Chaska’s historic depot has sprung back to life following a damaging fire on June 30, 2025.
The newest anchor tenant is River Bend Cellars & Spirits, formerly Excelsior Vintage, which has moved from its previous location on Highway 7.
According to owner Greg Varner, the business was launched in 2001 and has been offering quality wines at affordable prices ever since. They also offer a variety of craft beers and bourbons at the shop.
River Bend replaces the previous wine shop located at the depot, Dolce Vita, whose owner was charged with arson following the 2025 fire. Over the past year, the depot has been restored and recently reopened to the public.
“I love Chaska and I’ve always loved this building,” Varner said, noting that he’s a vintage train buff. “We couldn’t wait to get in here. I wish the railroad track was still here, because I’d put a caboose right outside the door.”
Since opening two weeks ago, River Bend Cellars & Spirits has been growing a new customer base while also catering to devoted customers willing to drive the extra distance to tap into Varner’s and his team’s wine and spirits expertise.
“This is a wonderful town,” he said. “It’s been the most welcoming community, and the city has been just incredible to deal with. It’s the nicest group of people anywhere. I can’t rave enough about them.”
Varner said he brought his A-team of wine and spirits experts with him to Chaska — Sommelier Troy Seefeldt, Jenn Seefeldt, Mike Bruflodt and Dr. Ross Rogney — to provide continued excellent service for customers.
“I’ve surrounded myself with the best people on earth,” he admitted. “I take credit for nothing. I just happen to be the guy who started it. The credit goes to the team as a whole.”
The River Bend team also prides itself in not being pretentious. Varner said they are available to help customers enjoy wines and spirits by pairing them with upcoming meal menus.
“We’re certainly not snobs,” Varner said. “We’re a group of men and women who have a passion for wine and food.”
Varner said customers oftentimes arrive with their cookbooks in hand, opening the pages to recipes that will soon be served to family and friends. He and his team then offer an opinion on the best wine pairing for each course.
“We want to get you the wine that’s going to really sing in your mouth,” he explained.
The team does blind taste tests of new wines every week in an effort to discover the next bottles to stock on the shelves. Varner said the vast majority of the wines they carry are biodynamic and organic.
“We try about 30 wines a week, and maybe out of those 30 wines we might only pick one,” he explained. “And when choosing our wines, we want the right varietal character, and typically they’re from families that we can meet. They’re not corporate, million-case producers.”
The River Bend team has visited vineyards in Italy, France, California, Oregon and beyond to learn about the individual wine makers and their vintages.
“We’ve walked in the vineyards with the owners,” he said. “We know the passion that goes behind what they’re making.”
When selecting new wines, Varner said his team also looks for value that can be passed on to customers. He loves discovering wines that taste like a $100 variety but are priced at just $15 or $20.
“That’s what really excites me,” he said. “I want to give our customers the best bang for their buck.”
According to Varner, River Bend Cellars & Spirits now has an adjoining 1,100-square-foot tasting room which will host various events throughout the year. Frequently, a wine producer from far-flung places will be on hand to tell the story of their vineyard and the wines they produce. Such special events will require online registration.
“And we’re going to have a free tasting on Friday nights to introduce people to some of the new wines that we’re picking,” he noted. The tastings are from 4 to 7 p.m. each Friday, and people are welcome to stop by for a few minutes or longer to try the new selections.
River Bend’s business hours are 10 a.m. to 8 p.m. Mondays through Saturdays and 11 a.m. to 3 p.m. Sundays.
“Those are the posted hours,” he added. “If I’m busy, I’ll stay open a bit longer.”
Wine enthusiasts are invited to join River Bend’s wine club, Varner said, providing two or three bottles of wine each month to introduce customers to different producers and wine-producing regions around the world.
For additional information and a calendar of events, visit riverbendchaska.com.
