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Located in Clara City, about 20 miles from Willmar, Hinterland Vineyards offers more than their award-winning wine; their food menu and hard cider draw a crowd from all areas of the state. We had a chance to visit with Aric Koenen, Hinterland Vineyards owner and winemaker.

How did you get involved in wine and decide to start a vineyard?
My interest in winemaking goes way back to my teenage years. I can’t remember who gave me my first winemaking kit, but I found the entire process very fascinating and inspiring.

My parents started the vineyard. They were at a farm trade show and visited a local winery. After chatting with the establishment owners, they were motivated to grow grapes for the sole purpose of selling fruit to that winery.

From planning the vines to selling your first bottle, what was your timeline?
We planted the first varieties at the vineyard by hand in the spring of 2005. It was snowing that day and we were watering the plants with five-gallon buckets. (Things have changed a lot since then.)

In the beginning, there was no plan to establish a winery. The vines were planted as an extension of the crop farm, with the sole purpose of being sold to other wineries.

As any other farm family can attest, it’s tough to watch someone else make money off your hard work. Without a ton of planning, Hinterland was born in 2009 to capitalize on our labors in the vineyards. The original business consisted of a small tasting room open on the weekends for wine tastings and bottle sales.

What happens in a typical week at Hinterland Vineyard?
The summer consists of tending the vines through the growing season. We pay particular attention from the moment the vines bud in the spring, to the moment they are mechanically harvested and processed in the fall. This part of the season is nerve-racking as weather patterns can change quite drastically in Minnesota. No matter how much attention you give a vineyard, it cannot stop a hailstorm from causing massive issues late in the season. Constant planning, up to two years ahead, is always in play.

Winter is when all the winemaking and bottling occur. Most of the work is done indoors in a mechanically controlled environment. Winter pruning of the vines for the next season also happens during this part of the year.

The Tasting Room/Pub end of the business is fairly consistent year-round. We close to the public during the months of January and February for much needed rest and planning for the next season.

What’s your favorite part of the job?
I am a people person, so getting the opportunity to share stories with guests is, without a doubt, my favorite part of the industry. It has been a true blessing to meet everyone over the past 12 years.

What, in your opinion, is the most unique aspect of Hinterland Vineyard?
Hinterland has evolved into more of a beverage company/pub at this point. We offer wine and hard cider; both made exclusively from Minnesota fruit. We also hold a full liquor license, so we can carry beer and spirits. We have a pub food menu with options such as Kobe beef burgers and Alaskan salmon. This gives our guests a wide variety of options when they visit. It’s not uncommon to see multiple class A motorhomes spending the evening at our destination location.

What is your most popular wine?
We are geographically located in a part of the state that prefers semi-sweet wine. Our Happy Creek Red is a darker-colored semi-sweet red wine with dark notes of bramble fruits and macerated strawberries. We also sell a fair amount of our Marquette which is a dry red, similar to a Syrah/pinot cross, and our white wines all sell on a similar sales basis. Everything manufactured at our facility is held to the utmost hygienic standards and is market-tested before making the final choice to bottle.

There are so many options when selecting wine at the liquor store. If you could guide a customer through the aisles, what would you tell them about Hinterland Vineyards wine?
Hinterland is estate grown and produced; this means we can control the entire winemaking process from the moment the vines bud out in the spring until the wine arrives at your local liquor store. People who visit our winery love what we are doing and have, time after time, reminded us how important we are to the cold climate wine industry. Supporting local wineries like ourselves and giving us feedback helps us continue to grow this unique industry for the state of Minnesota.

What Hinterland wine would you recommend complementing Christmas dinner?
If serving roast beef: Wrath or Marquette (both are dry reds)
If serving turkey: LaCrescent if you prefer dry white wine, or Happy Creek White if you prefer semi-sweet wine

Wine is very circumstantial – don’t overthink it too much. I had the unique opportunity to shadow a wine consultant in Bordeaux, France. At the end of the day, after tasing exceptional world-class wines, his main advice was – If it tastes good to you, that is the important part. Cheers!