Minnesota Uncorked

09/09/2025

Whether you like a good deal hunt (rummage sale!) sweet or savory treats (bake sale) or discovering new trailblazers (women makers), or maybe just a cold beer (brewed with sustainable grains) - I've got you covered, Saturday September 20th from 11am-4pm at the Dame It! Women Makers Market by the Les Dames d'Escoffier Minnesota.

Not able to join? Make a donation! Funds raised empower women to grow in their fields of work and/or study in food, beverage and hospitality related fields through scholarships and grants.

Donate by Venmo: LesDamesMN
Or Paypal: https://www.paypal.com/donate/?hosted_button_id=PHJWXVQJBYN26
The Minnesota Chapter of Les Dames is a 501(c)3 Nonprofit and your donation is tax deductible.

08/26/2025

The verdict is in: cold-climate wines are shining brighter than ever! 🌟

🥂 Cannon River Winery's Shimmer Sparkling Rosé takes home the Governor’s Cup and Best of Show Sparkling at the 2025 International Cold Climate Wine Competition!

🍇 21 expert judges
🍷 354 wines tasted
🌍 From MN, WI, SD, CO, IA, NE & Ontario

👏 Cheers to all the winners pushing the boundaries of what cold-climate wines can be!

👉 Full results: https://www.minnesotauncorked.com/2025-international-cold-climate-wine-competition-winners-announced/

2025 BESTS IN SHOW WINES
Best of Show Red
Crow River Winery Red Coyote – Minnesota 2023

Best of Show White
Carlos Creek Winery La Crescent – Minnesota 2024

Best of Show Rosé
Cellar 426 Winery & Cider Haus Summer Blush – Nebraska 2024

Best of Show Dessert
Dancing Dragonfly Winery Winery Hula – Wisconsin 2021

Best of Show Fruit
Balanced Rock Winery Rhuberry – Wisconsin

Best of Show Sparkling & Minnesota Governor’s Cup
Cannon River Winery Shimmer – Minnesota


2025 WINERIES OF THE YEAR - Both with 26 medal awarded wines:
44 Wines – Wisconsin
Ziegler Winery – Wisconsin

More award winners at the link here.🍾 Thanks to the Minnesota Wine and Grape Alliance and University of Minnesota Grape Breeding and Enology program for hosting this competition!

A Judge’s Perspective: Cold Climate Wines Better Than Ever It was an honor and a pleasure to return for the 4th year in a row as a judge at the 2025 International Cold Climate Wine Competition, held on August 20, 2025. This year, 21 expert judges gave their verdicts on 354 wines submitted from acr...

12/12/2024

The holidays wouldn’t be the same without a warm stack of lefse, would they? Whether you’re spreading it with butter and sugar, filling it with savory delights, or rolling it up with your own family flair, we all have a tradition for enjoying it!

I want to hear from you! What’s your favorite way to enjoy lefse? Do you have a cherished family recipe, a funny lefse-making story, or a unique twist you’ve added?

🍴Drop your traditions, tips, or photos in the comments - share the joy and roll up some holiday cheer!

I’ve rolled out hundreds of pounds of potatoes perfecting this lefse recipe over the last 20 years. One of my first jobs as a teenager was rolling lefse at a Scandinavian bakery. I’ve made just about every mistake — ahem, learned every trick in the book along the way since then. Follow this gu...

12/11/2024

Two, $250 grants are available to attend the 👩‍🌾 UMN Extension Women in Ag Network Conference in Waite Park, Minnesota on February 11, 2025.

Applications are due December 15 - check the link below to apply. Please tag anyone who may be interested!

Applications Accepted through December 15, 2024 for the February, 2025 Conference. Applicants will be notified in early January.

08/27/2024

Learn more about why hybrid grapes matter with So What Wine in this "Getting to Know Minnesota Marquette" class hosted by Allison Sheardy, DipWSET, on Wednesday, September 11th!

https://www.minnesotauncorked.com/why-hybrid-grapes-matter/

Hosted at You&MeCafe in Stillwater, MN.

Contributed by Ashley Hausman, Master of Wine and owner of So What Wine, a wine shop inStillwater, Minnesota specializing in wines of purpose. At So What, we get warm and fuzzy promoting all the ways a tiny corner of the industry is working to rethink farming, winemaking, and social structures using...

07/01/2024

Hey wine nerds, check out my new find: Chambourcin, a French-American hybrid variety grown in Maryland! 🤓🍇

🙋Have you tried Chambourcin or Maryland wine? Tell me about it!

Bordeleau Vineyards & Winery from Mills Fine Wine and Spirits in Annapolis, MD.

06/28/2024

This 2020 Itasca wine from Rustic Roots Winery is a stunner! An interplay of sweet and tart fruits together with notes of honeyed beeswax and savory white pepper.

The Itasca wine grape was developed by the University of Minnesota, and released commercially in 2017. Today, the variety can be found in cold climate vineyards throughout the US and Canada.

A few places to try looking for Itasca wines in Minnesota: Round Lake Vineyards, Schram Vineyards Winery & Brewery, Chankaska Creek Ranch, Winery and Distillery , 7 Vines Vineyard and Winery Dellwood, MN, Fountain Hill Winery & Vineyard

06/26/2024

Congratulations to these Minnesota restaurants recognized by Wine Spectator for their outstanding wine selections!

Wine Spectator's 2024 Restaurant Awards gave 31 Minnesota restaurants an award, including 10 that got the Best of Award of Excellence.

06/04/2024

If winery hotels sound like your idea of a perfect vacation, the Midwest holds plenty of options, from lavish resorts to log cabins!

https://www.midwestliving.com/midwest-wineries-where-you-can-spend-the-night-8654347

Gervasi Vineyard Resort & Spa
Black Star Farms
Chateau Grand Traverse
Le Petit Chevalier
Lynfred Winery
Hermannhof Winery
Blue Sky Vineyard
Chaumette Vineyards & Winery

Midwest wineries not only make memorable wine—some also offer overnight stays. Gervasi Vineyard in Ohio, Chateau Chantal in Michigan and Chaumette Winery in Missouri are just some of the places where you can be immersed in wine country from dusk to dawn. Here are nine great wineries across the Mid...

06/03/2024

Most Prohibition stories usually revolve around mobs and speakeasies. The tale of Minnesota 13, the moonshine produced by the farmers in Stearns County, Minn., some 90 minutes northwest of downtown Minneapolis, is not one of these stories. It’s better than that.

During Prohibition, Minnesota farmers pivoted to moonshining with some help from a monk and the local church.