Are you feeling kinda whiney (or is it winey?)? I have the perfect solution for your troubles and it may just take you out west. While you won’t find the west’s traditional drink here, whiskey, you will find a new breed of western-made sippers—wine—from Prairie Berry Winery.
This gem of the Black Hills is nestled in a modern complex on the outskirts of Hill City, South Dakota. Prairie Berry Winery is a family-owned vineyard that has been in South Dakota for five generations since 1876. While this may not be Napa, there is still plenty to rave about—they specialize in grape, fruit and honey wines that are nothing if not crave-worthy!
{Side note}: My husband and I have vacationed in South Dakota each summer since we’ve been engaged (that’s five years, if you’re wondering) and had never stopped by PBW before until this past summer.
A gift from a friend (and South Dakota native), a bottle of Red Ass Rhubarb (their best seller with a crazy name), encouraged us to stop. Before I tried this pink-hued beauty of a wine, honestly, I didn’t have a huge urge to open it—I’m not a fan of rosés. When a friend came over for wine and cupcakes night (every girl’s favorite)—we ended up popping open what is now one of my favorite wines. Who says people can’t change!?
Red Ass Rhubarb is sweet and sassy. The sweetness comes from the raspberries and it is thoughtfully balanced with the tangy flavor from it’s namesake: rhubarb. Drinkers beware: this wine is extremely consumable.
Back to the Black Hills—Bryan and I spent some quality time at Prarie Berry Winery in the free tasting room. We tried a variety of whites and reds and found some favorites: Crab Apple, Poker Face and Pheasant Reserve. Keep in mind some wines are not available all year round and the variety varies due to popularity (yes, they sell out!). The wine experts are friendly, educated and really seem to love what they do.
While you’re there, you must grab a bite to eat at their Euro-style kitchen and deli. The food is thoughtfully prepared and most often local. Picture yourself sitting out on the patio overlooking the Black Hills with a big glass of wine and a spread made of house-marinated olives, South Dakota buffalo salami and artisan cheese. Anyone want to hop on I-90 right about now?
Prairie Berry Winery has done it right. It’s a destination for both wine and food lovers, as well as nature and city lovers. It’s the best of both worlds in my opinion. If you’re looking to slow down, relax and reconnect with a great locally-owned company, this is it. They are a bright light in the Black Hills community and you can feel the pride they have for the area and what they do.
The winery is open daily, year-round so there’s no excuse not to stop. And if you’re hankering for a glass of their wine right now, you can place your order online. Or if you want to keep up with PBW and life in the Black Hills—follow them on Tumblr, Blogger, Twitter and Facebook.
Still feeling “winey?” I thought so…
{Have you been to Prairie Berry Winery? What’s your favorite wine or have a tip? Leave your suggestions in the comments section below!}
Wow! Great blog! Thank you for all your kind words. We truly enjoy hearing from our guests. It’s nice to hear how much you enjoyed it, and we hope to see you again. We’re in the midst of a Tasting Room redesign, so you’ll have to come back and check out how different it will be (and it will be).
Thank you so much, Maria! I just adore your wines and the winery.
I will definitely be back and I can’t wait to check out your new Tasting Room!
Happy trails!
PBW is my husband’s and my favorite wine. We vacation in SD often and belong to their Gen5 club. We have to have it shipped to my mother and then we pick it up from her because they don’t ship to our state but they do to her’s. That is how much we enjoy it. Great wine!
It’s the best! I live in the Twin Cities and wish I could get out the Hills and PBW more often!
Glad you enjoy it as much as me…thank you so much for stopping by!
Happy trails, Cheryl!
Oh, I forgot. We love Poker Face.