Wandering through Wilde Prairie Winery'
TL;DR: Harvest Hosts offers RVers free overnight stays at unique locations. Wilde Prairie Winery, a South Dakota gem, welcomes guests with delicious wines, scenic views, and pet-friendly RV spaces. Discover its rich history, operations, and Harvest Hosts experience.
Harvest Hosts is a unique RV membership program with a large network of available hosts. So far, 6000 locations have opened their hearts and their homes and/or businesses to members of the Harvest Hosts RVing community. Through this program, members receive overnight accommodations with no camping fees in peaceful and serene places across North America. In return, members are asked to make a purchase to patronize the small business that hosts them. Of these Hosts, Wilde Prairie Winery is particularly unique. Here, you can learn all about the winery’s history, its operations today, its origins within the Harvest Hosts community, and what future visitors can expect to experience. Plus, check out more RV camping in South Dakota.
The History
Jeff and Victoria Wilde have been making wine for over twenty-five years. What started as a hobby became more serious when they planted their first vines in 1997. Then, in July 2004, they officially opened their doors as Wilde Prairie Winery, becoming the ninth farm winery in the state of South Dakota. Over sixteen years later, they have over two thousand vines planted. Their farm continues to thrive with the help of family and friends.
The Business Today
Today, Wilde Prairie Winery continues to operate as a family farm located just west of beautiful Splitrock Creek on wonderful rolling hills, perfect for growing grapes. They produce many delicious wines, all created from South-Dakota-grown fruit and honey. They also grow many of their own varietals of grapes, as well as rhubarb, plums, cherries, and blackberries. The owners are always on the lookout for more South-Dakota-grown fruit, which they exclusively use to create their wines.
In addition to operating a winery and tasting room, the Wildes also have a gift shop and local art available. Their tasting room is housed inside of a repurposed dairy barn, and there is a small pond with geese nearby. They offer tastings and tours, as well as various events throughout the year. When asked about her favorite part of running her winery, Victoria replied, “I love seeing customers enjoying our relaxing atmosphere and our wines.”