From the parking lot, the lemon-colored ornamental building with scalloped windows and arched walkways looks more like a mosque rising out of the Wisconsin farmland than a winery.
But a short walk to the main entrance of Parallel 44 Vineyard & Winery reveals a Tuscan-styled patio overlooking nine breathtaking acres of vineyard – a little Napa Valley among the cornfields of Kewaunee, Wis.
Tiny by California standards, Parallel 44 is a dream come true for Steve Johnson and his wife, Maria Milano, two lawyers from Green Bay. It took them six years to find the property, a former quarry, and another year to clear away the boulders so they could plant a vineyard.
“I was looking for a different way of life,” says Johnson, 42, who still practices lawto help support his family. “I think I’m just a farmer at heart, and I was just enamored with the place. It seemed like the perfect way of life … something that is part creative, part business and part agriculture.”
New at winemaking, Johnson and Milano planted 5,000 grapevines – at $112,000 an acre – in 2005. Two years and close to a million dollars later, they bottled their first vintage from a 2006 imported crop of grapes and opened their doors in May 2007. This year, they will bottle their first estate wines, made from cold-hardy Frontenac grapes harvested last September.
“Our friends thought we had flipped,” says 39-year-old Milano, who gave up her law practice to manage the business end of the winery while taking care of the couple’s three young children. “I guess it is kind of crazy. But I knew we were just going to do it and tell everyone about it after it was done.”
The couple took the name Parallel 44 from the 44th latitudinal parallel, which reaches from Green Bay and Kewaunee to Bordeaux, France, and Tuscany, Italy – two of the world’s finest wine regions.
Indeed, Milano and Johnson – who honeymooned in Napa – both seem to have wine in their blood. Each was raised by parents who were closeted winemakers, using their garages and basements to ferment batches of homemade wine. Milano’s father was a farmer from Italy who eventually immigrated to Stevens Point. Likewise, Johnson’s parents were Wisconsin farmers in Brown County, and today they help out at the vineyard.
Yet neither Milano nor Johnson had any formal training in winemaking. They winged it, gleaning information from the Internet, books and seminars.
“I’m really not the farmer,” Milano admits. “I like the romantic notion of it. I just didn’t realize how much work it would be.”
While Wisconsin won’t be competing with Sonoma County anytime soon, Parallel 44 is one of 42 wineries with active state winery permits, up dramatically from a paltry 14 permits just 10 years ago, according to the state’s Department of Revenue.
“When people think of Wisconsin they think of cheese and beer,” Peter Botham, winemaker at Botham Vineyards & Winery, says with a laugh. “Let’s face it, this is not a great place to grow grapes; in fact it’s a lousy place to grow grapes. Wisconsin isn’t known for winemaking and it probably never will be, but that doesn’t mean there isn’t a great wine here.”
Typically, most Wisconsin wineries import grapes and do the production here in the state. A few others – like Parallel 44 – mix imported grapes with estate-grown grapes.
Regardless of where their grapes are grown, Wisconsinites, like the rest of the U.S., are imbibing more fruit of the vine than ever. A state long identified with beer may be turning into a wine-land.
“Our sales percentages definitely lean more toward wine than beer,” says Michael Greguska, owner of Discount Liquors in Waukesha since 1978. In the past five years, Greguska says, he’s seen a 50 percent growth in wine sales. “People are using wine more for entertaining because it’s a softer beverage than the hard spirits and it’s food-friendly,” he says.
According to Gallup’s 2005 poll of consumption habits, 39 percent of drinkers nationwide consume wine most often, while 36 percent said they usually drink beer.
Movies like the 2004 hit Sideways certainly helped sales of Pinot Noir and other wines, as well as the trend of culinary travel, which the Wisconsin Department of Tourism says is on an upswing. And as the value of the dollar heads south, more Americans are sticking closer to home, splurging on small luxuries like a day trip to a winery instead of pricey European vacations.
With more choices than ever – and many wineries are now open year-round – it’s easy to break out the convertible (or rent one) and explore Wisconsin’s wine country.
Here, on the following pages, are stops within a two-hour drive:
Dawn Reiss, a Chicago-based journalist, has been published in Travel + Leisure, Chicago magazine and USA Today.
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~AEppelTreow Winery~
1072 288th Ave., Burlington, 262-878-5345, appletrue.com. Established: 2001. Tastings: Free. Tours: Free.
AEppelTreow’s 37-year-old winemaker, Charles McGonegal, previously worked as a chemist for Quaker Oats. At the suggestion of a former co-worker, he created a business plan to produce champagne-style ciders. His wife, Milissa, is the artist behind the watercolor prints on the labels, fashioned after the 1930s-style dairy barn that houses the winery. Attend wine or cider pairings with a variety of Wisconsin cheeses on the first Saturday and Sunday of every month. The winery’s biggest event – a traditional English wassail – is held annually on Jan. 5, the 12th night of Christmas.
