Wineries across Wisconsin:

MILWAUKEE JOURNAL SENTINEL
SUNDAY, AUGUST 23, 2015
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Oktoberfest, Wisconsin-Style, p.4
Wineries
across
Wisconsin:
Autumn is the perfect time
to tour these scenic vineyards
and cozy tasting rooms.
Clockwise from upper left: Wollersheim Winery Vineyard / Photo credit Wollersheim Winery; Captain’s Walk Winery / Photo credit Captain’s Walk Winery; Parallel 44 grape harvest / Photo credit Parallel 44 Winery; Door 44 Winery / Photo credit Door 44 Winery.
By: Maureen Boylan
W
ine lovers need not make the long trek to
California to sip superb wines. Wisconsin
offers some of the best. In fact, the Wisconsin
Winery Association divides the state into five wine regions
— Driftless, Door County, Fox Valley, Glacial Hills and
Northwoods — each with distinctive varieties and features.
With a backdrop of fall colors perfectly complementing
the ruby nouveaus, why not traverse the state and sample
wines from each delicious region.
Driftless Region
romance. We grow for quality of wine.”
Wollersheim Winery, Prairie du Sac
A native of the Beaujolais region in
France, Coquard comes from a long line of
vintners and holds degrees in winemaking,
viticulture and wine marketing. After
arriving in the United States as a young
man on agricultural exchange, he became
Wollersheim’s winemaker in 1985. He now
runs the winery alongside his wife, Julie
Coquard, daughter of founders Bob and
JoAnn Wollersheim.
Situated on a hillside with views of the
Wisconsin River valley accented by bountiful
bluffs, the historic Wollersheim Winery
presents autumn grape leaves in hues of
yellow, orange and brown. It is there fine
wine begins.
“You have to understand grape growing to
make great wines,” said Philippe Coquard,
Wollersheim Winery president and
winemaker. “We don’t grow grapes for the
When asked about Wollersheim Winery’s
best wine, Philippe Coquard said, “We
have three kids. That is like asking, ‘Which
of the three kids do you like best?’” But
he does admit being partial to Domaine
du Sac, an estate-grown dry red, with a
medium-bodied palate and overtones of
raspberries and dark cherries, aged in oak.
Don’t miss: Prairie Fumé, a multiple
top award-winning wine. Grab a glass,
then tour Wollersheim’s historic wine
cave recently renovated as a museum
dedicated to the winery’s history.
Door County Region
Parallel 44 Vineyard and Winery,
Kewaunee
Door 44 Winery, Sturgeon Bay
The first of two sister wineries co-owned by
husband and wife team Steve Johnson and
Maria Milano, Door 44 is located in the Door
County wine region where magnificent colors
of changing leaves are always supplied
during fall.
Off the western shore of Lake Michigan, 15
miles east of Green Bay, Parallel 44 presents
a vineyard with Northern Varietal Grapes and
a winery with a decided Tuscan style.
wineries
Founded in 2005, Parallel 44 began as a
winemaking and grape growing hobby for
Johnson and Milano. Self-taught winemaker
Johnson wanted to “do something different
in Wisconsin.” “My passion is giving a
distinctive taste of what wine from the upper
Midwest can be.” His wines are largely made
with Wisconsin-grown grapes.
Parallel 44 won “Best Overall Wine” for
its Petite Pearl at the annual Wisconsin
Professional Wine Competition. Grown
exclusively from grapes at Parallel 44’s
vineyard, it is an “expression of violets, spice,
and blackberry lingering on your palate with
a soft, smooth finish.”
See WI Wineries, PAGE 3
2
Content provided by Travel Wisconsin
SUNDAY, AUGUST 23, 2015
MILWAUKEE JOURNAL SENTINEL
Two Days to Explore
TOMAHAWK, WI
So you never managed to squeeze in the annual summer vacation with your favorite college sidekicks or neighborhood friends?
Fortunately, it’s not too late. Try Tomahawk for a combo fitness travel/classic Northwoods weekend escape.
Day One
as long as the weather cooperates.
