Celebrating Life’s Journey, One Glass at a Time
By: Gerald Dlubala
After living in Colorado for nine years, Jeremiah and Lisa Klein decided to move back to their original home state of South Dakota in 2012 to buy some farmland and raise their family. They considered a picturesque farm that was no longer being used for production but offered Jeremiah a vision of what could be. Jeremiah’s experience and background in agriculture had him excited to start a 20-acre family farm growing corn and beans. That dream took a serious hit when soil testing showed the property that they were interested in purchasing had a nitrogen deficiency, registering at 3 percent or less. Growing beans and corn would still be possible, but as Jeremiah said, it would be a continuous uphill battle. The Kleins made the tough decision to alter their family farm plans.
But in their own words, Jeremiah and Lisa tend to “follow the wind” and celebrate wherever life takes them. That way of thinking certainly denotes a natural level of adaptability, and their story may be the epitome of being adaptable and willing to change course from previously laid out life plans. The Kleins found themselves altering their plans for a traditional farm, starting a vineyard on their property instead. Aptly named With the Wind Vineyard and Winery, it is now South Dakota’s largest vineyard and winery.
When One Door Closes, Another Opens
“As luck would have it, we read an article that discussed growing fruit in the region, specifically focusing on the optimal conditions for grapevine growing,” said Jeremiah. “We took interest when the conditions described as optimal for growing grapes in our region matched our terroir conditions and soil tests, including our topography, sandy loam soil and south-facing slopes.”
The Kleins joked that they could get a few grapevines and make some wine for themselves as a hobby. After some changes, they started talking with other vineyards in the region and were encouraged when those owners agreed that they had the perfect soil conditions and layout to support grape growing. But they also had paved roads for visitors to easily reach their farm, just nine miles off the interstate. It was an ideal location & setup.
“It turns out that we just needed to adjust our views of the farm when we got here,” said Jeremiah. “When you think about it, it makes perfect sense to adapt to the land that’s here rather than try to make the natural land characteristics adapt to our wants. It just seems like the basic laws of nature. At that moment, we moved ahead full steam, gaining the education and knowledge necessary to shift our resources into grape growing. We never looked back, concentrating on growing memorable wines that celebrated life and appealed to the Midwest palate.”
“We put in the vineyard in 2012, opened our winery and modest tasting room in 2014 and have been growing ever since,” said Jeremiah.
“We had a small tasting room to begin,” said Lisa. “We took time to learn the ropes, knowing that we were in a very rural area and the challenge would be to draw visitors here at the start. We learned about our clientele, the Midwest taste palates and what they’re interested in. In 2016, we had a substantial addition that, since 2020, houses all of our production. All our wines are stored onsite in custom, Italian-made stainless-steel tanks and Minnesota oak barrels. That move gave us space for our open barrel room, which is really two rooms that can be combined or divided off as needed. We do a lot of public and private events, from weddings to farmer’s markets. Hosting events is important to draw guests and visitors to our place. They can have a great experience and discover our wines that are grown, produced and packaged onsite.”
Additionally, Lisa told The Grapevine Magazine that the wholesale market is a significant part of their business and just as big as their onsite market. Their location in Rosholt, South Dakota, is not a hot spot for tourism, so it does not get the boost from other tourist attractions. However, with changes in licensing and regulations that allow a farm winery to self-distribute, the winery has experienced its biggest growth through the wholesale market, gaining over 150 retailers within South Dakota.
What to Expect When Visiting South Dakota’s Largest Vineyard and Winery
“Guests are welcome to sit indoors with a lot of natural light coming in or outdoors and relax and enjoy our beautiful vistas,” said Lisa. “Our wraparound porch is a very popular spot, as is our binzebo, a uniquely designed old grain silo from the property that has been converted to a gazebo with comfortable seating, bistro lighting and a fire table, offering a relaxing place to spend time out in a natural area with family or friends. We welcome our guests with a wine menu that can be experienced by the glass, the bottle or within a customized wine flight. We like to have fun with our wines and cater to everyone’s tastes and expectations. Our lineup features everything from fun wines, like our Berry Crush and Peachy Keen, to our Sacred Solitude, a barrel-aged dry red. Guests can choose between our premium sweet wines through dry or sparkling wines. And we also have a panini kitchen that provides perfectly paired food options, as well as a baker on staff that amazes with a sweet-of-the-week available with meal options.”
Lisa says they’re always up for giving impromptu or prearranged tours when they can, but all guests are welcome to stroll around, experience and enjoy the vineyard property and all it offers.
