Following the wine trail, Minnesota to Iowa

Many people don’t realize there are any wineries in the northern states. Turns out there are 11 of them, all using hardy grapes and each creating a distinctive set of wines.

All of them are listed on the Great River Road Wine Trail, GRRWT, map here: http://ow.ly/nYpK305mv4H  It is part of the Upper Mississippi River Valley American Viticulture Area. Established by the federal government in 2009, it runs through Minnesota, Wisconsin, Iowa and Illinois. Over the full length of the Viticultural Area, there are more than 50 wineries. The local area close to Red Wing is home to two.

Wine lovers can get an official GRRWT passport stamped at each winery. Those who visit all 11 on the trail get a free wine glass. See the wineries here: http://ow.ly/w3oL305mvWl