Chankaska Creek Ranch and Winery

We make time to visit this winery whenever we are in the area, or plan a trip to the area just to visit Chankaska. It is wonderful — and I’ve been there all seasons. There is not a bad wine served, and the food is good (my favorite is the stuffed mushrooms — and I don’t usually even like fresh mushrooms.)

I love driving to southern MN (this is close enough), especially along the river. When you need a getaway from the cities, head down to St. Peter for some amazing R&R. Did you know, St. Peter was the original capital of Minnesota? Anyways… wine.
Chankaska is an amazing place to visit, they have everything you want and need out of a winery. Great wine, tours, tastings, food, live music, games, beautiful grounds, wedding/​party opportunities, open Mondays… all those good things :)
What I love most about Chankaska, is their attention to detail in their ambiance. As soon as you drive up, their landscaping and entrance is welcoming and classy. The tasting room is a good size, but they’ve divided it up so groups feel more intimate. Their exposed beams, wooden tables, fireplace, and décor are super inviting and cozy. They have a back porch with heaters, and their patio downstairs has café lighting and plenty of room. Their grounds are NOT to be missed. Got a first date or anniversary? Definitely take a stroll together through the gardens, over the bridge, by the creek, and take your wine with you. There is plenty of space for your large group outing or wedding.
They have snack plates as well as delicious pizza to go with your wines. Tastings are $ 7 for 5 — definitely try some of the more expensive ports and such, and don’t be afraid to take your time, or take your wine for a stroll outside.

What a beautiful area this winery is in! They do a terrific job with their wines and food. If you get the chance, sit outside. The patio overlooks their wonderful vineyard and a gorgeous stream. Their wine tasting deal is such a steal because you get to pick the wines you want to try. They’ve got a large variety of whites and reds that make for a perfect tasting.
Upon walk in, they have signs for you if you’re a first timer like I was. I only wish that there were stools or seats up at the tasting bar for guests.

We live in California, and we’ve been to a LOT of wineries, in Napa, Paso Robles and southern California. This one was really nice compared to many that we have been to; and somewhat unexpected in Minnesota!
We came here on a beautiful Friday evening at the end of September, while visiting our daughter in Mankato; live music was playing, there was a nice fire in the fire ring, and the place was pretty crowded, but we were able to find a table easily.
Wine tasting is very easy: they give you tokens (5 for $ 7) and you can taste any 5 of a dozen or so wines they have. We like reds, mostly, and all of the wines we tasted were good (unusual in my experience – many wineries have only one or two decent wines, and a bunch of not-​so-​good ones). You may, but don’t have to, stand at the counter, you can sit at a table and keep coming back for another taste until your tokens are gone, so you can enjoy one of their excellent pizze or appetizers.
The staff was friendly, helpful, and knowledgeable about the wines; some of the grapes (marquette) are grown locally and some are imported from California.
We will definitely come back next time we are in Minnesota!

Being from Northern CA, my MN friends were nervously excited to show me Chankaska. They had no need to be worried– I loved it!
I made it a priority to taste the grapes that were grown and processed in MN (several of their whites come from WA and the reds from CA). The wines I tried were consistently drinkable and flavorful. I was especially interested in trying their ice wine, as it is a process that isn’t used in Northern CA.
The setting is amazing– beautiful park, perfect patio, and the sound of the rushing creek. It was only made better by a perfect pizza and charcuterie platter.
Worth the trip!

Can’t beat the location and scenery, the wine is very good as is the menu (albeit it’s very, very limited).
There are no servers aside from behind the bar, which means you’ll be getting up and walking to refill your glass or place an order, the staff is hit or miss. Some are very good and pleasant others are college students who really don’t care that you’ve standing for 5 minutes with a buzzer in your hand as your food bakes under the heatlamp.

Visited the Chankaska Winery on July 4^th. We were among the first to arrive, beating the lunch crowd. We were greeted immediately, had the tasting options explained, and our first taste on the deck inside of 10 minutes. We walked the grounds along the rushing creek before returning to the deck for more wine and an excellent pizza.
We were given a short background of each wine we sampled, and out of the 9 different wines, we only loved ALL of them. We especially liked the pinot, and would recommend it. All the reds were very good, as was the Port.
It was a beautiful day, and we thouroghly enjoyed our visit. Definitely will go back.

This past Saturday my wife and I took a gorgeous drive along the Minnesota River Scenic Byway in order to meet up with her parents at Chankaska Winery. I don’t even care much for wine and I had a great experience.
The property is stunning, even in late fall when trees are bare and the creek is dry. This day the wind was howling and we still couldn’t skip taking a walk around the premises. Inside is just as pretty, with high vaulted ceilings, a quaint fireplace, and barn-​wood color scheme. We each paid $ 7 for five wine samples of our choosing. Neither of us were blown away by the quality of wine, but we both agreed it was very good, especially considering most were made of MN grapes. Since her parents keep a membership, their tasting was free. We paired the wine with a delicious fruit and cheese tray. I look forward to returning next spring or summer in order to see the property during warmer weather.

Great selection of wines available. The food is also very good considering it is not the main focus. The pizza is excellent with its Neapolitan style. The atmosphere is wonderful with the big outdoor patio. They often have musical guests each weekend. I enjoy the midnight mix musical group. More enjoyable to visit when it’s warm because of the area outside. The inside of the place is quite small and gets crowded. Wine bottles are about $ 15 – 25 each. The landscape is also very beautiful so it’s fun to walk around the grounds. This is a place where you can stay for three hours sipping on wine, listening to music and enjoying the outdoors.

Chankaska Creek Ranch and Winery.. .
We stopped over at Chankaska Creek Ranch and Winery on our way to a concert of all things. Now we have been to a few local wineries in the past. I haven’t liked much of the MN wines that I have had. We do however like the vibe we get at the wineries. I got to say we loved the wines at Chankaska winery. We grabbed a flight of their reds, and then a glass of our favorite red, for their patio. Later we got a bottle for home patio. We really liked everything.. .
5 stars for the wine and the winery!

Beautiful winery! My friend and I tried the wine tasting (only $ 7 each for five tastes!!) and it was a perfect social activity as we waited for our food. This place has a really elegant atmosphere and all the finishing touches were really beautiful from the woodwork to the landscaping, trees, etc., it’s no wonder that they’re a perfect wedding reception venue.
Not a very large menu but the gourmet pizza was handmade and absolutely delicious. We tried the veggie option that had fresh artichoke, mmm! The pita and hummus antipasto was excellently flavorful as well. The servers were very knowledgeable of the wine, and it’s really lovely that they’re locally grown.
After dinner, we took a walk along a few outdoor paths. This would be a great place for a date night. I will definitely be coming back to taste more wine and try something else on the menu! A Southern MN gem.