Minneapolis sits closer to great wine country than most people realize. Tasting fees across the region cluster around $5, $7, far below what most travelers expect, yet private tours are genuinely rare, only about a third of local wineries offer them. Here are the best options right now, from a chauffeured door-to-door experience to cold-climate estate vineyards worth the drive.
1. Minneapolis Airport Car Service — Luxury Chauffeured Winery Transport
Minneapolis Airport Car Service is our top pick for anyone who wants a winery day without the logistics headache. We handle the routing, the timing, and the driving, so your group can focus entirely on the pour.
Our fleet includes world-class vehicles piloted by fully licensed, highly trained chauffeurs who know the Twin Cities wine corridor well. Whether you want to hit three vineyards west of the city or loop through the St. Croix River Valley, we tailor the itinerary to your preferences. Groups larger than ten can move up to a premium party bus, keeping everyone together without anyone worrying about who stays sober.
The usable upside is real: no designated driver negotiations, no parking at rural wineries, no surge pricing on the way home. Our full range of car services covers airport pickups, corporate events, and custom wine tours across the entire metro. We offer centralized billing for corporate groups and real-time GPS tracking so your party always knows exactly when we’ll arrive.
One honest caveat: we don’t book tasting reservations on your behalf, so you’ll want to contact individual wineries directly for ticketed experiences like cellar tours or winemaker sessions. But for the transport itself, luxury meets reliability, and we’ve got you covered from the first pickup to the last drop-off.
2. Urban Forage Winery and Cider House — Non-Grape Wines in the City
Urban Forage is the first winery in the city of Minneapolis itself, and it makes wine from things most people walk past every day. Dandelions. Apples from neighborhood yards. Mulberries. Peaches. The founder started experimenting with cider in a college dorm room at the University of Minnesota and never really stopped.
The taproom at 3016 East Lake Street is small and deliberately cozy. On any given visit you’ll find four or five ciders on draft alongside fruit and vegetable wines by the glass, with the lineup changing week to week depending on what’s in season. Everything is locally sourced and 100% gluten free. The winery is open Thursday through Saturday, so plan accordingly.
This is the right spot if you want to understand what Minnesota’s wine scene actually grows from the ground up. The educational angle is built into the experience, staff will walk you through where the fruit comes from and how each batch is made.
The limitation is size. Private events are available by reservation, but the taproom isn’t built for large groups. If you’re bringing more than six people, contact them ahead of time.
3. Countryside Winery Tour — Guided Trolley Through the Twin Cities Countryside
The Countryside Winery Tour heads west of the metro and visits three local wineries in a single guided outing. You ride together, bring your own drinks for the bus, and let someone else handle navigation through rural roads you’d never find on your own.
The tour highlights cold-hardy grape varieties developed at the University of Minnesota, the same genetics behind wines like Marquette and La Crescent that have put Minnesota on the wine map. Some stops have food trucks or kitchens on site, so a full afternoon is easy to build around it.
This format works well for bachelorette groups and birthday outings where the social energy of the bus is part of the fun. The tradeoff is flexibility: you’re on the operator’s schedule, visiting the wineries they’ve selected. That’s a reasonable trade for a worry-free day.
4. River Road Winery Tour — Scenic Riverside Wine Experiences
The River Road Winery Tour runs east toward the St. Croix River Valley, visiting three wineries along the historic river road on select Saturdays in September and October. Tickets are priced at $85 per person, and the tour runs noon to 6pm.
The route includes Saint Croix Vineyards, an award-winning estate operating since 1992, with a tasting room inside a converted old barn, plus Northern Vineyard, Minnesota’s oldest winery established in 1977, where you can drink a glass with views of the St. Croix River and its historic lift bridge.
Public tours require a minimum of 12 people booked. If the minimum isn’t met, you’ll hear the day before and receive a full refund. Private tour packages are available for groups or special occasions, worth considering if you want a more personal experience along this route. For groups planning a customized private itinerary, the kind of flexibility a well-structured private wine tour offers , where the schedule bends to your group rather than the other way around, is exactly what Minneapolis Airport Car Service can build for you on this corridor.
One note: tickets are nonrefundable once purchased, and the tour runs rain or shine. Book only when your group is committed.
5. Scenic North Winery Tour — Rolling Farmland and Cold-Climate Varietals
The Scenic North Winery Tour takes you north of the metro through rolling farmland to wineries that specialize in cold-climate grape varieties. This route is a good match for anyone curious about what Minnesota’s specific terroir actually produces, wines you genuinely won’t find in California or Oregon.
