Gathering at Garvin Heights Vineyard
TL;DR: Garvin Heights Vineyard in Winona, Minnesota, is a charming Harvest Hosts location offering overnight accommodations for RVers. Founded in 1987, the vineyard now boasts over twenty varieties of wine. Since joining Harvest Hosts in 2016, it has welcomed RV travelers with beautiful views and local snacks for purchase.
Harvest Hosts is a unique RV membership program with a large network of available hosts. So far, 3651 locations have opened their hearts and their homes and/or businesses to members of the Harvest Hosts RVing community. Through this program, members receive overnight accommodations with no camping fees in unique and peaceful places across North America. In return, members must make a purchase to support the small business that hosts them. Of these Hosts, Garvin Heights Vineyard is particularly inviting, especially for RV camping in Minnesota. Here, you can learn all about this vineyard’s history, its operations today, its origins within the Harvest Hosts community, and what future visitors can expect to experience.
The History
Garvin Heights Vineyard is located upon a series of scenic bluffs overlooking some of the northernmost stretches of the Mississippi River in Winona, Minnesota. In 1987, Linda and Marvin Seppanen purchased a twenty-acre property on Garvin Heights Road in Winona, Minnesota. The couple began planting different fruit trees, nut trees, crops, and a few grape vines. Soon, they joined the Minnesota Grape Growers Association to not only grow their grapes, but to also grow their passions. They eventually expanded to twenty grape varieties across four acres of land. In 2006, they moved forward with their plans to open a winery, and they officially opened their doors in 2007.
In 2014, the winery broke ground for a 2,240-square-foot events center. The Ridgeview Events Center officially opened in 2015 and can hold up to 100 people for any type of event. In 2015, Garvin Heights Vineyard purchased a Hagýo still from Hungary in order to begin producing fruit brandies.
Since opening, they have won several awards, including the “MGGA Gold Award” in 2010, “Winona Area Chamber of Commerce Small Business Achievement Award” in 2010, and the “Visit Winona 2017 Tourism Award”.
The Business Today
Despite the challenges of growing grapes in a cold climate, Garvin Heights Vineyard now serves over twenty different types of wine. They grow hearty varieties of grapes such as Frontenac, Frontenac Gris, La Crescent, Marquette, Edelweiss, Brianna, and Sabrevois.
Today, Linda and Marvin continue to operate their winery, with the help of their daughter Christine and her husband Jeff. Christine and Jeff are currently learning all the ins and outs of farming grapes and producing wines to on day take over the family business.
Joining Harvest Hosts
Garvin Heights Vineyard first joined the Harvest Hosts program about four years ago in 2016. Since then, they have generously hosted countless RVers for a peaceful night’s stay. Between the beautiful overlook and the bountiful wine selection, it’s hard to be disappointed by this fantastic location. They offer three reservable spaces for RVs under forty-four feet in length. They are pet-friendly and offer local cheese and summer sausage for purchase.
Garvin Heights Vineyard is a unique little winery in Winona, Minnesota, perfectly displaying the excellence of a Harvest Hosts experience. Be sure to stop by on the way to or from one of the national parks in Minnesota or if you’re visiting Lake Superior or Lake Michigan.
Have you visited Garvin Heights Vineyard? Would you like to visit one day? Do you have any other hosts you would like to recommend for feature? Feel free to tell us about it in the comments below!