~Apple Barn Orchard and Winery~
W6384 Sugar Creek Rd., Elkhorn, 262-728-3266, applebarnorchardandwinery.com. Established: 2004. Tastings: Free. Tours: No.
Dating back to 1848, Apple Barn Orchard and Winery is a family farm that began making wine in 2004, specializing in fruit wines – raspberry, plum, mulberry, cranberry, wild blackberry, rhubarb and strawberry. The winery, which opens in mid-June, overlooks the Turtle Valley Wildlife Area near Lake Geneva, Delavan and Lauderdale Lakes.
~Botham Vineyards & Winery~
8180 Langberry Rd., Barneveld, 608-924-1412, bothamvineyards.com. Established: 1989. Tastings: Free. Tours: Offered by appointment for groups of 15 or more, $3 per person.
Peter Botham spent several years as a commercial draftsman and artist. But, as he likes to joke, he’s not suited for a desk job and likes to be outdoors. So he studied winemaking for three years in Maryland, moved back to Wisconsin, and opened the winery in 1994, adding a tasting room a year later. He is also one of the few winemakers who grows his own grapes on 15 acres of vineyards. Be sure to check out the Vintage Celebration on Aug. 3, which combines antique cars with live music, food and outdoor wine bars.
~ Captain’s Walk Winery~
345 S. Adams St., Green Bay, 920-431-9255, captainswalkwinery.com. Established: 2007. Tastings: $3 for up to seven samples. Tours: No.
Housed in a pre-Civil War home, this winery is named after its rooftop walkway. Run by fun-loving brothers Brad and Aric Schmiling – who are known to dress up as pirates while their wives dress up as wenches – this new winery is a sister to the more established von Stiehl Winery in nearby Algoma. Captain’s Walk offers more premium wines than its sibling, starting at $13 for Captain’s Red and ranging to a $34 Cabernet Sauvignon. The winery specializes in “big” wines that are made from small batches. Try the $24 Merlot, which earned double gold at the Tasters Guild’s 20th International Wine Judging in 2007.
~ Cedar Creek Winery~
N70 W6340 Bridge Rd., Cedarburg, 262-377-8020, cedarcreekwinery.com. Established: 1990. Tastings: Free. Tours: $3 for adults.
Owned by Wollersheim Winery, this local favorite is housed in a limestone structure built in the 1860s as a woolen mill on the banks of the Cedar Creek. Listed on the National Register of Historic Places, the mill houses art, antique and specialty shops in downtown Cedarburg. The winery has won numerous awards and offers Syrah, Chardonnay and Cabernet Sauvignon, as well as nontraditional wines like Cranberry Blush and Cedarburg Spice. Try the Cedar Creek Vidal, a crisp semi-dry white that is their most award-winning vintage.
~Door Peninsula Winery~
5806 Hwy. 42, Sturgeon Bay, 920-743-7431 or 800-551-5049, dcwine.com. Established: 1974. Tastings: Free. Tours: Free.
One of the largest in the Midwest, with a winery of 14,000 square feet and 5,500 vines, Door Peninsula started in a renovated one-room schoolhouse. Today, owners Bob and Noreen Pollman and their sons, Rob and David, produce 54 wines crafted by vintner Paul Santoriello. Try the signature Sweet Cherry, Razzle Dazzle Raspberry or Blackberry Merlot. Attend the Hands On Wine events June 26 and Aug. 28 for a wine pairing discussion, and “wine crafts,” where you can paint your own glass or create your own label. The July 26 cherry stomp and cherry pit spitting contest are part of Carlsville Days.
~Kerrigan Brothers Winery~
N2269 County Road N, Appleton, 920-788-1423, kerriganbrothers.com. Established: 2000. Tastings: Free. Tours: Free, call ahead.
If you are looking for unusual wines, this is the spot. Cheese carver Troy Landwehr, who has been featured on David Letterman for sculpting a bust of stagehand Biff Henderson out of cheddar, is a winemaker who likes to experiment. No grape wines here, only fruit wines, like pineapple and lemon, along with some exotic additions like tomato jalapeno (which tastes like liquid salsa).
~LedgeStone Vineyards~
6381 Hwy 57, Greenleaf, 920-532-4384, ledgestonevineyards.com. Established: 1999. Tasting: Yes. Tours: Free.
This new winery officially opens in June and is the culmination of more than seven years of grape growing by winemaker Tim Abel and his wife, Sara. It is located just south of De Pere at the foot of the Niagara Escarpment (“The Ledge”), along the Fox River State Recreational Trail in Greenleaf. LedgeStone, which has a 15-acre vineyard, will sell its estate wines under its namesake, while a Cabernet Sauvignon and a Riesling made with grapes from other regions will be produced under the Monarch Creek label. The former wines include a 2006 Frontenac Reserve, a full-body dry “oaky” red, (based on the cold-hardy grape) and Traminette, a sweeter German-style white wine. A limited-edition ice wine will be introduced in late summer. The 3,000-square-foot winery includes a glass-enclosed porch with a wood-burning stove, an outdoor patio, and a café that will sell coffee, cheeses, chocolate, fruit and baguettes.
