Well I recently learned that our lovely state is home to many wineries. When I found this out I realized we need to go to one! How fun would it be to see how wine is made and to see a local vineyard? So my research began, and I found Winehaven in Chisago City up near Taylor’s Falls and it just so happened they were having their Raspberries and Wine festival this weekend! So this week I bought a bottle of their Gewurztraminer grape wine and tasted it with Polly to ensure that we do like at least one of their wines (It was absolutely delish! Better than the german Gewurztraminer wines I’ve had). So this afternoon Nathan, Polly, and I headed up to Winehaven to check out the festival.
Upon arriving we parked in the owner’s front yard and headed out to the back. It was reminiscent of a good old MN graduation open house! Tents, music, BBQ, liquor all placed in a quaint garden area surrounded by the vineyards and rhubarb plants.
They had a free tasting going on so we sampled a few wines then bought our $4 pulled pork sandwiches with raspberry BBQ sauce and enjoyed lunch. After lunch we went on the tour.
The tour was so informative and a pleasure to listen to our guide, he is the son of the owner and the winery is their family business. He led us into the vineyard and told us about grapes and the growing process. We were told about their Ice Wine and how it won 3rd place recently in a prestigious competition. Ice wine is made by allowing the grapes to freeze then they make wine from frozen grapes. We were able to sample this after and it is truly a dessert wine as he said. So delectably sweet but at $30 a bottle for 2/3 the size of a normal bottle it was out of my price range (I did walk away with a $13 Riesling though!)
After the vineyard he brought us into the winery. We now know how to tell the difference between a red wine distiller and a white wine distiller 
After the tour Nathan encouraged me to buy a glass of wine so I could get the souvenir cup, that man knows the desires of my heart! I am always a sucker for a good souvenir cup (or tshirt or whatever, lol…). I bought a glass of the Strawberry Rhubarb wine, a bit sweet, and a completely unexpected taste but it was enjoyed!
Anywho, that was our first winery experience. I very much am looking forward to another one. I think we’re going to try and hit up another Minnesota Winery in September when harvest season begins. I need another souvenir cup 