Simply a wonderful estate winery nestled in the hills of Waconia!! Their wines are excellent, so…read moremuch so that we joined the wine club and being from California wine country, we don't just join any wine club. Sovereign Estate is a most relaxing atmosphere. Plenty of seating in the out side courtyard where you can enjoy your wine and excellent food and snacks from the walk up restaurant window. I suggest before planning a visit to consult their schedule for concerts and live music.

Really loved the wine here! We actually joined the wine club because we loved the wine so much…read more Originally being from wine country in California, we have always been a bit disappointed in wineries in Minnesota and Wisconsin. But the last few years we have discovered some really great wineries. They also have live music there pretty often and a full kitchen with food you can order. After our tasting we bought a bottle to enjoy on the patio with some sliders and music. The sliders were not the greatest, just really lacked flavor. Looking around at people's food we were underwhelmed but it is still worth a trip for the wine.

I love this place! I've been coming for retreats over the past five years. The staff is superb!…read moreSuper friendly and accommodating! I can no longer eat dairy and they were super responsive to my needs. The food is incredible!! Dairy free chicken pot pie-what?!? Yes please!! The rooms are comfortable and the grounds are beautiful. I always find a new path, or swing or something. Additionally I could sit and watch the birds all day! The cardinals and big blue jay and woodpecker and the list goes on and on. The birds flock to the feeders and I could sit and watch them all day. The also have a pool, hot tub and sauna which are a real treat! It is also conveniently located to the Minneapolis and a super easy drive. I'm looking forward to going back in the winter!

From the owner: Nestled in 150 acres of secluded woodlands, Mount Olivet Conference and Retreat Center is the…read moreperfect place for your company retreat, family reunion, wedding, or any other gathering you may want to organize. Our location near Farmington, Minnesota offers a getaway for those in the Twin Cities area, and our team of dedicated professionals will go the extra mile to make sure you are completely satisfied with every aspect of your stay. Visit our website to inquire today!

Beautiful, century old family farm lovingly converted to a fabulous venue space. Picturesque…read moregrounds with lots of photo opportunities, bridal suite and groomsmen rooms, lower level bar - food and seating area. Upstairs has an expansive deck with breathtaking views, another bar or dessert area, stage, dance floor and more. Elevator for handicap , elderly or those with stair challenges, plenty of parking including handicap right next to the building. Expansive yet intimate. Elegant but affordable. Weddings, proms, graduation, other events! Take the virtual tour on the web page. Staff is great, and accommodating but food is a bit pricey.

My go to Minnesota winery in the summers! Parley lake is truly such a gorgeous setting. There is a…read morerustic indoor bar area with some seating but the gem of the property is outback overlooking the scenic lake, long glass, grapes, and gorgeous trees. The staff is always so friendly and it feels like a little oasis. They also serve a variety of Minnesota wines! I'm partial to their whites or the parley vu rose and Frontenac Gris. They also often have love music and different events going on with local vendors which is really fun. Absolutely worth checking out!

The wine and ambiance were great here! We came in just for one glass on our wine tour of Waconia,…read morebut it was well worth it! Plenty of space to sit and enjoy and we were greeted and helped very fast. The parking lot was located down a little hill so if you have people with you who have bad knees, I would suggest parking at the top of the hill (handicap spots). Overall would go back!

We've been coming to fall harvest orchard for a few years and it seems to get better each time!…read moreEntrance is free but you can buy wristbands to be able to do more of the activities like the giant slide, large corn pit, mini putt, etc. The wristbands are well worth the price for the little ones in my opinion. They're able to do as many activities as they want and there are SO many to choose from. However, you can have plenty of fun there without the wristband. There is a smaller corn pit, animals to pet and feed, and other free activities to enjoy. There are also plenty of food trucks and spots to grab drinks which makes it ideal to spend a few hours there at least! In addition, they do have some apple trees to pick apples from if that's something you're looking for. It does get VERY busy so I'd recommend heading there pretty early. Looking forward to coming back for many years to come!

A visit in September at Fall Harvest Orchard is such a fun and welcoming place for families!…read moreThere's plenty of parking, which makes it super easy to visit even on busy weekends. It's a great place for kids -- tons of space to explore, cute animals, and plenty of fun activities to keep everyone happy. I especially love the variety of apples -- so fresh, crisp, and flavorful. You can tell everything is grown and handled with care. Whether you're there to pick apples, grab some cider, or just enjoy the fall atmosphere, it's a wonderful experience all around. A perfect fall tradition spot -- highly recommend!

We stopped here after golfing at Montgomery National. It's a cozy, country place with inside and…read moreoutdoor seating. I tried a 'build your own wine flight' and chose a white, rose, and red option to get a little taste of the many wines offered. I usually like reds best but my fav in the group was the Marry Me white and I bought a bottle to take home. There was one person working all the tables and she was so friendly and patient with our large group. Great experience.

