The rich soil and rolling hills of the Mississippi River Valley produces some outstanding heartland wines. The Great River Road is a route that will take you through the beauty of this country, which stretches from Minnesota to Arkansas. It’s an ideal route for wine lovers—you can visit several great wineries in a single day and fine restaurants and accommodations are plentiful. All you need to complete the trip is a taste for new discoveries, a love of wine and a little space in your trunk for the cases that are simply too good not to bring home. Harvest time is fast approaching and the vines are growing heavy along the route—some wineries will be harvesting grapes in August. It’s a beautiful time visit the vineyard. Plan your trip today!

Below is a sample of the wineries you’ll find on the Great River Road. To see more winery details—and other fun agritourism spots—go here.

Buffalo Rock Winery, Buffalo, MN

Located west of the Twin Cities, this winery opened in 2010, the dream of winemaker/owner Nicole Dietman. The winery has weekend tasting hours and a grape stomp event Sept. 24.

Galena Cellars Vineyard & Winery, Galena, IL

In historic Galena, tour the beautiful vineyards, taste a sample of the winery’s 40 wines and take in the impressive view from the winery’s deck.

Wide River Winery, Clinton, IA

This winery takes its name from the wide stretch of the Mississippi, located just below the winery. Its wines are as big as the river, produced with grapes grown from the heart of the Midwest.

Old Millington Vineyard and Winery, Millington, TN

This small country operation is located just 14 miles north of downtown Memphis. Its fruit wines include peach, strawberry and sweet watermelon.