In the News

MN Makers: Mother’s Day Gifts. Mother’s Day is just four days away, and if you’re still looking for the perfect gift, Michelle Sharp has some wonderful ideas, including Rolling Forks Vineyards award-winning wines. She’s the creator of Meet the Minnesota Makers, a platform dedicated to connecting people with small businesses and locally made products. Michelle joins us with makers from northwest of the Twin Cities to help you find something truly special for mom.

"“It’s a reminder that Minnesota’s unique climate and soils can create world-class wines, and we hope this honor encourages more people to share in our passion — whether at local restaurants, shops, or around their own tables,” Melanie Cihlar said." If you have a subscription click the link to Pioneer Press of click the link to the pdf to read the story!

While they have shelves full of awards, the Wine Enthusiast awards they received last year hold a lot of weight in helping them get noticed. A score of 96 for one of their white wines at a San Francisco, California, competition, where their wine was judged against others from around the world, was particularly impressive. A 96 score is considered a "superb" rating out of 100. Only a "classic" rating of 98 to 100 is higher in this blind taste testing platform. “If we’re pulling scores like that from our little winery here in Minnesota, that speaks a lot of volumes too for the quality that we're producing,” Melanie Cihlar said."

Glenwood, MN – December 2025 — Rolling Forks Vineyards (RFV), a boutique winery located in West-Central Minnesota, has achieved exceptional international recognition at the 30th Catad’Or World Wine Awards in Monticello, Chile—one of the most respected wine competitions in the Southern Hemisphere, held under OIV standards. The winery earned four total medals, including two Gold Medals and two Silver Medals, further establishing Minnesota as a rising force in cold-climate winemaking.

Rolling Forks Vineyards, founded by Melanie and Joe Cihlar, celebrates its fifth anniversary as a thriving business born from a basement winemaking hobby. Their journey began with a dream of owning the old Peterson farm, which became a reality in 2009. After planting their first vines in 2010 and selling grapes commercially by 2014, a personal experience inspired them to pursue their dream of opening a winery, leading to breaking ground in May 2019. Despite challenges like the COVID-19 pandemic, which necessitated the addition of a patio, the vineyard has grown steadily, now distributing its award-winning Minnesota wines to 130 locations. Rolling Forks Vineyards has overcome the stigma often associated with Minnesota wines, earning international recognition and numerous awards for its cold-hardy grape varieties, while also becoming a beloved community gathering space and a testament to perseverance and vision.

Find scores and reviews of 5 RFV wines on pages 14 & 16 or go to this link: https://www.wineenthusiast.com/?s=rolling%20forks&search_type=ratings&drink_type=wine