Sovereign Estate Wine is a natural anchor for this direction. Sitting about 30 minutes west of Minneapolis on the shores of Lake Waconia, the estate produces wines from cold-climate grape varieties and hosts live music and seasonal events throughout the year. The lake creates a microclimate that protects vines from late spring frosts and keeps winter cold air out, a detail that directly affects grape quality and flavor.
The Scenic North route follows the same guided format as the Countryside and River Road tours: three wineries, drinks allowed on the bus, food options at select stops. It’s a good pick for fall weekends when the farmland colors are at their best.
6. Schram Vineyards Winery & Brewery — Where Wine Meets Craft Beer
Schram Vineyards sits about 35 minutes west of Minneapolis in Waconia and has been voted Minnesota’s Best Winery multiple times by local readers. It has also earned recognition through wine competitions, real external validation, not just local pride.
What makes Schram different from a typical vineyard visit is the brewery operating on the same property. House-brewed beers and signature cocktails sit alongside the wine list, which means guests who aren’t wine-focused still have plenty to enjoy. Weekly live music and a full dining menu round out the experience.
Schram also runs a wine club with curated releases and a membership program for regulars. If you’re visiting once, the tasting room and views are the draw. If you’re in the area often, the membership structure makes it worth revisiting across seasons. The one thing to know: it’s a popular destination, especially on weekends, so arriving with a reservation is smarter than walking in and hoping for a table.
7. Saint Croix Vineyards — Award-Winning Estate Wines Near Minneapolis
Saint Croix Vineyards has been producing wine since 1992 in the St. Croix Valley just outside St. Paul. The tasting room is open daily from 10am to 6pm, with a happy hour Monday through Friday from 3 to 5pm offering $2 off wine by the glass.
The estate’s reputation among Minnesota wine people is strong. Saint Croix is widely regarded as one of the standout producers in the region, with a sense of place that shows up directly in the glass — the kind of specificity that’s hard to fake.
Private tours are available for groups of 10 or more, which puts Saint Croix in the minority of local wineries that actually offer a private experience. Tasting prices run $6 to $20 depending on the flight, which is on the higher end for the region but aligns with the quality level. Weekend events in summer and fall bring families out as well, kids are welcome, and there’s usually something happening beyond just the tasting room.
8. Alexis Bailly Vineyard — Minnesota’s Oldest Winery with a Legacy
Alexis Bailly Vineyard in Hastings is Minnesota’s first winery, and it still offers one of the most educational tasting experiences in the state. The Vine to Wine guided tour is a 90-minute cellar session hosted by winemaker Genevieve Gallagher. You taste six wines, get a plate of small bites, and hear the full story of how cold-hardy Minnesota grape varieties came to exist.
The format is genuinely intimate, small group, seated, with a working winemaker walking you through the process rather than a tasting room staffer reading from a script. The session covers the history of the estate, the unique genetics behind Minnesota’s cold-climate varietals, and the winemaking decisions that shape each bottle.
Booking requires at least 24 hours advance notice, and you must be 21 or older. Private group events are available by email reservation. The winery is in Hastings, about 30 miles southeast of Minneapolis, easy enough to reach, but worth pairing with Minneapolis Airport Car Service if your group wants a relaxed, no-driving day.
9. Cannon River Winery — Food-and-Wine Pairings in Cannon Falls
Cannon River Winery operates two distinct spaces: a vineyard in the Sogn Valley and a downtown tasting room and kitchen in Cannon Falls where the wines are finished and sold. The vineyard site was chosen for its high elevation, south-facing slopes, and ideal soils, all of which show up in the wine’s character.
The tasting room kitchen serves sandwiches, flatbreads, and charcuterie boards, making food-and-wine pairing a natural part of the visit rather than an afterthought. Live music, seasonal festivals, and vineyard weddings fill the event calendar through the warmer months. They also run a Fall Harvest Experience where visitors can register to participate in the actual harvest.
Cannon Falls is about an hour south of Minneapolis. It’s a longer drive than some options on this list, but the combination of a working vineyard, a proper kitchen, and a full event program makes it worth the trip for a full-day outing. Cannon River is listed among wineries that don’t offer private tours, so it’s best suited to independent visits or as a stop on a guided group tour.
10. Four Daughters Vineyard & Winery — Live Events and Family-Friendly Tastings
Four Daughters Vineyard & Winery sits in Spring Valley in southern Minnesota’s bluff country, a scenic drive from the Twin Cities. The on-site kitchen serves brick oven pizzas and seasonal sharables, and wine flights rotate through reds, whites, and sparkling selections so there’s always something new. They also produce hard cider and offer bourbon tastings for guests who want something beyond wine.