~Mason Creek Winery~
N47 W28270 Lyndale Rd., Pewaukee, 262-367-6494 or 866-511-WINE, masoncreekwinery.com. Established: 2000.
Tastings: Free. Tours: $2 for adults.
Located in Pewaukee’s Old Lyndale Farm, a turn-of-the-century farmstead, the winery sits in an old barn next to a gluten-free bakery and an antique shop. Winemaker Kyle Gomon started making wine on his own while working as a corporate computer trainer at Kohl’s and teaching at ITT Tech in Greenfield. He sold wholesale wines in 2000, then opened up as a retail distributor a year later before moving the winery from Delafield to its current location in 2006. Wines include dry, sweet and fruit reds and whites, and have goofy names like Swanky Cat, De la Flirt and ’47 Pickup, named after Gomon’s 1947 Ford truck that he uses to deliver wine to homes in the summer. Try the Gomon’s Gold, which is light and smooth (despite the semi-dry label) with a hint of apple in the finish. Check out Farm & Winery Days on July 12 and the grape-stomping Vino Fest on Sept. 27.
~New Glarus Primrose Winery~
500 First St., New Glarus, 608-527-5053 Established: 1990. Tastings: Free for groups of less than 10 people. Tours: No.
Located in the heart of “America’s Little Switzerland” and originally called the Mineral Springs Winery (before changing to the New Glarus name), this winery offers a host of local wines made from Wisconsin-grown grapes and fruits. Run by Bob and Peg Borucki, the winery offers visitors a chance to customize labels and red, white and “Wisconsin flavor” vintages like a unique rhubarb wine. Try the Summer Wine, a dessert-style blend of cherry juice and white wine.
~Orchard Country Winery~
9197 Hwy. 42, Fish Creek, 920-868-3479 or 866-946-3263, orchardcountry.com. Established: 1985. Tastings: Free. Tours: Free.
This winery typifies the fruit-forward Door County region, with more than 30 fruit wines, from the semi-dry Cherry Chardonnay to the light and fruity Blackberry Blend. A combination winery and country market on 100 acres, Orchard Valley is run by Bob Lautenbach and his daughters, Carrie and Erin. The estate wines are named after Bob’s grandchildren: Audrey Grace, a dry red, and Nathan John, a semi-dry red made with Bing cherries. Attend the Summer Harvest Cherry Fest on July 19. It includes cherry pit spitting and pie-eating contests, along with free guided winery tours and tastings, live music, arts and crafts.
~Parallel 44 Vineyard & Winery~
N2185 Sleepy Hollow Rd., Kewaunee, 920-388-4400, parallel44.com. Established: 2005. Tastings: Free. Tours: Free. Offered Saturdays, 3 p.m., May-December.
This year, the winery will offer its first estate wines: a port-style Meditation Wine and Rosso 44, a semi-sweet fruit-forward red, along with other wines, including the best-selling Bianco Classico, a semi-dry white. Check out Harvest Fest, Sept. 13, or the Nouveau Wine Tasting Festival the second weekend in November.
~Red Oak Vineyard~
325 N. Third Ave., Sturgeon Bay, 920-743-7729, redoakvineyard.com. Established: 2003. Tastings: $4, includes bread, aged cheddar cheese, dark chocolate and up to seven wine samples. Tours: No.
Led by Appleton lawyer Andy Wagener, this family-owned winery began operation in 2003 and opened to the public July 4, 2005. Wagener, who earned a winemaking certificate at the University of California-Davis, teamed up with his father, Nicholas, a retired doctor who made wine as a hobby, to create silky, Bordeaux-style reds, the winery’s trademark. The Captain Nick’s Port has an aromatic blend of dark toasted coffee and vanilla.
~Simon Creek Vineyard & Winery~
5896 Bochek Rd., Sturgeon Bay, 920-746-9307, simoncreekvineyard.com. Established: 2003. Tastings: Free. Tours: Free.
Al Capone and his lawyer unsuccessfully tried to purchase this plot of land in the late 1920s. It was one of Door County’s first farms and was originally owned by the Simon family, the winery’s namesake. Retired Army Col. Tim Lawrie and his wife, Barbara, run this winery with their youngest daughter, Meredyth, and her husband, Lance Nelson. Although they have planted 31 acres of vineyard, they haven’t gotten around to making estate wines yet. Try the not-too-sweet Door County Cherry or the Untouchable Red, a medium-bodied ruby Cabernet with a hint of dark raspberry. Attend “Music on the Deck,” a free concert from 1 to 5 p.m. every Sunday and most Saturdays from Memorial Day to mid-October.
