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Sip Local is more than a slogan at College City Beverage. We are privileged to distribute wine that has been grown and bottled in our area. These wineries not only offer a great selection of delicious wine, but they also use their expertise to create jobs and support the local economy.

Rolling Forks Vineyard is a great example. Based in Glenwood, Minnesota, Rolling Forks offers the complete wine experience with tastings, dining, and a wine shop. They are only 25 minutes from Alexandria and 45 minutes from Willmar, but if that’s too far, you can find their bottles at your local liquor store!

How did you get started in wine?
My husband, Joe, is from Glenwood, and we were looking for a way to move back and do something in agriculture. He was already dabbling in homemade wine and was excited about the results. He submitted some of them to the amateur competition at the state fair, and they did remarkably well. We started looking into growing grapes in 2009. The University of Minnesota was releasing some new high-quality, cold-hardy varieties, and there was a lot of excitement about growing grapes in Minnesota. We crunched the numbers and found that we could raise grapes on fewer acres and make it all work!

How did you transition from planting your first grapes to a winery with tastings, dining, and a wine shop?
The farm we bought was his boyhood dream since it was close to where he grew up. We are about a mile off Lake Minnewaska and the topography of the land is very hilly. When we bought the property, we had always intended to grow grapes and eventually open a winery. In 2017 my dad was diagnosed with cancer. He was always very involved in planning the grapes and dreaming with us about the winery. It was then that we decided to get started on our dream. We were very fortunate – my dad’s treatment was successful, we broke ground in 2019 and opened July of 2020.

What does a typical week at Rolling Forks Vineyard look like?
From April through August, we’re open every day from 11:00 am to 7:00 pm, and open Thursday, Friday, and Saturday until 9:00 pm. We typically have music on Wednesday nights, Saturday afternoons and Sunday afternoons. During the fall and winter, we are closed Tuesday and Wednesday.

We also stay busy with our dining options. We do appetizers, pizzas and salads. All our cheeses come from Redhead Creamery in Brooten, and all our salad dressings come from MN Olive Oil Co right here in Glenwood.

What is your favorite part of the job?
I really enjoy that our three young boys can be involved. They’re still small, but they like to help out as much as they can. The boys are a permanent fixture here, so if you’re coming to enjoy the winery, you’re probably going to see them!

What is the most unique aspect of Rolling Forks?
We have a unique location. All the wineries in Minnesota are wonderful places, but the way that our property is laid out is relatively uncommon. Many people say it’s as if we took a winery out of Napa and brought it to Minnesota – it just has that kind of feeling.

What is your most popular wine?
We have a rhubarb wine called Ruby Rhubarb. It’s mostly rhubarb with a little bit of raspberry – very fruity and refreshing. In the summer we make a slushy with this wine and it’s a huge hit. Ruby Rhubarb sells close to double of anything else that we have, and it is being distributed by College City Beverage!

With the holidays coming up, what wine would you suggest with Christmas dinner?
Your favorite! Of course, you’d typically serve a red with beef and a white or blush with poultry, but we believe you should drink what you like. If you like our Ruby Rhubarb wine, drink it with everything. Drink your red wine cold – whatever goes!