Pick up some fudge for the ride
home (the mint is an intense sweet
treat). Tip: Open for lunch with a
wraps, soup and salad menu.
9:30 a.m. – Unload the bikes and
get pedaling on the Hiawatha
Trail, which follows the abandoned
Milwaukee Road railroad bed north
for six miles to the Lincoln County
line near Lake Nokomis. Still have
some energy left in the tank? Pick
up the 18-mile Bearskin State Trail,
another former railroad corridor.
8:30 a.m. – Fishing options and fish
are plentiful. There’s Lake Nokomis
to the north for musky, bass, pike
and walleye; Lake Alice to the south,
known for its terrific fish habitats;
and Lake Mohawksin right in town.
Bait shops with fishing guides on
hand include Aquatic Arts Fishing
Pro Shop and Chuck’s Sport Shop.
Noon – Load up on the lunch buffet
at Randy’s Bambinos. Balance
those slices of pizza with a healthy
salad or homemade soup. Glutenfree options are available.
1:30 p.m. – Early fall days can be
plenty sunny and warm, so get out
on the water for some kayaking.
Changing Gears Pedal and Paddle
has all kinds of kayaks for rental
– recreational, tandem, fishing
or hybrid. They’ll shuttle you and
the gear wherever you want to go,
including three different sections of
the Wisconsin River. If you’d rather
stay on dry land, the Treehaven
natural resources center sits on
an ancient glacial ridge with hiking
trails going through almost every
Northwoods habitat.
5 p.m. – Reward yourself with a
monumental scoop of ice cream
from Windmill Ice Cream Shoppe.
The owner’s favorite is Peanut Butter
Revel, dark chocolate mixed with
swirls of peanut butter. Get here
on land, by hiking trail or by boat.
But don’t dawdle – it’s only open
through Sept. 27.
7 p.m. – You know what we’re going
to say, right? Supper club. Silver
Birch is old school – it’s exactly
111 years old. Get a spot at the
bar or outside on the deck for
best views of Half Moon Lake. You
can’t go wrong with the walleye.
Another supper club to consider
Silver Birch is a classic Wisconsin supper
club / Photo credit Silver Birch Supper Club
Treehaven’s hiking trails wind through various Northwoods habitats / Photo credit Treehaven
Load up on ice cream at the Windmill Ice
Cream Shoppe / Photo credit Windmill
Ice Cream Shoppe
Windmill Ice Cream Shoppe can be
reached by land or water / Photo credit
Windmill Ice Cream Shoppe
is Bootlegger’s, built in 1928 and
said to have been frequented by
not-so-savory characters Al Capone
and John Dillinger.
Tomahawk River. For the name
alone, quaff a cold one on the
outdoor patio at Bottom’s Up on
Lake Alice.
9 p.m. – Grab a night cap at the
Prairie Rapids Tavern, featuring
an outdoor room for a view to the
11 p.m. – If camping is your thing,
there’s Terrace View Campsites on
Muskellunge Lake or Sure-Wood
Dine on the patio at Silver Birch while the weather cooperates /
Photo credit Silver Birch Supper Club
Forest Campgrounds on Lake Alice.
For a classic “up north” resort with
nice updates, visit the family-run
Pine Cone Ranch Resort on Crystal
Lake. Stay in a resort home or
knotty pine cabin. Northern Nest
Resort and Three T’s Resort are
both on Lake Nokomis. Be sure to
listen for loons on the lake.
Day Two
10 a.m. – If you prefer to swing a
club rather than cast a line, make
your morning activity a round of
nine at the Edgewater course on
Lake Alice with lots of lake views, or
play 18 at Inshalla with a Par 70
layout that serves up a challenge.
Even if you don’t golf, both courses
have great lunch spots where
you can grab a sandwich and a
cold beverage. Try a Reuben on
homemade bread at Edgewater
or one of the “Mulligan Melts” at
Inshalla.
2 p.m. –Take a shopping stroll
downtown to slow it down before
heading home. There’s Standard
Mercantile for Northwoods-type
items and cozy apparel, Scentability
for handcrafted soaps and lotions,
and Silver Threads Boutique for the
owner’s own line of clothes plus
handcrafted jewelry.
