carlos creek winery

(Note: It's actually been several years since I worked in Alexandria and had the chance to tour Carlos Creek, but the online form doesn't allow me to select an earlier date…so take that with a grain of salt.) Carlos Creek produces decent-quality wines from cold-weather grapes. You just need to remember that this is not Bordeaux or the Napa Valley; if you're expecting a fine cabernet or pinot gris, you will be disappointed. (I see they now offer wines made from the "noble grapes" sourced from California, but I don't see the point.) As with any winery in the northern latitudes, these folks use cold-weather hybrids mainly developed at the University of Minnesota, and they can be very rough around the edges. If you keep this in mind, you will be pleased; these wines do not have the cloyingly sweet Mogen David taste you'll find in those from many other northern growers. So if this feels like a backhanded compliment, I don't mean it that way. It just helps to be familiar with the cold-weather grapes; if you are, I think you will be pleasantly surprised at Carlos Creek's wines. At the very least, it's an enjoyable way to pass some time in the Lakes Region countryside and enjoy some local craft and flavor. As Minnesota wineries go, this is as good as it gets.

WOW! Such kind and flattering words! I really appreciate it. I think we have an awesome staff that works hard to provide a great experience for every customer. From keeping the grounds tidy to making award-winning wines, I am proud of every one of them. Comments such as yours make my day and confirm we're on the right track. Please visit again - our Peach Street Wine is in stock!

Dear Lee,I am so sorry you had a bad experience at our winery. Our staff works hard to provide a positive and fun environment for every customer, but it looks like we missed the mark when you visited. I'd love for you to return and give us another shot at it! As far as our wines go, wine tastes are certainly very individual, and though our wines have been awarded many international awards for excellence, they are not for everyone. And I agree that our wines can seem high priced - certainly you can buy wines for far less in a liquor store. Our higher prices are due to local sourcing of our grapes from small Minnesota growers. The weather in Minnesota makes it a challenge to grow grapes and there are few growers and high demand, so prices for Minnesota grapes are quite high. Even so, we are committed to supporting these growers and using as much Minnesota grown in our wines as possible. Thank you again for your thoughts.

My husband and I decided to take a road trip today. It was 6 degrees when we left home. We live 2 hours away from this winery. We both have the Minnesota Winery Passport which entitles us to a free wine tasting and a souvenir wine goblet to take home. This winery was voted the "Best in the state" on our local CBS channel 4 new station. It definitely is a rare winery in which there were many different varieties of wines that my husband and I both enjoyed. We usually like the sweet whites over the dryer reds. We were able to sample several different wines and had a difficult time deciding which we liked the best. We ended up taking home a Raspberry wine, which was absolutely delicious. We could have brought many more home. Maybe next trip. The tour was very informative and we learned a little about wine making. I would say this is a must stop place if you are in the Alexandria area, it's well worth the visit. Staff were very friendly and accommodating.

WOW! What a great review. I am honored and affirmed that the hard work our staff does to create a wonderful experience and quality wines is hitting the mark with those that matter most - customers like yourself. Please visit us again and thanks for choosing Alexandria.

What a great time we had at the Carlos Creek Winery. The staff was so helpful, informative, and friendly! We learned more from this winery tour than we did from the tour we took down in Branson, MO. Definitely spend the $7 for the wine tasting--not only do you narrow down your favorite before buying some bottles, but you also get a wine glass to take home! We were impressed that they not only used Minnesota-grown grapes and fruit, but that the wine barrels were made from Minnesota-grown wood! We simply had fun! Want to come back next season for the Grape Stomp!

I visited the winery for my brother's wedding and the setting was wonderful. The wines were great and the reception hall was beautiful! My children even had fun chasing frogs in the pond and playing life size chess!

My fiancee and I arrived at the winery around 1230 on a Saturday. Very quiet when we arrived. The tasting room is gorgeous and the tasting bar can comfortably hold a large amount of people. The woman helping us was friendly and willing to grab someone to help answer my questions, as she was a newer staff member. I tried the Wobegon White, all the dry reds, Apple Blueberry, and Port. They were very nice wines. I was most impressed with the Marquette/Frontenac blend. And I'm also impressed that they are in the process of moving towards using 100% MN oak. Will stop by again and will definitely recommend them to others.

We had a group of 35. We enjoyed cheese and crackers with our wine tastes. The bar tenders were friendly and our tasting fun. The tour guide was very knowledgeable. This was an excellent experience.

I have been to Carlos Creek Winery twice now and both times was great. The first time we went for their wine tasting. Were given several to sample and it was so hard deciding which ones were the favorites. Their raspberry, peach and cranberry wines are delicious! Actually, I don't think I sampled a bad one! The servers are friendly and knowledgeable! We also went for a wedding there during the month of June. Absolutely breathtaking wedding setting in the tree lined lawn. The reception was held in the horse stables. Decorations and setup made it just magical! Food was delicious and staff were all friendly! I can't wait to be able to go back again!

What a great time we had at the grape stomp this year. We attended all three days. Friday it was cold . Just wore a warm winter coat. Some of the advantages were the crowds weren't as big so was able to look at all the vendors, watch the grape stomp heats , listen to all the music and watch the log rolling competitions without worrying about getting a place to sit. Saturday it was a beautiful day . The crowds of people was a little over whelming, I did over hear that it was record breaking attendance. the workers tried t handle it the best they could. Sunday again was great, just like Friday but a little warmer. The Kettle Korn was great and the Barbecued ribs were amazing. And of course the wine tasting was fun.

We were at the Grape Stomp today... great festival..very crowded, the food is spendy, but where isn't it spendy... lots of good music... loved the Schells Beer tent, but they need more servers. No beer drinker i know wants to stand in line for 15 minutes to get a beer....Also , in the wine tasting, there were not enough serving the samples...long lines The fun started when we headed for our car... we were parked a long way out in the field, and discovered the cars were NOT moving in the line... don't know what the problem was, but we sat in ONE spot for 30 minutes...people around us were starting to get somewhat hostile, and after a 45 minute wait,,,we got out... crazy... only one exit, and it goes right where all the people are trying to walk to their cars!!!!

My husband and I drove here for the afternoon on our way home from Lake Carlos State Park. We both had a panini from the cafe and did a wine tasting afterwards. The food was delicious, and for me, was more than enough to fill me up. I had the Mediterranean panini and my husband had a chicken one. The wine tasting afterwards was a pleasant experience, inexpensive and you get to keep your glass. The staff that lead the wine tasting were very friendly and in the end we took home two bottles of wine. The place is small and quaint, and the grounds are beautiful. Plus, while we were getting ready to leave a live musician was beginning her set. This was our first time visiting, and would recommend it to others as a nice place for a date or for groups.It also seems to be very popular for weddings, and with some of the pictures you can get on the grounds, I can see why it would make for a beautiful place to get married.

Wonderful place to relax and enjoy different types of wine. Then, pick out what you like and buy a few bottles.

I go to the Grape Stomp/Harvest Festival annually and have a wonderful time. I have also volunteered to help during the harvest. It's a wonderful opportunity to learn about a variety of grapes and the process/art and craft of wine making. This is a beautiful getaway that whisks you away to wineries far off. I especially enjoy the fruit wines, Raspberry Road and Apple Blueberry!