Photo Diary: Great River Road Wine Trail • jenn patrice

Sunshine, warmer temps and gentle breezes: this can only mean one season is here. No, not spring…winery tour season! I love spending weekends with my girlfriends or my mom and sister sampling flights at new wineries. The best days are when more than one winery is in the area and we can explore a few in one afternoon. This is why the Great River Road Wine Trail was one of our best discoveries yet!

Great River Road

Many people think of Minnesota, Wisconsin and Iowa as nothing but “flyover states”. These people must never have visited in spring or fall (or at all) because these states have some of the most beautiful scenery I’ve every witnessed at those times, especially along the Mississippi River banks. The Great River Road is made up of two scenic highways and extends from northern Minnesota down to the Gulf of Mexico, following closely along the shores of the Mississippi River. The road itself gets its moniker from the Mississippi as the river’s name is derived from the Ojibwe word misi-ziibi, meaning “Great River”. To learn more about the Great River Road, click here.

Great River Road Wine Trail

The Great River Road Wine Trail begins at the Cannon River Winery in Cannon Falls, Minnesota, and ends at Eagles Landing Winery in Marquette, Iowa (or vice versa). The trail includes 11 wineries throughout Minnesota, Wisconsin and Iowa, each featuring their own unique charm and collection of wines. Whether you choose to pack a picnic lunch or eat at one of the wineries boasting a menu made for pairing, the Great River Road Wine Trail is the perfect way to spend a spring afternoon or weekend. For more information on the individual wineries or upcoming events, click here.

Passport

The Great River Road Wine Trail offers a Passport program that can be completed at any time. The Passport can be found on the back of the Wine Trail brochure and is available at any of the winery locations. Be sure to pick one up at the first winery you visit so you can collect all the stamps along your journey! A completed Passport can be exchanged for a souvenir Great River Road Wine Trail glass. Perfect for a girls’ trip or bachelorette party, make a weekend of it! For the full trail map, click here.

My mom, sister and I did a section of the Great River Road Wine Trail for my sister’s birthday recently. I hope my photos below inspire you to plan your own visit:

Cannon River Winery