(KNSI) — Central Minnesota’s newest wine bar has a cozy backyard feeling, and that’s just how the owner wants it.
Carol Zimmerman will be opening the Boulder Creek Wine Bar on Friday, literally in her backyard.
About four years ago, Zimmerman quit teaching summer school and began experimenting with winemaking, which didn’t go so well at first. “It was six gallons, so it’s 30 bottles of wine. And I tasted it and I was like, ‘Oh, this isn’t that good.'” Another batch also wasn’t very drinkable. “Ohh! I was mad! So, I was pouring them down the sink.”
She decided to add another ingredient to the process. Patience. “And about the fourth bottle I poured a glass and I tasted it. I went, ‘What? This is good!’ Some of them I realized need to sit and rest after I’m done making it.”
The space was built for Zimmerman’s wedding reception, with the wood and stone pavilion providing shelter for an extended countertop and a crackling fire pit nearby. It is quickly apparent what attracted Zimmerman to the Santiago home, and now she hopes to share it with others.
Zimmerman says owning a business in her own backyard is an asset.
“My vision is that people are just going to come back here. It gets quiet, you don’t hear the sounds of the city, and it’s relaxing. And you can just sit back and relax and have a glass of wine, have a conversation.”
Zimmerman and her husband Tony say the number of permits necessary was eye opening, especially for something they view as a hobby. They both take the venture in stride, saying they have no idea what to expect. Zimmerman jokes it might turn out to be just the two of them having a glass by themselves.
Zimmerman says there will be reds, whites, sweet wines, and cider beer on the menu.
Boulder Creek is opening this weekend and will serve drinks Friday through Sunday, the first and third weekend of each month, until school ramps up again. Hours are Friday and Saturday from 12:00-6:00 p.m., and Sunday from 12:00-5:00 p.m. Boulder Creek Wine Bar is located at 15913 41st Street, Becker, Minnesota, 55308.
For more information about Boulder Creek Wine Bar, visit the website here.
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