Comfortable seating helps facilitate conversation as customers relax with a glass of wine at Rhino Wine Bar in Prior Lake. The bar is available for private rental for parties and events. Photos: Bill Hoben, SpotHopper Photographer
Liven up your holiday celebrations with inspiration from Prior Lake’s Rhino Wine Bar.
Tucked into downtown Prior Lake, Rhino Wine Bar offers more than just a glass of wine: It’s a chance for grown-ups to exhale the stress of the day.
The initial inspiration for the wine bar came from owner Sara Wintheiser’s experience at a little place near her family’s cabin Up North. “I felt like I could finally relax there,” Wintheiser says. “I could sit in their comfy chairs, eat the charcuterie board, have the wine and my kids could get the root beer … It was just a breath of fresh air.”
Wintheiser wanted to create a similar experience in Prior Lake. She wanted to design a place where couples could go on a date night and book clubs could meet over a glass of wine. And she accomplished that with Rhino. Anchored by dark green walls, lush foliage and pops of brass, the bar features multiple furniture groupings—including a comfy emerald couch—that lend themselves to intimate conversations and boisterous catch-ups alike.
The curated wine menu changes monthly and is inspired by the seasons. “In the summer, you’re going to have more refreshing, crisp wines,” Wintheiser says. “In the winter, they’re going to be more wholesome, with more warmth to them.”
Customers are welcome to sample a wine before they commit to a glass, and customizable wine flights also provide the perfect opportunity to explore the menu. If customers like what they taste, they can always buy a bottle to take home. “We like to keep things fresh,” Wintheiser says, noting that rotating the menu monthly allows the wine bar to offer a wider variety throughout the year. “We can always try something new.”
And if a customer comes in wishing for a glass from last month? Wintheiser says sometimes it’s possible to grant that wish. “We might have it in the back, and we can look,” she says. “So while our menu is limited and changes frequently, we do have surplus in the back.”
Regular customers benefit from Rhino memberships, including a Rhino Wino, which includes 12 flights of wine for the price of 10 and is good for a year. There’s also the Winoceros, which provides special access to private events, wine tastings, a complimentary wine flight each month, as well as a monthly complimentary bottle of wine.
A well-curated wine list changes monthly.
Holiday Wine Recommendations
Whether you’re giving a gift or trying to find the perfect wine for dinner, consider these recommendations from Rhino Wine Bar.
For the Wine Lover: Raymond Napa Valley Cabernet Sauvignon Reserve ($45–$50). Raymond is consistently a go-to wine for the red wine lovers, but if you want to impress with a deeper profile of dark chocolate and oak, then this Reserve is for you. Find out why “Everybody loves Raymond.”
For the Party: Kila Cava ($15). Whether you are buying for a gift, a party or yourself, this cava fits the bill! The bottle is fun, and the bubbles are a blast.
For Dinner Pairing: Weingut Ingrid Groiss Rosé ($20). Wow your dinner guests by pairing a rosé with your holiday turkey. This wine works as a standalone wine as well, so don’t sleep on this fresh bottle from Austria.
For the Sweet Fans: Domaine Cauhape Symphonie de Novembre ($35) is a great dessert wine that hails from France and will make you feel you are living your best life.
The Right Kind of Animal
When it came to naming the bar, owner Sara Wintheiser wanted something memorable but not necessarily wine-related. She started brainstorming animals, and inspiration struck when she was looking through kids’ valentines with a friend and stumbled upon one that said, “You’re the coolest person Rhino.”
“This is it,” she immediately thought.
Celebrate With Bubbles
Rhino Wine Bar’s customizable flights give customers the opportunity to pick multiple pours from the menu.
Looking for the perfect bottle of bubbly to pop when the clock strikes midnight on New Year’s Eve? Think beyond Champagne at Rhino Wine Bar’s upcoming events:
Bubbling With Joy
December 8
A Rhino Wine Bar sommelier discusses different sparkling varietals and highlights the differences in age, bottling, grape, regions and more. Taste the difference between five or so sparkling wines, and discover which bottle you will be popping this holiday season. Tastings always include special event prices for wine bottles. Cost: $25. Register at ce.plsas.org.
Fizz Fest
December 13
Pop in for an open house wine tasting to sample sparking wines from different regions, available at a variety of price points. Tickets: $25; available at the bar or through social media in December.
Rhino Wine Bar
Facebook: Rhino Wine Bar