My aunt wanted to go wine tasting on Monday. Luckily this winery was open from 5-8pm. We drove into…read morethis residential driveway next to a vineyard. We see 2 barns, one was the tasting room and the other one was storage. Tasting room is cute, the gal helped us order the flights. She gave us a stopper, flip it to red, that means we are ready to order. The patio seats are pretty also, grape vineyard is growing above on the trellas. We grabbed a charcuterie board from the fridge. They are now making and serving vodka, rum, and whiskey. They're able to mix cocktails and pour shots (flights) as well.

Super fun place for a girls night. Love the changing menu, their variety of events, and seating…read moreoptions. I do wish they were open later - seem to still have many patrons including myself at closing time!

I enjoyed a weekend day outing here. Was in the mood for a winery but didn't feel like driving far,…read moreso we opted for a local wine room. Friendly service. Enjoyed the wine flight options and the tasting experience and info about wine. Feels clean, bright, and new, and the bathroom is nice. There's a room in back they activate for events. There was a small vendor sale in there. They also have cute merch, jewelry, and goods for sale. They're on the higher price end. They offer free coffee from the Nespresso machine which is a nice touch. They have their own wine shop next door that is kind of expensive. Buying a bottle in the winery and corking it to go is a more affordable option if you plan to drink it right away.

This is an amazing place to spend a day or extended afternoon in the twin cities. I was gifted a…read moremembership and have had the chance to come here twice, once for an event and once for the 3 mile walk, and both times have been blown away by the breadth of planning and botanical mastery that has gone into these gardens. We saw the setup for a wedding while we were there and it was breathtaking. The small gardens near the front are beautiful, but it's a true feat to walk (or drive) the three mile walk and to see the entirety of the gardens. There's a fun (and quite difficult) maze, a sculpture garden, many different tree and flower displays, shrub displays, and way more! We haven't had the chance to check out the farm that's on the property, but are really looking forward to it! This is a great place to spend a day with energetic kiddos, or to just lose yourself in nature for a little while. And each month something new is in bloom, so there's always new to see and do!

The Landscape Arboretum is another one of the Twin Cities treasures that is overlooked or taken for…read moregranted. It was founded in 1958 and has 1200 acres located in Chaska. It is different experience depending upon the season and what you choose to do. Today I went to their annual pancake breakfast, highlighted with their own maple syrup. They also showed how maple sap is collected (there are plastic tubes running between trees leading to collection bags), to the process of reducing the sap into syrup. They also process Black Walnut and Birch syrup, with tastings of each. At other times, highlights include a three mile drive that loops through the forests, variety of shrubs and plants, sculpture garden, and heads to a farm with a variety of displays. You can also take a narrated shuttle trip. Seasonally, the tulips (40,000 tulip bulbs!), roses, and daffodils are amazing and worth a visit just for that. In addition, there are miles of walking trails, and surprises around every corner. In their library there is even a collection of Nakashima furniture, from a world-famous furniture maker. There is something that will delight every age from toddler to grandparent in this everchanging environment. Tickets are a bit on the expensive side ($20 for 16 and older), but free for under 16 with an adult. If you are going to make multiple visits within a year, you might want to consider membership, which entitles you to unlimited free visits, plus a discount in their gift store. You can apply your paid visit to the cost of an annual membership. Pro-tip: Although they have a cafeteria, it's not their strong suit. I recommend eating before hand, or bring a picnic if the weather is nice and warm.

Modern and beautiful, but far for most of us who live in the twin cities. We attended a family…read morewedding here and I believe this venue was chosen because of its beauty as well as its relatively low costs and flexibility to bring in our own food and champagne. However, it is an hour drive from the Twin Cities metro area. I loved the outdoor area for the wedding ceremony, followed by champagne in the reception hall and then dinner and dance in an adjacent dining hall.

I recently attended a wedding at this venue. It was a gorgeous place. Unfortunately the staff makes…read moreit difficult to leave a 5 star review. The staff on clean up crew was unfriendly. They began to clean up before 9, even though the dance went until 10:30. They took down decorations, tables and chairs to the point that there wasn't even a place for people to sit that weren't dancing. They moved people's stuff around to other places so they could take tables down which made it difficult for people to find their things. Less than a minute after the dance ended, they began to shut off the lights. Due to the fact we felt we were being pushed out, I wouldn't recommend this place

We hosted Thanksgiving here with 30 people and it was FANTASTIC! All my guests said how beautiful…read morethe space was....how spacious yet cozy. We watched the game....no problem. Setting up the food was easy...plenty of space for people to sit and eat but room for the kids to play and chill. Def will rent the space again. For sure a community gem!

We attend an event at the Meeting Point and then used them for our event. This is an amazing space,…read moreand everyone loved it. It is warm and inviting. The owner is amazing to work with and made us feel like our event was her event. I would recommend Meeting Point to anyone who may need a place for an event. Our event was small baby shower but didn't feel lost. Everything about this space is amazing. You can feel the love and details that went into making this a great space for anything you need.