~Staller Estate Vineyard & Winery~
W8896 County Hwy A, Delavan, 608-883-2486, stallerestate.com. Established: 2007. Tastings: Free. Tours: Free, call in advance.
Winemaker and former analytical chemist Wendy Staller is the brainchild behind this winery that opened this spring. A UW-Whitewater graduate, she and husband Joe, a plastics chemist and former brewer, began planting the off-site vineyard seven years ago. They make eight wines, including a light and fruity Maiden Blush and a full-bodied Lady in Red with hints of cherry and blackberry overtones. There’s an indoor lounge and a tasting bar.
~Stone’s Throw Winery~
3382 County Road E, Egg Harbor, 920-839-9660, stonesthrowwinery.com. Established: 1997. Tastings: $4, includes wine glass. Tours: Free, but call ahead.
Amid the bocce courts, Italian-style reds and traditional whites are the specialties of this winery, which only uses grapes from California’s Napa Valley. Bottles range from a $10 Field Blend White to a $60 Napa Valley Cabernet Sauvignon. Owner Russell Turco, 64, more than tripled the size of the winery recently, adding a second tasting room and a Spanish/Italian style tapas restaurant that officially opens on the weekend of July 4. Attend a jazz or blues concert that includes food and fireworks July 5, 19 and 31 as well as Aug. 2 and 16, or go to Festa!, an Italian Festival on June 28.
~Trout Springs Winery~
8150 River Rd., Greenleaf, 920-864-7761, troutspringswinery.com. Established: 1995. Tastings: $3.50. Tours: Free.
Fish and wine have always gone together, and here you can have both. It took winemaker Steve DeBaker and wife Andrea 10 years from their initial grape planting in 1995 to open the winery, Brown County’s first. It offers several estate wines, including Autumn Rouge Reserve, a blend of four grape varietals in a dry red wine, with currant and plum overtones. From the open pergola that overlooks the vineyard, sample the wines, fresh trout fillets, trout and salmon pate, homemade chocolates and local cheeses. Or help harvest the crop at the Grape Harvest Festival on Sept. 20.
~Vetro Winery~
N5817 Hillside Dr., Concord, 262-593-5123, vetrowine.com. Established: 2002. Tastings: Free. Tours: $2.
The idea of opening a winery came to LaVerne and Bill Vetrano after they brought some of their homemade wine to a turkey dinner with the monsignor from their local church in Sullivan. The monsignor suggested they sell it. After taking more than a year to get the winery permit, the Vetranos began selling from their home, setting up a storefront in 2004. Bill, whose father and grandfather were Sicilian winemakers, continues the family tradition and works as an electrician, while his wife runs the business. Sample more than a dozen wines and listen to old 45s on a vintage jukebox. Make sure to try the Concordia Rossa, the Italian red, and relax on the outdoor patio that overlooks a small vineyard and pond.
~Wollersheim Winery~
7876 State Road 188, Prairie du Sac, 608-643-6515, wollersheim.com. Established: 1972. Tastings: Free. Tours: $3.50, children 11 & under get in free when accompanied by an adult.
When Philippe Coquard isn’t on a Harley, he’s winemaking at Wollersheim and its sister winery, Cedar Creek. Coquard, an import from Beaujolais, France, arrived an exchange student, fell in love with the owner’s daughter, Julie, and has been here ever since. His father-in-law, Bob Wollersheim, gradually had Coquard take over the winemaking, crafting the favorite Prairie Fumé, a crisp but friendly semi-dry white that should be tried along with the port, made from Foch grapes and fortified with brandy. The winery, which is accompanied by a 27-acre vineyard, recently added a 15,000-square-foot expansion for additional tasting rooms and a wine store.
~von Stiehl Winery~
115 Navarino St., Algoma, 800-955-5208, vonstiehl.com. Established: 1967. Tastings: Free. Tours: Offered May-October. $3.50 adults, $3 seniors, children 14 and under get in free.
Originally owned by Dr. Charles Stiehl, the winery is now run by the Schmiling brothers. Along with Captain’s Walk, it’s the state’s oldest continuously running winery. Aric Schmiling is the winemaker and brother Brad is the businessman. It hosts a Wet Whistle Wine Festival Sept. 20-21, with a grape stomp, wine tasting, live music, and a specialty food and fine art show. With more than 25 grape and fruit wines, the winery has won more than 100 medals on its German-style wines. Make sure to try its award-winning Johannesburg Riesling and Cabernet Sauvignon.