4 p.m. – On the way out of town,
take a quick detour to Brigadoon
Winery for a bottle of Rustic Red
made from five of the red grapes
grown at their vineyard.​
7:30 a.m. – Go where the locals
go for a great cup of Joe and freshmade pastries – What’s Brewin’
coffee shop. There’s garden seating
A Night on Us!
Dine in your suite, or enjoy fresh regional cuisine in our lakeside restaurants.
Play golf on nearby championship courses, or curl up together in front of your own fireplace.
Indulge in soothing treatments at Aspira Spa, take a culinary course at our cooking school,
or just enjoy the beauty of autumn at Your place on the lake.TM
Stay two nights in one of our spacious suites at published rates, and the third night is on us!
Valid on Sunday and Monday arrivals, through September 30, 2015.
New reservations only; based on availability.
For reservations, call 866.428.5006.
e
p
a
c
s
E to Polk County
osthoff.com • Elkhart Lake, WI
Photo:
Erik Barstow
in Northwest Wisconsin
800.222.POLK
www.polkcountytourism.com
The Cook-Albert Fuller
Center at The Ridges
Open year-round
Visit our Nature Store
Door County – Visit RidgesSanctuary.org or call 920.839.2802 for information.
Content provided by Travel Wisconsin
MILWAUKEE JOURNAL SENTINEL
SUNDAY, AUGUST 23, 2015
3
MICHIGAN
WISCONSIN
Northwoods Region
MINNESOTA
IOWA
Driftless
Region
Fox Valley
Region
Door
County
Region
Glacial
Hills
Region
ILLINOIS
FROM PAGE 1
WI WINERIES
Door 44, opened in 2013,
boasts 2015 “best in show”
sparkling wine honors for its
Bubbler wine.
Don’t miss: Fall Harvest Fest
at Parallel 44, Sept. 12, 2015,
noon to 6 p.m. Come early and
enter for a spot in a traditional
grape stomp.
Fox Valley Region
Captain’s Walk Winery,
Green Bay
Located in a handsomely
preserved Italianate Victorian
home surrounded by luscious
greenery, Captain’s Walk
Winery offers premium wine
tasting in a light-hearted
manner. Brothers Aric and Brad
Schmiling established this
winery in 2007, intending to
create a boutique winery with
small, high quality batches.
The Schmilings’ focus on
comprehensive, entertaining
wine education brought
brothers PJ and Jim Koehler to
the business. Current winery
managers, the Koehler brothers
grew up with wine served daily
at the dinner table while their
father was a liquor store wine
buyer and educator.
This early and frequent
exposure gave Jim a “broad
appreciation for wine,” enabling
him to adeptly recommend
food and wine pairings, he
said. The winery also offers
“top notch” interactive wine
tasting. “We learn our guests’
interests and tastes, so we can
enhance their appreciation of
wine,” he said.
Don’t miss: Snobbery-free
wine tasting in a casual
atmosphere. Relax with a glass
of award-winning Captain’s
Walk Riesling 2014.
Fancy wine-speak not
required.
Glacial Hills
Region
Vines to Cellar, Port
Washington
Lake Michigan on the horizon,
accentuated by age-old trees
in autumn splendor, makes
a drive east on Highway 33
into Port Washington a sight
to behold. A stopping point for
many on their way “up north,”
the Mayberry-esque historic
city offers Vines to Cellar, a
DISCOVER MORE
WINERIES
Visit even more of Wisconsin’s more than
100 wineries to experience our incredible
variety of wines. Meet the winemakers,
see the vineyards and orchards, tour the
wineries and - best of all - taste the wines!
winery
with
love story
beginnings.
Husband and wife
owners Jim and C.J.
Wirsching-Neuser were
engaged when C.J. asked
Jim, a longtime home beer
brewer, to make wine for
their wedding toast. The dutiful
fiancé said yes. Made from
C.J.’s personal pear tree, the
couple labeled their first wine
“Pear of Hearts.”
