Best Activities

St. Croix Vineyards—Stillwater, MN

During the fall, St. Croix Vineyards undoubtedly has the most activities to do. This is due to the fact that they share their location with Aamodt’s Apple Farm so there is twice as much to do! The apple orchard offers pick-your-own apples, wagon rides, a goat farm, kettle corn, an apple barn with a bakery, and hard cider. You can’t leave without getting an apple donut…to die for! This is definitely one of my favorite places to go in the fall.

Best Food Menu

Next Chapter Winery—New Prague, MN

We had been wanting to make the trip to New Prague to visit Next Chapter Winery for a while and once we finally did, it did not disappoint. Their food menu was similar to a full menu at a restaurant offering starters, meat and cheese boards, flatbreads, paninis, salads, and desserts. We did not go hungry while enjoying our bottle of wine and playing Apples to Apples. They also offered spirits that they made on site, many games to choose from, and super friendly staff.

Best Charcuterie Board

7 Vines Vineyard—Dellwood, MN

7 Vines Vineyard is one of the nicest wineries I’ve been to, but the downside to that is that they are closed more often than not due to weddings and other private events. However, the few visits we’ve made during their open tasting room hours have all been great and the staff have been so knowledgable and friendly! Everything that they offer is of high quality…which shows somewhat in their prices. But I must say, they take the title for best charcuterie board! Their artisan charcuterie & cheese plate comes with specialty meats and cheeses, chef’s signature pear, crackers, crostini, pickles, and olives! It was well worth the $24!

Best for Beer Drinkers

Schram Vineyards Winery & Brewery—Waconia, MN

Schram Vineyards was the very first winery and brewery duo in Minnesota so no wonder this is a good spot for both wine and beer drinkers. Quite a few wineries offer a few options in case people want something other than wine, but this spot makes their own on site! Although we didn’t try any, they have many tap beers to choose from. Outside, you can find a covered wine tasting bar, outdoor seating, food trucks, tours, and a bocce ball court.

Best Scenery

The Winery at Sovereign Estate—Waconia, MN

It is pretty obvious as to why the Winery at Sovereign Estate got my vote for the winery with the best scenery. From the winery, you can see the vineyard leading up to Lake Waconia which makes for a beautiful view. Especially for the weddings that take place here with the vineyard and the lake as their backdrop. The winery also had surprisingly good pizza. We sipped our wine while appreciating the view.

Best Wine Selection

Chankaska Creek Ranch & Winery—Kasota, MN

I have nothing but great things to say about Chankaska Creek Ranch & Winery! First impression, the white farmhouse is absolutely gorgeous! For my tasting, I wasn’t sure how to choose just 5 wines considering there are more than 25 different varieties. Not to mention they also make their own spirits, offer tastings, and bottle them as well. We paired our wines with a few wood-fired pizzas and sat on the patio. They also have a nice fire pit area for those cool fall nights. I could go on and on about this winery but I’ll stop there…you’ll just have to see it for yourself!

Best Overall

Winehaven Winery—Chisago City, MN

There are a few reasons that Winehaven Winery got the best overall pick. First one being that the staff have been so friendly each time we’ve visited the winery. Secondly, their cheese boards are so well put together and taste even better! Last but not least, my family and I have always loved the wine here and keep coming back even though we’ve been to Winehaven more than any other winery. Winehaven is family owned so you can tell that they are passionate about the wine that they make.

Best Wineries in Minnesota