Photo by @scottiewarman/Unsplash
Although it doesn’t fall on “wine Wednesday,” National Drink Wine Day is this Thursday, giving you the perfect excuse to ease into the weekend with a glass or flight of wine.
Journey safely out into the cold to celebrate this “holiday” at a socially distant wine tasting within the Twin Cities. (And bear in mind that Minnesota has wineries aplenty, many of them within not-terrible driving distance from the metro, including the ones we included here in a 2018 post.) Or, if that’s a lot to ask of a Thursday, simply scroll down for options for picking up something special at a local spot.
Urban Forage Winery
Urban Forage Winery, in Minneapolis, bottles the Minnesota standard of wines, Frontenac, but its taproom offers a unique selection of housemade specialties, like carrot wine, rhubarb wine, and pineapple-banana wine. Very untraditional, and a great way to celebrate the holiday by trying something completely new. (They also offer cider and mead.)
Open 4-9 p.m., Thursday; 4-10 p.m., Friday; 1-10 p.m., Saturday; 1-5 p.m., Sunday
The Vine Room
The Vine Room, in Hopkins, accepts walk-ins only, no reservations needed. Thursday’s events include live music from 6-8 p.m., featuring Minneapolis-based singer-songwriter Brooke Elizabeth. You can choose from the Vine Room’s large selection of wine flights, wines by the glass, and bottles.
Open 4-9 p.m., Thursday; 3-9 p.m., Friday; 1-9 p.m., Saturday
Troubadour Wine Bar
Troubadour, in Minneapolis, reopened on January 20. They revised their business hours to Wednesday through Saturday, 5-10 p.m., and feature live music every night. Local artist Zack Spirov performs Thursday, 7-9 p.m. So, mark the holiday in a cozy, intimate bar. Reservations must be made online ahead of time.
Open Wednesday-Saturday, 5-10 p.m.
Ambi Wine Bar
Ambi Wine Bar, in Anoka, features an old- and new-world selection of wines by the glass and in flights. They have different specials every day of the week, with Thursday nights featuring Wine Trivia from 6:30-8 p.m.
Open 4-9 p.m., Tuesday-Thursday; 3-10 p.m., Friday; 11 a.m.-10 p.m., Saturday; 3-8 p.m., Sunday
Schram Vineyard
Schram Vineyards Winery & Brewery, in Waconia, offers an educational, guided wine tasting at 2, 3, and 4 p.m. on Thursday. The tasting is about an hour long, but make a reservation to stay and relax before or after the scheduled tasting. If a guided tasting isn’t your thing, they are also open from 2-8 p.m. on Thursday. You can stop by and have wine by the glass or try a few with a flight. They have a unique heated pavilion to enjoy the outdoors, too. Reservations are limited to 90 minutes and can be booked online.
Open 2-8 p.m., Wednesday-Thursday; noon-9 p.m., Friday-Saturday; noon-5 p.m., Sunday
Staying In?
There are also so many ways to celebrate National Drink Wine Day at home. Push yourself out of your wine comfort zone, but not out of the comfort of your home.
Local shops, Henry & Son, Solo Vino, Surdyk’s, France44, and Cork Dork all offer curbside pickup that can be ordered through their websites or by phone. (At your local liquor store, keep an eye out for Proof Alliance’s state-wide bag campaign to spread awareness about fetal alcohol spectrum disorders throughout February.)
You can do a mini, at-home tasting—maybe by buying two different Chardonnays and comparing the butteriness. Check out some snack pairings, too, or find out how to celebrate with some bubbles on a budget.
