5 Best Montana Wine Choices

Best Montana Wines

You wouldn’t think of Montana as being wine country, but you would be shocked at just how good the best Montana wines can actually be. Not only that, but Montana is fast-becoming a serious wine producing region thanks to advances in agricultural science and because Montanans work as hard as they play. North American varietals and hardy strains of grape are grown in Big Sky Country to create some of the best wines in the West. Forget what you’ve heard about Napa and Willamette; here are 5 of the best Montana wines that will make you look to the Big Sky for your next bottle.

Skalkaho Red Wine

An award-winning wine made for Hidden Legend using 100 percent Montana grape varietals. Skalkaho Red Wine is comprised of 90 percent Marquette and 10 percent Frontenac grapes to create a hardy, dry red wine from the high valleys of Montana that will delight the palette. These are hardy grape varieties that can handle the climate and alkaline soils, thriving in Rocky Mountain regions where other varietals wither and die. The end result is a dry red wine with good body, pleasant and complex enough to be enjoyed on its own but pairing fantastically well with grilled beef and other hearty foods. You’ll get notes of cherries, pepper, and tannins, with notes of oak from the aging process. Skalhako Red will wow you, but has been racking up awards at wine competitions, so you may want to stock up before collectors start to pounce.

Mission Mountain Merlot Reserve

The Taster’s Guild International Competition bestowed a Gold Medal on Mission Mountain’s Merlot Reserve, and a pour will show you why in short order. The Merlot Reserve is a rich, complex and fruity wine aged for 22 months in oak. Notes of dark fruits, cedar and tobacco will delight the nose and palate. Like other rich red wines, you’ll find it shines when paired with beef, lamb or other red meats, or with savory Italian dishes or French beef roasts. It also isn’t too bad on its own.

Frontenac Gris

Frontenac is a white grape varietal native to North America. It excels in colder, hardier environments that many other white grapes cannot thrive in. Frontenac is a tenacious fruit, and the result is a white wine that takes no prisoners. Frontenac Gris is a full-bodied white that pairs very well with foods beyond fish and light pasta.

Tongue River Winery La Crescent

Tongue River Winery’s La Crescent, a white wine grape developed from Muscat to thrive in the harder climate of Montana than most Muscat grapes could tolerate. However, Tongue River’s La Crescent positively thrives, winning awards and making for one of the most exciting white wines that you’re likely to try. Notes of grapefruit and other citrus, apricots and followed by a lovely finish. It pairs well with seafood and salads, though it’s wonderfully chilled on its own as a refreshing drink. You may find yourself wondering how Montana wine was never noticed until recently.

Skalkaho White Wine

Skalkaho White Wine is a German-style white wine made with St. Pepin grapes grown in the alpine valleys of Montana. The result is a wonderful wine in a classic dry Rhine white, pairing wonderfully with light foods or as a crisp, refreshing drink to be shared with friends or enjoyed at any time on its own. After sampling Skalkaho White, or any one of these best Montana wines, you’ll find yourself amazed at just how great wine is in the Big Sky Country.