Sovereign Estate Winery Featured on CBS News Minnesota

Sovereign Estate Winery was recently featured by CBS News Minnesota in a story exploring how this year's dry conditions have created favorable growing conditions for Minnesota wine grapes.

The feature highlights Sovereign Estate's record 2026 harvest and the unique way Minnesota's climate can influence grape growing and winemaking at our vineyard in Waconia.

A Record Harvest in Waconia

This year's dry conditions have helped produce an exceptional grape harvest at Sovereign Estate. Our vineyard produced a record crop of more than 100,000 pounds of estate-grown grapes, with the fruit now making its way through the winemaking process.

As Isaac Savaryn explained to CBS News, the dry conditions have encouraged the vines to work harder for water, helping develop sugars and fruit flavors in the grapes.

Growing Great Wine Grapes in Minnesota

Growing grapes in Minnesota comes with its own set of challenges, from harsh winters to unpredictable growing seasons. But cold-climate varieties such as Marquette have made it possible to produce distinctive wines here in Minnesota.

This year's growing season has demonstrated how the right conditions, careful vineyard management, and Minnesota's unique grape varieties can come together to create an exciting vintage.

From Vineyard to Bottle

With harvest nearly complete, the grapes are now in the winery fermenting and beginning their transformation into wine.

We're excited to see how this year's record harvest develops and look forward to sharing these wines with our guests in the years ahead.

Read the original CBS News Minnesota story:
Why Minnesota's drought is actually benefitting the state's wineries