Blogs from New Ulm, Minnesota, United States, North America

SCHELL’S BREWERY On day two of our trip to New Ulm, Minn., we set out for the August Schell Brewery -- the second-oldest, family-run brewery in the nation and the oldest in Minnesota. It was established in 1860, just two years after Minnesota became a state. There isn’t a big sign to follow; you’ll want to turn by the Target and head up the hill. Schell’s specializes in brewing 14 of its own German-style lagers, and has also been brewing Grain Belt and Grain Belt Premium since 2002. The tour is less of a brewery tour than a beer tour. We spent about 10 minutes getting the history of the company and then traipsed through the grounds. There are only a few buildings (and a pretty garden with a pair of peacocks), so it didn’t ... read more

MORGAN CREEK WINERY Billed as the only underground winery in Minnesota, Morgan Creek Winery (morgancreekvineyards.com) is about 10 minutes outside New Ulm. The drive in is beautiful; turn right before the creek. The winery building is set inside the hill and spills out into a pasture. There are plenty of tables for folks to sit a spell, as well as a fire pit. Live music drifted out of the building, and folks were spending their Friday evening sipping wine and snacking on wood-fired pizza ($6.25-$7), swiss raclette ($4.75) and bruschette sticks ($6.75). My toddler immediately went running through the field, straight to the swing hanging from a huge tree. We chased her down there and relaxed awhile, enjoying the early evening light coming down on the vineyard. Then we headed back up. I had some ... read more