.
According to the City of Waconia website, the drive is only 30 minutes.
St. Paul, Minnesota is a 1 hour 10 minute drive from Waconia, according to Google Maps.
The Minneapolis–Saint Paul International Airport (MSP) serves the area. It would be easy to fly into the airport, rent a car, and drive to Waconia.
You’ll definitely need a car to drive between the Waconia wineries on this list. Although the wineries are located just outside of town it’ll be faster to drive than to walk.
For example, Parley Lake Winery is a short 8 minute drive from the center of Waconia. But it would take 90 minutes to walk that same distance.
The best Waconia wineries to visit for a wine tasting
The Winery at Sovereign Estate
The Winery at Sovereign Estate is the perfect place to relax with a glass of wine.
The rustic chic tasting room, the spacious patio, and the outdoor fire pits welcome guests to unwind. The estate is equally peaceful with over thirty acres of vineyards that stretch towards Lake Waconia.
Guided wine tastings include a behind-the-scenes winery tour of the facilities, a chat about winemaking and viticulture practices, and a wine tasting of course.
Tastings take about an hour and are limited to twelve people.
If you’re hungry after the tasting head to the Patio Bistro, which serves multiple kinds of flatbread and glasses of signature wine.
The Patio Bistro is also home to a weekly musical series that features live music from an assortment of talented soloists (think jazz, blues, and soft rock).
Sovereign Estate Wine makes wine from a combination of their own estate-grown grapes, local Minnesota grown grapes, and American grapes from other states. Their vineyard grows Itasca, LaCrescent, Frontenac Blanc, and Marquette grapes.
They source Seyval Blanc grapes from New York. And their Grenache, Sangiovese, Cabernet Sauvignon, and Syrah grapes all come from the Columbia Valley in Washington State.
Schram Vineyards
Schram Vineyards Winery & Brewery makes award-winning wine and beer.
It’s the best winery to visit if your family can’t choose between a winery and a brewery. Why not both?
And if you’re hungry there’s plenty of food. The kitchen serves Italian-American and German inspired food. Menu items include flatbreads, sandwiches, a charcuterie board, a cheese plate, pretzel Bites, and a Bavarian jumbo pretzel.
The German theme makes sense. The owners Aaron and Ashley met at an Oktoberfest party in Minneapolis while Aaron was wearing lederhosen.
Schram Vineyard grows and harvests their own grapes to make hand-crafted wines including Cabernet Sauvignon, Chardonnay, Syrah Rosé, Frontenac Blanc, and Itasca. The grape variety Itasca is named after Lake Itasca in northwestern Minnesota. It’s cold hardy and disease resistant with low acidity.
This family-owned winery offers many a special event. Barrel tastings, sparkling wine tastings, wine and cheese tastings, and reserved seated wine tastings are all offered seasonally on select Saturdays. The wine blending workshop and Vine to Wine tour are offered occasionally. Check their website for upcoming events.
The regular tasting experience is available daily until 6 PM for walk-in guests.
In addition to making wine and beer, Schram Vineyards Winery & Brewery hosts live music events in their rustic chic space. Oh and there’s a bocce ball court!
The founders also own Schram Haus Brewery in Chaska and AxeBridge Wine Co. in Minneapolis.
Parley Lake Winery
Parley Lake Winery is a great place to appreciate both art and wine.
They have a spacious tasting room, an art gallery that features local artists, an orchard, and a wraparound deck with vineyard views.
This 125 acre estate crafts award-winning Minnesota wines. They work with lesser known grape varieties such as Marquette, La Crescent, St. Pepin, Brianna, and Frontenac.
Frontenac is a hybrid grape developed by the University of Minnesota. It was bred to withstand cold temperatures.
They also make a port style dessert wine if you’re a sweet wine lover.
Parley Lake Winery is open Fridays, Saturdays, and Sundays for wine tastings. They offer two wine tasting options.
The regular wine flight includes four wine samples for $15-16. Walk-ins are welcome.
The Guided Wine Tasting is led by a Wine Master. It costs $40 per person, takes 60-75 minutes, and includes food pairings.
Similar wine regions to explore
The best Waconia wineries on this list combine lake views and Minnesota wine. There’s something so wonderful about sipping a glass of wine while enjoying a spectacular lakeside view don’t you think?
The best wineries on Keuka Lake in the Finger Lakes region of New York definitely understand that wine plus lake equals relaxation.
If rivers are more your thing then check out our list of the best wineries in Hood River, Oregon.
