cannon river winery

We were here as part of a large group - wine tasting after snowshoeing. They had a special section/ tables set up for the group (big group, 35 people.) Everyone was served a flight of 5 different wines -- all done in a very efficient and friendly manner. Local cheeses, crackers and gourmet spreads and dips were available for purchase as well.The ambiance and tasting room seemed very warm, cozy and inviting. All of the staff we encountered couldn't have been more friendly.I will definitely drop back in the next time I'm near Cannon Falls.

I walked in to this place and was completely ignored. I was just wearing jeans and a t-shirt but it was summer and there were local events on the street. Stood around at the bar for a while and eventually decided to leave and that I didn't need to ever return.

I was invited here to attend a bridal shower/wine tasting. This is a lovely old building with a great "feel". The wine was excellent. Their tasting for this event included eight different wines - all good for their particular style. Some things that made the even not very enjoyable - the main room that you first walk into (it's actually all one big area separated by some shelving that divides the room) was very, very cold. Our even was four hours long and people were wearing their winter coats and gloves for the entire event. Also, because this is the same room where the bar and general seating area is, it was very noisy. We could not hear anything the women was saying that was introducing the wine. Very unfortunate. My suggestion is that if you book or attend an event here, it is much better to use their upstairs and not the main floor area. It's got great ambiance, but beyond that, not conducive to a gathering in the winter especially. Otherwise - wonderful place with very friendly staff! Oh, and great affordable wine!

My husband, I and another couple travel from Illinois up north to take the Great River Wine Trail tour. Cannon River Winery was our first stop. The shop was and wine tasting room was stunning. Very neatly decorated and inviting. The food served was wonderful, not sure if it is served regularly however and thought the wines we tasted had good flavor but maybe a little watery. All of the wine seemed to be this way however I don't imagine all batches come out exactly the same in this situation. Thank you for your hospitality, and good look with your adventures in wine making.

I I love the winery and several times we helped during the grape harvest. So much fun and we were treated to a wonderful, catered lunch afterwards. Unfortunately, this year if you want to help with the harvest, it will cost you $20 per person. We won't be returning. As much fun as we had, not all of us can afford to pay $20 to pick grapes. My guess is there won't be a lot of people helping with the harvest any more if they continue to charge pickers to do it. That's really too bad because we had a lot of fun doing it. But it was on a volunteer basis!

I had my sister's Bachelorette Party, which consisted of taking a limo to a few different wineries in Southern MN. Cannon River was by far the best winery we visited. They were extremely friendly and aware of our time constraint as it was our last stop and the last place we went to took a lot longer to be served.They were great and so much fun!!Thank you so much for making my sister's Bachelorette Party a blast!!

I've been to this winery several times over the past couple years. Here are some of the highlights:Wines - they have won several awards, and put out a solid Minnesota product. There are some decent bottles of wine at a reasonable cost $12-15/bottle). Their port and their first try at an ice wine are both pretty good. You will get a really good overview of Minnesota hardy grapes. These aren't California or Oregon wines, but come from grapes that have to survive Minnesota winters.Ambiance - it's a cute place. Great to take people visiting from out of state because it's near the Cannon River (quite pretty) and in a quaint Midwest downtown. The gift shop has cute wine-themed items at a good price point. They often have live acoustic music, which is a nice touch. Food - very limited food selection. Plan to eat somewhere before or after your tasting. They are not receptive to bringing in food, but don't offer much more than very basic cheese and crackers. Events - check their calendar before you go. They have a wide variety of events - from book clubs to local artist shows to crafts to live music to special tasting events. Service - they can be very busy on the weekends and always feel understaffed. You won't get a lot of info about the wines unless you go very early in the day. Consider doing a full tasting at the tasting bar, so you can overhear what they are telling other patrons, then grab a table with a glass of your favorite to listen to the music. If you sit at a table for your tasting, don't expect more than a "drive by" every ten minutes. Combine with a float down the Cannon River or biking the Cannon Trail, and you have a really nice day down in Cannon Falls!

We always stop after our Rochester visit on the way to the Mall of America! We're from Illinois and I love stopping in and picking up their wine! Last time I picked up wine from their Grandma series. Today I picked up their Sogn Blanc and St. Pepin which I got to try before purchasing! Cute town and I always wish I lived closer to be able to go to some of their scheduled events! The winery also has a cute boutique with great pieces! Looking forward to my next visit especially since the staff are really friendly and willing to take the time to explain things to you!