The event calendar runs year-round. Free summer movie nights, themed chef dinners, and seasonal celebrations make Four Daughters worth checking before you visit, there’s often something happening beyond a standard tasting room drop-in. Kids are welcome outdoors, which makes it a genuine option for families who want a winery day without splitting the group.
The drive is longer than most options on this list, Spring Valley is closer to Rochester than Minneapolis. Plan it as a dedicated day trip rather than a quick afternoon stop.
11. Winehaven Winery and Vineyard — Cheese Pairings and Scenic Views
Winehaven is in Chisago City, about an hour north of Minneapolis, and it’s one of the most family-friendly wineries in the state. The tasting format uses a wine flight tower, four samples of your choice, which makes it easy to compare across the range without committing to a full glass early.
Wood-fired flatbread pizzas and charcuterie boards are available, and the outdoor tables overlook a hillside vineyard with lake views. Non-alcoholic slushies are on the menu alongside the wine versions, so guests who aren’t drinking still have something worth ordering. The fall colors at Winehaven are genuinely worth timing your visit around, the vineyard rows change color in a way that’s hard to find at urban tasting rooms.
Check the events calendar before you go. Live music and seasonal celebrations are regular fixtures, and some weekends draw larger crowds than the outdoor space handles comfortably. Arriving mid-week or early on a Saturday gives you the views without the wait.
How to Choose the Right Winery Tour in Minneapolis
A few things worth knowing before you book. Most tasting fees in the Minneapolis area run $5, $7 per person, far below the $15, $30 range many people assume for boutique wine experiences. Private tours are the exception: only about a third of local wineries offer them, so if privacy matters to your group, confirm availability before you plan the day around it.
Distance from the airport or downtown Minneapolis isn’t published by most wineries, which means you’ll need to factor in drive times yourself. The St. Croix Valley wineries run 30, 45 minutes east. Waconia destinations sit about 35 minutes west. Cannon Falls and Spring Valley are an hour or more south. If your group is flying in, Minneapolis Airport Car Service handles airport pickup and winery routing in a single booking, no rental car, no coordination across multiple drivers.
FAQ
How far are Minneapolis-area wineries from downtown?
Most wineries are 30 to 60 minutes from downtown Minneapolis. Schram Vineyards and Sovereign Estate Wine are about 35 minutes west in Waconia. Saint Croix Vineyards is roughly 40 minutes east near Stillwater. Cannon River Winery is about an hour south in Cannon Falls. Urban Forage is the only winery inside the city itself, on East Lake Street in South Minneapolis.
How much does a winery tasting cost near Minneapolis?
Tasting fees across the region average around $5 to $7 per person, with a range from $2 to $20 depending on the winery and the flight. Saint Croix Vineyards runs $6 to $20. Urban Forage prices vary by pour. Most guided group tours like the River Road Winery Tour charge a flat rate per person, which covers transportation and tastings at three stops.
Can I book a private winery tour near Minneapolis?
Private tours are available but not common. Alexis Bailly Vineyard offers private group events by reservation. Saint Croix Vineyards accommodates groups of 10 or more privately. The River Road Winery Tour has private packages for larger groups. Minneapolis Airport Car Service can build a fully private chauffeured day across any combination of wineries, with the itinerary tailored to your group’s preferences.
What is the best time of year for a winery tour near Minneapolis?
September and October are peak season, harvest is underway, events are frequent, and the vineyard scenery is at its best. Summer works well too, especially for outdoor seating and live music at estates like Schram Vineyards and Winehaven. Spring visits are quieter and often easier to book. Some wineries have limited winter hours, so check schedules before planning a cold-weather trip.
Do Minneapolis wineries offer non-grape wines?
Yes. Urban Forage Winery specializes in wines made from locally foraged fruit, dandelion, apple, mulberry, peach, and more. The founder has been making non-grape wines since college and describes most batches as chemical-free. This style of winemaking is rare nationally but has a genuine foothold in Minneapolis, partly because traditional wine grapes struggle in Minnesota’s climate.
Do I need a designated driver for a winery tour?
Only if you’re driving yourself. Guided group tours like the Countryside and River Road tours include transportation in the ticket price. If you’re visiting wineries independently, you’ll need a plan, either a designated driver or a chauffeured service. Minneapolis Airport Car Service handles private winery transport for groups of any size, with no minimum booking and full flexibility on the route.
Conclusion
The Twin Cities wine scene is more accessible than most people expect, and the options above cover every style from a $6 urban tasting to a full private cellar tour. If you want the smoothest possible day, let us take care of the driving. Book your chauffeured winery transport with Minneapolis Airport Car Service and we’ll handle the route, the timing, and the return trip, so your group arrives at every stop relaxed and leaves whenever you’re ready.
