The article explores seven enchanting wineries in South Dakota, highlighting their unique offerings and sustainable practices. Featured wineries include Wild Prairie Winery, known for its sweet fruit wines, and With the Wind Vineyard and Winery, offering a relaxing ambiance. Schadé Vineyard and Winery, Tucker’s Walk Vineyard, Prairie Berry Winery, Calico Skies Vineyard and Winery, and Valiant Vineyards Winery and Distillery each provide distinctive experiences, from rustic settings to elegant event spaces.
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A Wine Region On The Rise
The South Dakota wine industry has been growing steadily over the past decade with wineries popping up around the Black Hills and Sioux Falls city.
The United States has become a popular location for new wineries as recent wine industry trends have shown a 23% increase in production in the Southern Hemisphere. Meanwhile, Europe has suffered up to a 27% decrease in wine production as the continent’s crops suffer the effects of climate change.
As a result, it has become far more desirable to buy sustainably and ethically produced wines, as are the wines made in South Dakota wineries.
The following list will help guide you to the most favoured and sustainable wineries in South Dakota. Take a look, and then plan your trip!
Wild Prairie Winery
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Jeff and Victoria have been making wine at Wild Prairie Winery, with the help of family and friends, for the past 25 years. The family is known for making sweet wines from locally grown fruit and honey. Their winery is open on Thursdays to Mondays from 12-6pm, except from December to April when appointments are required. The winery also hosts bustling Saturday markets and live music events during summer.
With the Wind Vineyard and Winery
Since the Klein family bought an old farm in South Dakota in 2012, they have grown their winemaking hobby into a full-scale business. You can now visit the family’s gorgeous winery on Fridays and Saturdays from 11am-6pm or from 1pm-6pm on Sundays. It is an ideal spot to relax on the weekends, where you can sit back on their 784-square-foot porch and look out to the surrounding trees and expansive vineyards.
The venue is great for large groups and can host private functions such as weddings, birthday parties and corporate events. With eleven different wines available, the winery also sells its wine across South Dakota.
Schadé Vineyard and Winery
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If you’re looking to taste the best of South Dakota wineries, Schadé Vineyard offers a large selection, sourcing 90% of their wines from various local farms. The winery is open from Tuesdays to Saturdays, with hours from 1- 6pm on Tuesdays and Wednesdays, 1 – 8pm on Thursdays and Fridays and 10am – 7pm on Saturdays. The winery is an ideal spot for summer sundowners with a generous happy hour from 5 – 8pm on Thursdays and Fridays. The rustic venue is available for private outdoor events and can accommodate up to 400 seated guests. The venue includes a team to decorate, plan and photograph your event with ease.
Tucker’s Walk Vineyard
Dave and Sue Greenlee began this quaint winery in 2006 when their beloved Afghan Hound, Tucker, passed away. By 2010, the couple became the 15th winery in South Dakota and were granted their federal permit as a bonded winery. The 13-acre winery is now well established and is known for its hardy cold-weather grapes and experimental fruit blends.
The winery’s tasting room is open on Saturdays from 12 – 8pm or by appointment. The couple also offers tours of the winery and people from all over South Dakota take part in the winery’s annual fall harvest, making it a fun event for all.
Prairie Berry Winery
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With a rich wine-making heritage, this family-run winery is the largest in South Dakota. The winery is committed to producing wine sustainably, harvesting their grapes by hand and growing their fruit in the wild, with no irrigation or fertilizers. Even the winery’s open-plan building is made from 80% recycled materials.
The venue can seat up to 150 guests and includes food catering with different menus available for weddings and corporate events. Prairie Berry Winery is open daily from 10am – 6pm.
Calico Skies Vineyard and Winery
Calico Skies was begun by a couple in the early 2010s, like most South Dakota wineries, but their vineyard is one of the more glamorous and trendy wineries in South Dakota. Calico Skies is open for wine tasting from Wednesdays to Fridays from 11am – 7pm and from 11am – 6pm on weekends. From Fridays to Sundays, you can enjoy a rustic woodfired pizza along with your wine.
The winery’s events venue is a tremendous building with huge windows looking out across 16-acres of lawn and vineyards. Calico Skies Vineyard can host a range of events, with an elegant hall that can seat up to 300 guests and a Barrel Room for more intimate celebrations.
Valiant Vineyards Winery and Distillery
Established in 1996, Valiant Vineyards is the oldest of all the South Dakota wineries. The winery’s tasting room is open from 11am – 5pm on Mondays and Thursdays, 11am – 6pm on Fridays and Saturdays and 11am – 4pm on Sundays. For those looking for somewhere homey to stay as they explore the wineries in South Dakota, Valiant Vineyards runs a bed and breakfast.
There are six rooms available from $120 per night, with a minimum of two nights stay on Graduation and Dakota Day weekends. Valiant Vineyards also caters for private dinners or lunches in their cosy banquet hall, which can accommodate anywhere between 10 to 200 guests.
The rich soil, large rivers and rolling hills make the South Dakota countryside a gorgeous setting for this growing winery community. Because the wineries in South Dakota have a strong focus on local production and sustainability, you will be able to enjoy your wine guiltlessly.
From rustic to elegant, South Dakota wineries have something for absolutely everyone.
Whether you take a tour through all these local vineyards or spend a Saturday visiting a specific farm, you are sure to find time to relax and unwind.
Born amidst the rolling vineyards of Napa Valley, Chloe’s love for wine was instilled from a young age. This passion led her to the picturesque wine regions of France, where she immersed herself in the rich wine culture and traditions.
Chloe’s dedication to the craft culminated in her becoming a wine sommelier, a testament to her deep knowledge and appreciation for wines.