Slideshow: Get an inside look at the award-winning Dakota Sun Gardens & Winery.
Located just outside of Carrington, N.D., sits a tranquil and vibrant escape from the Great Plains, called Dakota Sun Gardens & Winery. The site is full of unique local art and metal work, a variety of fruit bushes, and an award-winning wine selection.
Pride of Dakota members Bruce and Merleen Gussiaas created their winery in 2010. Previously, Merleen was a florist, and Bruce farmed and ranched bison on their land near Carrington.
“We had quite a few [garden] beds started, and people were clamoring for us to open our yard to come see it,” Bruce says. “We charge a minimal fee for a self-guided tour, and then you get to taste the wine at the end. I think about 35% of our sales are though the local bottle shops and 65% are what we sell here at the winery.”
They sell several varieties of their wines in more than 65 bottle shops in the region. Many of their wines are created with fruit grown on their property. These include haskap, aronia, black currants, chokecherry, crabapple and rhubarb, as well as dessert and grape wines.
Their garden beds include fruit bushes, annual and perennial plants, and unique tree varieties. Click through the gallery to get a look inside their award-winning winery and gardens.