“The reality is that we know we are offering something different for our area, so we want to make sure you know that we value your time and that you are always welcome here,” said Lisa. “We want your visit to be memorable enough that you want to return and bring friends and family with you. If you’re interested in having your wedding or other special event here, we focus on what you want as our guest. What stands out to you while you’re here? What speaks to you? Where would you want your event to take place? Our property has many options and unique areas, and they’re all on the table for your special event.”
Jeremiah said, “Additionally, it’s pretty cool that visitors drive right through our vineyard to get here. Our guests are serenaded by the vines and get to see firsthand the grapes responsible for the wine in their glass.”
“Our winery and vineyard are more than just having a great glass of wine,” said Lisa. “We want our visitors to relax, enjoy our land and experience our property. We want them to live in the moment and celebrate life with us and our wines. Our goal is to have our guests recognize and experience the connection between our peaceful surroundings and nature’s flow.”
Expanding the Vineyard and Looking Toward the Future
“We’ve expanded our vineyard,” said Jeremiah. “And we’ll also be adding an Airbnb for our guests that would like to extend their stay with us. But mostly, our future plans include continuing to meet our customers’ expectations and needs through the expansion of our vision and ideas. To help with that, we’ve brought our daughter and son-in-law on board. They’ve helped us tremendously by coming up with fresh ideas and viewpoints that only a new generation can add. Having different ideas and opinions only makes us stronger.”
With the Wind wines are crafted to reflect the surrounding nature, balancing acidity with natural, fully ripened grape sugars. Each grape variety naturally supports the attributes of the wine you taste. Jeremiah said they’ve added more vines over the years, as recently as 2023, when they added 2.65 acres of Crimson Pearl and Frontenac grapes. They planted 2,050 new Itasca and La Crescent grapevines in 2021. Because of their location, the vineyards have a drip irrigation system to help deter the adverse effects of drought and extreme heat. The Kleins are noting significant growth in their vineyard and are expecting a great harvest this year for their 2021 vintage wines. They also grow Frontenac Gris and King of the North grapes onsite.
“Additionally, we do all of our production and bottling onsite,” said Jeremiah. “It equates to about 5,000 cases. This year, we expect to do about 30 tons of grapes for harvest, and they’ll all be produced and packaged in-house, including our sparkling and still varieties. Our packaging machine has the capability to use corks or screw caps depending on what is best for the particular wine being bottled. Additionally, we’ll be able to use twist-off crowns for a new RTD (ready-to-drink) option that is in development and will hopefully be released in the near future.”
So You Want to Own a Vineyard & Winery
“First and foremost, never resist change,” said Jeremiah. “Change is always coming, so just go where the wind blows. If we resisted, we would’ve never ended up where we are today, and we certainly wouldn’t have a winery. But in general, I would advise anyone interested in starting a vineyard and winery to always test ideas on a smaller scale before going all in. We started modestly and frugally before scaling up on our successes. That method has served us well, but we know that things will again change, so we can’t just get set in our ways.”
“Additionally, mechanization is your friend,” said Jeremiah. “I learned the hard way that the ratio of labor to product when wanting to prune and pick all of my fruit by hand is simply not a sustainable way to do things. I realize now that mechanization is the real key to growth. We researched, prioritized and decided that a harvester would be the most cost-effective to start. It was always a struggle to get enough people here to work the necessary hours in the elements at the right time for an optimal harvest. The harvester we bought was used and needed work, so a mechanic on staff helped with repairs and got it running. Now it’s as good as new and used regularly.”
“And wouldn’t you know it? Jeremiah continued. “We are actually getting a better-quality harvest with fewer losses on the ground by being able to harvest quicker and in a shorter time. Now, I would say that 90 percent of our operations in the vineyard are mechanized. So, start small and mechanize as soon as you can. Don’t overplant at the beginning if you really don’t know what you’re doing. Then scale up from there.”
With the Wind Vineyard & Winery is South Dakota’s largest winery and vineyard. In addition to their premium sweet, dry and sparkling wine options, they also offer beer and non-alcoholic beverages. A panini kitchen is onsite for sandwiches perfectly paired with your preferred wine. There are also a variety of cheeses and chocolates available. To learn more or reserve a spot for your special event, private party, family celebrations and more, contact With the Wind Winery and Vineyard:
With the Wind Winery
10722 Lake Road • Rosholt, SD 57260
605-537-4780
