While Montana is one of the most beautiful states in the country with some of the best scenic views and national parks, it is also fairly remote.
Many wine enthusiasts are unaware of the fact that there are many different wineries across the state of Montana that are working hard to put high-quality Montana wines on the map for the rest of the wine world.
These wineries in Montana offer unique takes on recognizable favorites, and offer some of the best wine-tasting tours with breathtaking views and landscapes to soak in while enjoying a glass of wine or two!
The Top Wineries in Montana
White Raven Winery
The White Raven Winery is located near the world-famous Glacier National Park, and they use a variety of different Montana grapes that are well suited for handling the harsh winters and cold temperatures of the area.
A group of local Montana residents began developing the land where the winery is located in the year 2017, and they officially opened their doors to the public in 2021. Tours of the winery are available, and there is a beautiful tasting room that has been a huge hit since opening.
While five of White Raven’s Wines are created using only local Montana grapes, they also source other high-quality wine grapes from across the country in order to produce a wider variety of different wine styles.
The winery’s owner Dan Murphy places a large emphasis on sustainable farming, and their Montana grapes are grown using as little chemicals and winemaker interference as possible. Their slogan is “New World Wines meet Old World Values,” and they aim to stay true to that vision.
White Raven also runs a wine club that has become very popular among Montana residents as well as visitors to the area who happen to visit the winery. Members of the wine club receive a 10 percent discount on all purchases, as well as three bottles of wine each quarter.
Some of the most successful wines that White Raven produces using local Montana grapes are made using the little-known Marquette grape. They use Marquette to create both Rosé wines and red blends, both of which have become very popular among locals and regularly sell out.
White Raven also offers “premium selections” that are made using high-quality wine grapes that are shipped in. These include some of the most popular wine styles in the world, including Cabernet Sauvignon, Syrah, and Malbec.
Tongue River Winery
The Tongue River Winery has become one of the most popular wineries in the entire state of Montana since its construction in the year 2009. The owner and head winemaker has been in the wine industry since 1968, and this vast depth of experience shows in each bottle and glass.
The winery is located in Miles City and is open every day except for Sunday. It is recommended for visitors to call ahead before visiting to ensure that the grounds are available for touring and the owner is ready to accommodate a tour.
Tongue River is one of the only wineries in all of Montana to produce wines using only grapes that are grown within state lines. It is very difficult to produce high-quality wine grapes in the state of Montana, leading many other producers to supplement their harvests with outside grapes.
They are one of the most decorated wine-producing operations in the entire state of Montana in terms of competitions and accolades, and they have taken home the gold medal in a number of different high-profile events including the 2021 Jefferson Cup Invitational.
The majority of the red wines produced by Tongue River Winery are blends that heavily feature the Marquette grape. Their “Solstice Red” is a unique red wine blend that is created using a mix of the Marquette, Petite Pearl, and Crimson Pearl grapes.
They also produce a variety of different fruit wines, which are best suited for those with a sweet tooth as they are fairly high in residual sugar. Nearly all of their wines are very moderately priced, with most bottles costing between $13 and $16 dollars each.
Yellowstone Cellars
Yellowstone Cellars is one of the most unique winemaking operations in the entire country, and they use a one-of-a-kind grape transporting process to create high-quality wines using grapes from a prestigious grape growing area in the state of Washington.
They have been producing mostly dry red and white wines since the year 2010, and the majority of their selections are made in the old-world style similar to French or Italian wines. They transport the grapes from Washington to Montana where they arrive less than 24 hours after being picked.
Their cozy tasting room is open seven days per week, and they offer complimentary tastings to visitors. Visiting the tasting room at Yellowstone Cellars is a great way to enjoy a variety of the wines they have to offer while learning more about the project and winemakers.
The winery also hosts events with live music every Friday and Saturday night, which have become very popular among locals of the Billings area. They feature a rotating selection of local talents, and the space is also available for rental to host events and private parties.
Yellowstone Cellars produces a number of different wine styles including both single-varietal selections as well as balanced blends.
Their Rosé wines are also very popular, and the majority of their wines can be purchased for under $30.
Mission Mountain Winery
The Mission Mountain Winery is one of the longest-running winemaking operations in all of Montana, and they have been open seasonally for nearly 40 years. By closing each winter and opening their doors during the growing season, they have been able to stay sustainable for years.
They produce around four thousand cases of wine per season, and they use a combination of locally grown wine grapes and grapes from Washington state that are produced under the care of the same owners and operators.
The winery is open to visitors seven days per week between the months of May and October, and it is located in the city of Dayton, Montana along the banks of Flathead Lake. It is one of the most quaint and scenic wineries to visit in the entire country.
The wine list at Mission Mountain Winery prominently features a number of different worldly white wine grapes that are best suited for production in cold weather areas. These include Riesling and Viognier, and the majority of wines can be purchased for under $20 per bottle.
They also produce a number of different styles of red wine including different selections of aged Pinot Noir and Cabernet Sauvignon. They also offer a 30-year-aged bottle of Champagne-style sparkling wine that is produced using 100 percent Pinot Noir grapes.
There are also three different dessert wine selections that are available for purchase, each of which is fairly sweet and can be purchased for $35 or less. This includes a very popular bottle of Nouveaux Riche, as well as two different styles of Port wine.
Glacier Sun Winery
The Glacier Sun Winery offers some of the most beautiful views of any winery in the entire world, and they have been impressing visitors with both their scenic locations and high-quality bottles of wine since opening their doors in the year 2011.
They produce a wide variety of different wine styles using both local fruits, and wine grapes that are sourced from Eastern Washington. They have gained much notoriety and acclaim for their sweet bottles of Huckleberry Peach wine, and they produce new wine styles each year.
They currently offer two different bottles of white wine, which are produced using Washington white wine grapes. These bottles of Chardonnay and Riesling are crisp and clean and are best enjoyed during the warm summers of Montana.
They also produce a unique bottle of Huckleberry Rosé that has become very popular among both locals and visitors. The red wines they produce include a single varietal bottle of Grenache as well as a balanced and full-bodied red wine blend.
Their current fruit wine selections include fun and affordable selections like “Razzapple Sangria” and “Apple Fizz” which are both easy to drink and affordable. Glacier Sun also produces a high-quality hard cider that is very popular around the Kalispell area.
Final Thoughts
The wine scene in the state of Montana is one of the most exciting and most quickly emerging markets in all of the United States. There are a number of dedicated producers located in Montana, along with many events and wine festivals that work hard to produce high-quality wines using local grapes.
Be sure to keep an eye out for wines from the state of Montana next time you are out shopping for your next bottle!