July 8, 2026
What We Are Pairing in the Summer Heat: 5 Minnesota Summer WINES for Lake Views, Late Nights, and Every Sunny Minute
Is there anything better than a Minnesota summer? We wait all year for these glorious, sun-drenched months, and we are absolutely not letting a single second go to waste. Whether you're claiming your spot on the dock, watching the sunset over Lake Minnewaska from our patio, or sitting around a backyard fire pit until the fireflies pop out, you need the perfect local beverage in hand.
Forget the stuffy rules and the intimidating glass-swirling. Hot weather calls for "summer crushers"—wines that are crisp, refreshing, unapologetically fun, and pair perfectly with the casual, delicious chaos of Midwestern summer eating.
Grab your sunglasses and pack your cooler. Here are five of the best award-winning Minnesota wines from Rolling Forks Vineyards that you need to try this season:
1. Waska Red | Sweet Red Blend
Don't let the word "red" fool you into thinking this is a heavy winter vintage. This juicy, sweet red wine is practically built for sunshine.
Waska Red is absolute red-fruit magic in a glass, bursting with a playful medley of red berries, and a little hint of plum. It’s exceptionally light on its feet and incredibly clean on the finish—cleverly avoiding that heavy, cloying syrupiness that ruins lesser sweet reds. On a blistering 90-degree July afternoon, this acts less like a heavy vintage and more like an adult juice box designed specifically to make you forget about the humidity. It's vibrant, joyful, and dangerously easy to drink.
- Cooling Pro-Tip: Throw this bottle in the fridge or bury it in the cooler ice for about 20 minutes before cracking it open. Serving it chilled locks in all those bright, juicy berry flavors and makes it wildly refreshing when the humidity peaks. It’s so good it even took home a Silver medal at the International Cold Climate Wine Competition!
- Pair with: Pizza. Yes, really. Grab a slice of classic pepperoni, find a patch of grass, and let the sweet chill of Waska Red cut right through that cheesy, slightly spicy goodness.
2. Ruby Rhubarb | Sweet & Tart
Rhubarb is the undisputed king of Midwestern summer gardens, and this bottle captures that tangy, late-June magic flawlessly. One sniff delivers a rush of pure nostalgia, smelling exactly like the warm, sugary steam rising off a freshly baked strawberry-rhubarb crisp cooling on Grandma's counter. On the palate, it performs a thrilling high-wire act: a wave of luscious, sun-ripened fruit sweetness is immediately whipped into shape by a sharp, electric zip of mouthwatering acidity. It is crisp, vibrantly pink, and wonderfully refreshing, proving that local fruit wine can be incredibly well-balanced while remaining completely unpretentious.
- Award-Winning Sip: This local favorite is a certified showstopper, having snagged Best of Show (Fruit) at the MN Monthly Food & Wine Competition and a prestigious Platinum Award at the Great American Wine Competition. It’s vibrant, bright, and practically begs to be enjoyed out of a plastic cup on a pontoon.
- Pair with: Top-the-Tater and wavy potato chips. The salty, savory onion crunch of the Midwest's favorite dip meets the sweet, tart zing of rhubarb. It’s a high-low flavor combination that will change your life.
3. Waterama Celebration Wine
Commemorating the 70th Annual Waterama, Glenwood ’s legendary lakeside summer festival, this bottle is a sunbeam captured under cap. It opens with bright, breezy aromas of jasmine, juicy peach, and a tiny hint of sweet citrus blossom.
It is light and fast, with a semi-sweet crispness that leaves your mouth watering for another sip. It’s an incredibly drinkable, celebratory white wine that mimics the feeling of jumping off a warm dock into cool, deep water: clean, shocking in the best way possible, and leaving you feeling totally renewed.
- Why You'll Love It: Whether you actually just watched a parade of pontoons on Lake Minnewaska or you’re just celebrating the fact that it’s Friday, this is the bottle to grab.
- Pair with: State Fair-style cheese curds. You want something hot, squeaky, and fried to go with this crisp, celebratory sipper. The clean acidity of the wine acts like a palate cleanser between handfuls of golden, fried dairy.
4. Lady of the Lake | Sweet La Crescent
La Crescent is the darling of cold-climate grapes, and this bottle shows you exactly why it cleaned up at the San Francisco Chronicle Wine Competition. It smells incredibly fancy—think heavy peach blossoms, ripe apricots, and orange peel—but drinks like an absolute breeze. It has just enough honeyed sweetness to feel indulgent, cut by a lime-zest acidity that keeps it light, lively, and incredibly clean. It’s sweet, sure, but it has the sophisticated backbone of a wine twice its price, making it the ultimate lake-day companion.
- National Recognition: This sweet white wine took home the coveted Best of Class title at the massive San Francisco Chronicle Wine Competition, where national critics called it an "alluring treat."
- Pair with: A brat straight off the grill with a generous amount of kraut. The bright, sweet fruitiness of Lady of the Lake perfectly tames the smoky, salty, charred goodness of a classic backyard brat. It’s instant cook-out gourmet.
5. Delicato | Dry, Oaked Rosé
Most grocery store rosés taste like watery strawberries and disappointment. Delicato is the exact opposite. It's bone-dry, pale pink, and packed with actual personality—bursting with wild raspberries, fresh-cut strawberries, and a cool, buttery finish that practically screams "patio." It’s sophisticated enough to earn high praise from global critics, but casual enough to drink out of a Solo cup while sitting in a lawn chair in the driveway.
- A World-Class Pink Wine: This vintage scored 89 Points from JamesSuckling.com, a 90-point rating in the Wine Enthusiast Buyer’s Guide, and won a Gold Medal at the Catad’Or World Wine Awards in Chile! Wine critics love its vivid flavors and its creamy yet vibrant finish.
- Pair with: Sweet corn on the cob slathered in butter and Lawry’s Seasoned Salt. The crisp, berry-forward acidity of Delicato cuts beautifully through the rich, sweet butter of fresh-picked Minnesota sweet corn.
Plan Your Next Lake Escape to Rolling Forks Vineyards
Minnesota summers are short, but the memories (and the wine list) are long. Whether you are searching for the perfect destination winery near you or looking to stock your cooler for the next cabin getaway, we have you covered.
Swing by our tasting room in Glenwood, MN, to experience the best lake views, or click any of our award-winning local wines listed above to buy online and ship them straight to your door. Cheers to lake views, late nights, and everything wonderful about summer!
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