Established in 2008, the
winery’s customers often
grab a bottle and head to
Harrington Beach State Park,
just 10 minutes north of Port
Washington. Or, customers stay
in town, dine and peruse local
art galleries. “Art and wine go
hand in hand,” C.J. said.
Don’t miss: “U-VIN” or
“Become the Vintner” – Make
your own wine with some help
from the Vines to Cellar staff.
Pick your favorite variety, a
custom label and learn all
about wine while working
through the wine-making
process.
Northwoods
Region
All Sisters’ Winery,
Bayfield
All Sisters’ Winery co-owners Caitlin and Renate Hauser believe all women are sisters / Photo credit Caitlin Hauser
Great River Road
Wine
Trail
“People come into the winery
and think they are walking into
The Great River Road runs along the Mississippi
River on Wisconsin’s west coast, passing five
different Wisconsin wineries including:
Danzinger Vineyards – Alma
Elmaro Vineyard – Trempealeau
Maiden Rock Winery & Cidery – Stockholm
Seven Hawks Vineyards – Fountain City
Valley Vineyard – Prescott
my
home.
I want
customers to
feel like part of the family,” said
co-owner of All Sisters’ Winery,
Caitlin Hauser, of her historic
farm house setting.
Family is near and dear to
her as she owns the winery
with her mother, Renate
Hauser, who entered the wine
profession with her husband
nearly 20 years ago. Having
grown up the daughter of two
professional wine makers,
Caitlin wanted to stay in the
business she knows and loves,
but opted to “do her own
thing.” In January 2012, she
incorporated the winery and
uses Wisconsin-grown grapes
purchased wholesale.
The Hausers aim to embody
the power and beauty of all
types of women. “I believe all
women are sisters,” Caitlin
said. While the focus is women,
male customers are also
welcome.
Caitlin names her wines based
on what she feels when tasting.
Sweet Romantic and Reserved
Reds are favorites. Rowdy Girl
is another, named while Caitlin
was sampling “a little too
much” and became a bit of a
“rowdy girl,” she said.
Don’t miss: A chance to
gather your best gal pals Oct.
2-4, 2015. Plan your visit
to the winery during Bayfield
Apple Festival, one of the
“Top Ten Autumn Festivals in
North America” by Society of
American Travel Writers.
The Upper Mississippi River Valley (UMRV) American Viticulture Area
(AVA) was established by the U.S. government in 2009. The largest
in the nation, this AVA includes the bluff lands regions of Wisconsin,
Minnesota, Iowa and Illinois and represents 32 wineries with 445
vineyard acres. AVAs are particular grape-growing regions with
distinguishing features, a name and delineated boundary,
according to the AVA official definition. These designations
allow vintners to more accurately describe their wines’ origins.
Note: The Wisconsin Winery Association’s wine regions are separate and unrelated.
4
Content provided by Travel Wisconsin
SUNDAY, AUGUST 23, 2015
MILWAUKEE JOURNAL SENTINEL
Photo credit
Vines to Cellar
FALL
color
Photo credit Chippewa Falls Area Chamber of Commerce
Report
Oktoberfest,
Follow the march of fall color
through Wisconsin’s 16 million
acres of forest by checking out
the Fall Color Report before you
hit the road. This is the season
Mother Nature shows off her
best display of rich reds, warm
oranges and vibrant yellows.
It’s updated as colors burst
across the state, so you’ll always
have the latest on peak color.
Our suggestion: keep the page
bookmarked and the car loaded.
You don’t want to miss this show.
Wisconsin-Style. Prost!
These lively Oktoberfest celebrations showcase Wisconsin’s
German heritage with authentic food and drink, polka music
and dancing galore.
Oktoberfest –
Chippewa Falls
Sept. 18-20.
Oktoberfest USA –
La Crosse
Oct. 1-4.
Sample authentic German foods,
compete in the sauerkraut-eating or
beer-stein-holding contest, watch the
Golden Keg Procession.
One of the nation’s top Oktoberfest
celebrations, held where G. Heileman
Brewing and Old Style beer were born.
Prost!
Octoberfest –
Appleton
Sept. 25-26.
