In the News

Sip Local is more than a slogan at College City Beverage. We are privileged to distribute wine that has been grown and bottled in our area. These wineries not only offer a great selection of delicious wine, but they also use their expertise to create jobs and support the local economy. Rolling Forks Vineyard is a great example. Based in Glenwood, Minnesota, Rolling Forks offers the complete wine experience with tastings, dining, and a wine shop. They are only 25 minutes from Alexandria and 45 minutes from Willmar, but if that’s too far, you can find their bottles at your local liquor store!

With the challenges and turmoil of the past year, what’s been a bright spot for your organization? 2020 will be a year for the history books. Our business, like many, was tested in so many ways. Because we were a new business in 2020, we didn't qualify for much of the Covid relief money, so on top of being forced to close our winery for tastings and indoor dining during our winter months, we also didn't receive the funds that were supposed to off-set the closure. Thankfully, we had supportive customers and understanding bankers who helped get us through those difficult months. Because of that, we were able to make it out on the other side of the closures and mandates, and celebrate our one-year anniversary in July 2021. There is so much to celebrate!

Rolling Forks Vineyards is a beautiful vineyard in Glenwood, Minnesota. It's about 135 miles northwest of Minneapolis, or 70 miles west of St. Cloud. Tucked away into an area full of rolling hills of farmland, it is absolutely gorgeous.

Joe and Melanie Cihlar had been dreaming of having their own vineyard since they began dating in 2007. They fell in love with each other and the property that Rolling Forks Vineyards occupies and planted their first grapes in 2010. The dream has grown into a reality and has expanded to 14 acres of cold-hardy grapes that are grown and cultivated to create a series of unique wines.

Halfway between Minneapolis, Minn., and Fargo, N.D., seven acres of empty vines decorate the rolling hills of Glenwood, Minn. The harvested grapes have been crushed, pressed and fermented, and the wine is aging in steel tanks and oak barrels at a nearby winery owned by Joe and Melanie Cihlar