My bonus wine trip: July 18-19, 2009

Travel Log

I cheated on my Wine Club co-members and took a summer wine trip without them! I hope they forgive me. But I couldn't pass up the opportunity to spend a relaxing weekend at a co-worker's home in the quaint town of Lindstrom, MN.

Once I arrived at my co-workers home nestled in 80 acres of tree filled land we headed right out for our first tasting at Chateau St Croix. Located just over the MN border and in St Croix Falls, WI we saw the chateau, perched in the midst of green farming lands. The vines and grapes are still too young to produce bottle quality juice so in the mean time they are getting grapes mailed from California. I am excited for the Northern wines they will eventually produce, but until then, they have a few bottles that will occupy my wine rack!

Next stop was Trade River Winery and presumably the smallest wine tasting room in the state! We let the crowd of tasters finish up before starting ourselves and wandered on the beautiful grounds for a few minutes. This winery, located in Grantsburg, WI, is an interesting supplier of boutique wines shipped in from Argentina. They have 3 different tasting lists: red wines of Argentina, white wines of Argentina and Trade River wines of Argentina. They have no vines on their property, but instead grow in Argentina. I sampled from the Trade River tasting sheet, next time I think I will try a different tasting sheet and bring a picnic to soak in the charming landscape!
After all the tasting, we were starved. Headed back to Lindstrom, we stopped in Center City, MN to gorge at Eichten's Bistro & Market. And wow, did we gorge! Great food in a cute little smalltown bistro.

Before heading home on Sunday, we made 1 more tasting stop at WineHaven Vineyard in Chisago City, MN. This was the traditional MN vineyard I was use to! Several red and white wines produced from grapes developed by the U of MN, plus fruit wine. For the first time I think I found a fruit wine I liked! Cranberry. So tart, yet refreshing - yum.

Weekend over - and then I had to go home and mow. Sigh. If only Midwest wine tastings could be my life!

~posted by Ann