Discovering 4e Winery

Harvest Hosts has a knack for connecting travelers with unique, off-the-beaten path locations they never would have otherwise found. Between the farms, wineries, breweries, golf clubs, museums, and more, there are so many places to choose from in beautiful locations all across the country. Located just minutes from Fargo, North Dakota, you can find one of our excellent winery hosts, 4e Winery. There, Greg and Lisa Cook run a boutique winery located on a century-old farmstead. The setting is quiet and peaceful, with nearby highway access. Read on to learn more about their history, business, and what to expect if you pay them a visit.

About the Winery

4e Winery first opened their tasting room in 2015. Greg works as a chemistry professor at North Dakota State University, and the couple enjoyed making wine at home. They decided to open the winery as a fun and relaxing hobby. While it has not been relaxing, they certainly have fun running their winery and making wine.

The winery’s name (“4e”) represents the four elements of earth, fire, water and wind, as each is used in the creation of their wines. They explain this saying, “Quality products, born of the northern prairie (earth), kissed by the sun (fire), nourished by the flowing rivers (water) and brought to life by prairie breezes (air) are the foundation of 4e wines.” We think this might be the most creative and unique winery name we have ever heard!

The winery’s name is not its only unique quality. All of their wines are produced using a blend of cold-weather grapes that were created to withstand the harsh winters of the North Dakota plains. With research gathered from the University of Minnesota, North Dakota State University created a variety of grapes built to withstand the brutal winter temperatures, using a blend of traditional grape varieties and hardy Native American grapes. The result is red wines made of Marquette, Petite Pearl, and Frontenac grapes, as well as white wines made of Brianna and Frontenac Blanc grapes. Visitors from all over enjoy the experience of sampling these unique and delicious wines.

The Business Today

Just five years later, Greg and Lisa are still enjoying the experience of running their winery together. Their twelve-acre farmstead is open for tasting, picnics, and tours on weekends in the summer months. They serve fifteen different varieties of wine, so there is surely something for wine lovers of all stages. Throughout the year, they host different events and also participate in selling wine at local farmers markets. When asked about their favorite part of running their business, they replied, “The best part of owning our winery is the people we get to meet.  We love tending to the plants, harvesting the fruit, crushing the grapes, making the wine, and bottling the finished product, but the very best part is the people we get to meet and the stories, told and heard.”

Joining Harvest Hosts

4e Winery first joined Harvest Hosts as Hosts in 2016. In their first year, they hosted just a handful of RVS, but their yearly visits have since grown to nearly forty RVs last season in 2019. They enjoy meeting and chatting with every RVer that pulls into their driveway, whether it be a full-time family, a middle-aged couple traveling and working, a single traveler, or an older couple on their first big trip. They have enjoyed meals and wine with many Harvest Hosts members, and they have even kept in contact with some.

What to Expect

Greg and Lisa are incredibly generous and gracious Hosts, and they encourage visiting members to take full advantage of their property. This even includes taking walks on their prairie paths, enjoying their comfy decks, or even helping themselves to whatever is plentiful in their garden at the time. They have four available spaces for RVs of any size, and pets are welcome. Reviews for this location rave about their hospitality and kindness, as well as the relationships made and experiences enjoyed. In addition to the comfy deck, there are hiking and bird viewing opportunities, as well. They also offer water and an on-site gift shop. 

4e Winery is looking to potentially reopen for the 2020 season and is accepting reservations for mid and late summer. They encourage folks to call ahead as far as possible to reserve their spot and also ask them to call and let them know if their plans change. They had plans to add a commercial kitchen this past winter, so they may be able to offer more food choices in the future.

If you are planning to pass through the Fargo, North Dakota area, then this is the perfect stop for you. Visitors can expect to broaden their wine-tasting palettes with delicious varietals from the cold weather plains of North Dakota. Are you wanting to visit but don’t have a membership? Consider joining today to begin using your membership this summer!

Have you stopped at 4e Winery? How was your visit? Are there any other hosts you would recommend? Tell us about them in the comments below!