Vinifera Vine&Dine was opened in 2008 in Wabasha, Minnesota by Michael and Debbie Murray-John of Minneapolis.  Vinifera brings a unique dining concept to the Southeast Minnesota tourist town as a boutique wine store, wine bar and fine dining restaurant combined. 

          Vinifera gets its name from Vitis Vinifera, the Latin species name for all wine producing grapes and keeps the simple enjoyment of wine as its focus.  The cuisine is a reflection of the wine regions represented in the retail area and at the bar.  Chef  Michael Murray-John offers Italian, French, Spanish, and even the occasional Argentine or Portuguese inspired dishes all done with as much local produce as possible.  He likes to call the cuisine “Comfort food from the great wine regions of the world”.  The dishes are elegantly but simply plated and portion size encourages people to share multiple courses.

          The wines are small production and sourced primarily from a local direct importer, so very few can be found in any retail store. “They are wines made to be enjoyed with food” says Murray-John, who tries to bring a sense of small town Europe to the  restaurant by offering unusual varietals and wines found in and around the villages producing the wines, but not often exported to the states.  “People are discovering there is so much more than Chardonnay and Merlot, and we try to make these options accessible to be tried and enjoyed”. 

          The wine list is not a printed sheet, but an invitation to explore the wall of wine to select a bottle to bring back to their table.  The wines in the restaurant are offered at the retail price, with a modest five dollar service charge added if they are opened at the table. 

          Vinifera offers great views of the river whether dining outside on the patio, in the wine bar and retail area, or on the upper balcony which offers a more formal dining experience. 

The culinary arts, while a long time passion have not always been chef Murray-John’s  trade.  He began his career in graphic arts as owner of a company producing interactive 3D visualizations for architects and engineers.   After leaving the industry in 2001, Murray-John was classically trained at Le Cordon Bleu and spent a summer in Provence training under chef Eric Vedel.  Michael has also worked at Levain under chef Steven Brown, been chef/owner of Seven Pines Lodge in Wisconsin as well as guest chef at inns locally and on the east coast.  While in Provence, Michael had the opportunity to work in the local vineyards and further pursued his love of wine as a representative for a wine importer in the Twin Cities prior to opening Vinifera.