My fiancee and I stopped in today as we found ourselves in the Farmington area. I will say, I was taken aback by how lovely the interior of the space was, as the exterior was less appealing. We both had a sample flight and I was impressed. As I am not a fan of the sweeter vinos I enjoyed the Levee Red immensely, as well as the MN Meritage. The Sparkling was surprisingly tasty, being from the edelweiss grape, which can make wines very hit or miss, in my opinion.I would definitely recommend making the journey down to this lovely tasting room.

Fighting off the deluge of June 2014, we stopped in for a few hours to sample the wines and take in the really neat atmosphere of this former car dealership in Cannon Falls. While the wines have received a number of awards, to be honest they are average..... not bad, but just average - that being said a few that deserve mention are the Cannon Falls Red, Bootleggers Red, their version of Ice Wine (much better when chilled more than the temperature it was served at on our visit), and surprisingly the apple wine is quite a refreshing and tasty blend of MN apples without being cloying sweet like many fruit wines. Local bars also served their wines, which is a nice show of community support. Suggest ordering the wine flights to sample , you will receive 3 samples (about 2-3 ounces each) of any of their wines (including the reserves) for $6 - our suggestion is to have each person in your group order the sampling flights to get a taste of more than one wine, for us we were able to sample 6 different wines for $12. If tasting flights aren't your preference, you can purchase all their wines by the glass for $6 a glass/$8 a glass reserve wines. Having been on dozens of winery tours we opted out of this tour, so cannot comment. There is a small 'wine boutique' also with napkins, cheese boards, wine stoppers, etc. but did not peruse so cannot comment on this, either. A small selection of Eichten (also local) cheeses and cheese spreads ($6-$6.50 per pound, knives to cut the block cheese provided if eating onsite), small water cracker packages ($2.45-$3.00), and a few flavored mustard condiments ($2-$4) are available for separate purchase you can buy and then enjoy onsite with your wine/wine flights. Also a nice selection of local dark chocolate bars ($2-$4) - recommend the 75% dark chocolate with their Bootleggers Reserve for an excellent dessert! The service, however, left something to be desired. Yes Cannon Falls is a small town and being originally from even smaller towns we understand the informality that comes with a local establishment - however it's insulting for women to be referred to as 'hi guys', 'you guys want something', what can I get you guys'.....it would raise the bar several notches in the Customer Service Department by referring to your clientele in more professional terms and refrain from calling women 'guys'. Even with the strong vibe of 'we really don't care if you're here o not', we did enjoy a few hours out of the rain, and would recommend this as a girl's afternoon out or similar. Not sure men would appreciate it beyond purchasing decent wines at a not bad price....prices range from $13 to $39 a bottle (for their version of ice wine)

Just spent an afternoon tasting wine at Cannon River Winery. Very nice assortment of quality wines, at least for what we can offer in the midwest. I especially enjoyed the Mead. The facility was nice, service very good. A good way to spend an afternoon. We will do it again.

If you're looking for a great way to spend an afternoon this is it. They have a number of different wines, something for every taste., the Gunflint Red is my favorite. The building is an old car dealer comeplete with an overhead garage door that they can open up in the summer. They have music every weekend and again there is something for every taste in music, Andrew Walesch is my personal favorite.The staff is very helpful, everyone seems to be enjoying themselves and they know their wine.They also have a number of special dates for barrel tasting, holiday craft fairs, and Wine Trail events it just adds to the fun. We have been there a number of times and we will return again.

My friend and I were driving to La Crosse Wisconsin and decided to stop through Cannon Falls to grab lunch. We ended up going to Mill Street Tavern and noticed the winery across the street. It was Saturday, and there was a live band so it was fun to hangout there for a few hours. It was busy, but not too packed (see pictures). We got flights and could pick 3 different wines to try for $6 total. I got the "grandma" flights that were special wines dedicated to grandmas that used to work there. So they are named after them. The 3 I tried were all sweeter wines. "Lorraine's white, Irene's blush, and Gogol Red." Afterwards we bought wine. Most were around $15. Was fun, would come again!

check out their website for the times to go & see the wine making process. From picking grapes to putting it in the bottle. They also have music & my favorite, Girls Day Away.

Here you will find top shelf wines developed and made by 3rd generation vintner Vincent Negret from Colombia. The winery is owned and operated by the Maloney family, and they will treat you as old friends. They use locally grown grapes, now and then blending imports, to produce a wonderful taste of Minnesota and the upper Midwest. When he is available, Mr. Negret is very enthusiastic about helping one (or a small group) to discover what type of wine is preferred during documented tastings of a variety of wines produced there. He is quite in his element when doing this. I watched the winery being constructed, I met and conversed with the Maloneys, and I have spent some time with Vincent, and as an amateur wine maker myself I can assure you that you will find it a real treat to visit the winery. They want you to have a great experience, and they do a pretty job of it. This should definitely be on your "to do" list!