Oktoberfest Celebration –
Lake Geneva
Oct. 10-11.
Octoberfest transforms the streets of
downtown Appleton into a two-day party,
complete with Spaten Oktoberfest – the
world’s first Oktoberfest beer.
Bring the kids to this family-friendly
celebration. Pig out on caramel apples
and take home a pumpkin at the Great
Pumpkin Giveaway.
TravelWisconsin.com/
Fall-Color-Report
Photo credit Chippewa Falls Area Chamber of Commerce
waterfall riesling
Tour. Ta
ste. Enjo
y.
Open Daily, Year-round
Tours & Wine Tasting
20 minutes north of Milwaukee | Cedarburg, Wisconsin
800-827-8020 | 262-377-8020 | cedarcreekwinery.com
FISH FRY|$9
Indulge in Locavore’s signature Fritto Misto (Fish Fry) featuring
Growing Power® Perch, broccolini and remoulade over sliced rye
bread—served with creamy coleslaw. Try some today!
OPEN DAILY IN THE HOTEL LOBBY
1611 WEST CANAL STREET • MILWAUKEE, WI 53233 • PAYSBIG.COM • 414-847-8510 • MUST BE AT LEAST 21 YEARS OLD TO DINE, UNLESS ACCOMPANIED BY AN ADULT (OVER 21) • PLEASE DRINK RESPONSIBLY
©2015 FOREST COUNTY POTAWATOMI COMMUNITY, WISCONSIN
Content provided by Travel Wisconsin
MILWAUKEE JOURNAL SENTINEL
SUNDAY, AUGUST 23, 2015
Look Port and Starboard for Fall Color
September can still be warm, but
grab a cozy sweater just in case and
hop on-board one of these scenic
boat tours to enjoy the fall colors.
Dells Boat Tours –
Wisconsin Dells
Surround yourself with the beauty of the natural
sandstone cliffs and fall foliage on the complete
tour, or get spooked on the new Season of the
Witch tour.
Apostle Island Cruises –
Bayfield
Explore the breathtaking fall colors of the Apostle
Islands National Lakeshore and the magnificent,
icy waters of Lake Superior. Try the glass-bottomed
tour for a peek at several real shipwrecks.
Photo credit TravelWisconsin.com
Fish Creek Scenic
Boat Tours –
Fish Creek
Wisconsin
River Cruises –
Rhinelander
Horicon Marsh
Boat Tours –
Horicon
Lake Geneva
Cruise Line –
Lake Geneva
Chain O’Lakes
Cruises –
Waupaca
Door County is dazzling come
autumn. Catch a ride on one
of three different tours to Eagle
Bluff Lighthouse, Peninsula
State Park, Millionaire’s Row,
Eagle Cave and more.
Enjoy a whole spectrum of
Northwoods colors, not to
mention a classic Wisconsin
meal (think fish fry and prime
rib), on the Wilderness Queen.
There’s even a special Spooky
Cruise in October.
The annual migration of
Canada geese begins in midSeptember and peaks in midOctober, but other wildlife is
abundant and fall colors paint
a perfect backdrop.
The majestic homes on Lake
Geneva are best seen from a
boat. And when paired with
the reds, golds and browns of
autumn, the view is downright
irresistible. Try the Shoreline
Walk and Champagne Brunch
Cruise on Sundays through
October for a real treat.
The double decker sternwheeler, Chief Waupaca, winds its
way through eight of Waupaca’s
22 crystal-clear Chain O’Lakes.
Take in the crisp, fall air and
stunning colors while learning
the history of the area.
5
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SUNDAY, AUGUST 23, 2015
Content provided by Travel Wisconsin
MILWAUKEE JOURNAL SENTINEL
Climb inside a
time machine.
Come and see our amazing new
Visitor Center and Wesley W. Jung
Carriage Museum. Take a horse-drawn
ride back in time to learn how your
relatives lived before indoor plumbing,
electricity and the automobile.
Bring this ad and receive one free adult admission.
Highway 23 in Greenbush WI • WadeHouse.org
920.526.3271