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Black Hills wine It may surprise visitors, but South Dakota has a long history of wine making —derived from regional berries and fruits like rhubarb, crab apples, chokecherries, buffalo berries and plums. Native fruits, along with recently developed grape varieties that thrive in our Northern Plains climate, make for some delectable fine wines produced by local master vintners. The local wine culture continues to gain popularity, with area residents and vacationers alike ever more impressed with the award-winning wines now locally available. The area’s original winery, Hill City’s Prairie Berry Winery, has been making South Dakota wines for five generations and offers more than 15 grape, fruit and honey wines to taste and purchase. The family originally pioneered near Mound City, where the area’s “prairie berries” were turned into fruit wines using “old country” techniques. Prairie Berry’s Kitchen offers artisan plates and flat-grill sandwiches. Naked Winery has two tasting rooms in the Black Hills – the Hill City facility and another in downtown Custer. The grapes are from Oregon and Washington, but the light-hearted atmosphere is homegrown. Belle Joli’ Winery is owned and operated by Jackson Winery and Vineyards, established in 2000 near Belle Fourche. The winery’s presence now stretches across the northern Black Hills. Their “Sparkling House” (a state-of-the-art facility producing sparkling wine by traditional champagne methods) is at the entrance to Vanocker Canyon near Sturgis. Whether you choose to take a Black Hills wine tour or stop on your own while driving through the splendid Black Hills landscapes, area wineries are a wonderful way to enhance your vacation. Local tour operators specializing in wine tours include Black Hills Adventure Tours and Black Hills Open-Top Tours. Learn more about their offerings in the Transportation & Tours Directory found on pages 126 & 127 of this guide. All the wineries ship to most of the United States, and many local restaurants, bistros, and retail liquor stores stock their products for purchase.
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