Gretchen Skedsvold and Mark Henry wanted the sort of wines they used to pick up when they lived in Brooklyn, New York. Since they opened Henry & Son in Minneapolis, it has become a must-stop for locals seeking hard-to-find bottles from small-scale producers—ranging from Broc Cellars in California and Teutonic Wine Company in Oregon, to Wimmer-Czerney in Austria, Lebrun in Spain and Franck Peillot in France’s Bugey region. The inventory is deftly organized, with regions arranged in columns, lighter-bodied whites on the top shelves and fuller-bodied reds near the floor. A large table for tastings runs down the middle of the spacious, airy room, near the popular “12 under $12” display. The store is just west of downtown Minneapolis and a block from the city’s farmer’s market. Skedsvold takes a “green” approach to the selections, having grown up on a North Dakota farm where her dad practiced sustainable agriculture at his bison ranch and her mom maintained a large organic garden. Together with Henry, she says they are seeking libations with a “nothing-to-hide style of winemaking, brewing or distilling,” meant for patrons “looking for something they may not have had before.”
This review appears in the print edition of the June 2016 issue. Like what you just read? Subscribe now.
