The Blind Horse Restaurant & Winery in Kohler
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Northern California usually comes to mind when you think of wine regions, but the good stuff isn’t just from the West Coast anymore. According to the Wisconsin Winery Association, our state’s southeast Glacial Hills region is home to 18 wineries, each with its own unique wines crafted from Wisconsin-grown fruits, as well as varietals obtained from vineyards nationwide.
Dodge County
Edwin Brix Vineyard N4595 Welsh Road, Juneau 920-219-4249 edwinbrix.com As Dodge County’s first licensed winery, Edwin Brix Vineyard grows a variety of red and white cold-hardy grapes such as Marquette, a distant cousin of pinot noir, to produce high-quality wines. Wine is available for purchase at the vineyard, online or at their distribution center in Beaver Dam. Edwin Brix is working to complete their tasting room this summer.
Fond du Lac County
Armstrong Apples Orchard & Winery W853 County Road B, Campbellsport 920-477-3007 armstrongapples.com Armstrong Apples Orchard & Winery produces wines and hard ciders from apples grown in their orchard. In addition, they also have raspberry, blueberry, peach and strawberry wines. Armstrong’s romantic blends of First Blush, Flirt and Passion are made with Wisconsin-grown grapes.
Jefferson County
Lewis Station Winery 217 N. Main St., Lake Mills 920-648-5481 lewisstationwinery.com
Lewis Station Winery in Lake Mills
This micro-winery and bistro, housed in a repurposed antique gas station, crafts a range of sweet, dry and dessert wines, many of which are playfully named after attractions and lore of the Lake Mills region, such as Lost Pyramid Red. The “lost pyramids” of Lake Mills are supposedly at the bottom of Rock Lake; Lewis Station’s owners suggest enjoying a bottle of their Lost Pyramid Red while spending time on the lake in search of the lost pyramids.
Kenosha County
AEppelTreow Winery 1072 288th Ave., Burlington 262-878-5345 aeppeltreow.com Near the Richard Bong State Recreation Area lies AEppelTreow (Anglo-Saxon for “apple true/tree”) Winery & Distillery, makers of hard cider, wine and spirits. Located on the grounds of Brightonwoods Orchard, AEppelTreow owners Charles and Milissa McGonegal partner with Brightonwoods to use their antique and heirloom apples in artisanal wines and ciders. Their subtle, tart, hard ciders harken back to the pre-Prohibition era.
Ozaukee County
Cedar Creek Winery N70 W6340 Bridge Road, Cedarburg 262-377-8020 cedarcreekwinery.com Anyone who has been to Cedarburg for a day of shopping or a festival probably needs no introduction to Cedar Creek Winery. Located in the historic Cedar Creek Settlement in Downtown Cedarburg, the winery produces favorites, such as cabernet sauvignon, chardonnay, pinot grigio, Riesling, Syrah, rosé and more. Chiselled Grape Winery W64N713 Washington Ave., Cedarburg 262-377-8777 chiselledgrapewinery.com Fascinated by the complex fusions of different wines, the team at Chiselled Grape Winery has taken wine a step further by marrying unique flavors, such as a mysterious and enchanting cold-weather grape from New York with the romance of a French varietal. Chiselled Grape offers dry, semi-dry, semi-sweet and sweet blends. Vines to Cellar 114 E. Main St., Port Washington 262-536-4544 vinestocellar.com Many of Vines to Cellar’s award-winning wines are produced and bottled in Port Washington. Their sangiovese, pinot grigio and Barolo juices come directly from Italy. Their other popular varietals include Australian cabernet and Shiraz. Vines to Cellar’s U-Vin program allows you to be the vintner of your very own batch of vino.
Sheboygan County
Blind Horse Restaurant & Winery 6018 Superior Ave., Kohler 920-467-8599 theblindhorse.com The Blind Horse Restaurant & Winery strives to provide a Napa Valley-style experience with wine and quality food pairings. Winemaker Thomas Nye embraces a minimalist style in his winemaking, so the natural qualities of the fruit shine in the finished wine. Nye works with viticulturists in northern California and Washington state.
Rock County
Northleaf Winery 232 S. Janesville St., Milton 608-580-0575 northleafwinery.com Northleaf’s array of wines includes sauvignon blanc, chardonnay, green apple Riesling, pinot noir and red blends. Northleaf Winery earned Travel Green Wisconsin certification in 2013 for practices such as repurposing building materials while restoring their 1850s building, using zero carbon footprint corks in their bottles and water conservation. Timber Hill Winery 1223 E. Storrs Lake Road, Milton 608-247-4615 timberhillwinery.com
Timber Hill Winery in Milton
This boutique winery makes sweet, dry and even spicy vinos from cold-climate varietals grown in Wisconsin. Reds include Foch, Marquette, Frontenac; white blends include Seyval blanc, Muscat and Edelweiss.
Walworth County
Apple Barn Orchard and Winery W6384 Sugar Creek Road, Elkhorn 262-728-3266 applebarnorchardandwinery.com The “winery” portion of Apple Barn Orchard & Winery was established in 2004 and specializes in small-batch fruit wines made from fresh, non-grape fruits and berries. Favorites include Honey Crisp Apple Harvest, Hardy Pear, Strawberry Jewel, Raspberry Heritage, Summer Peach, Big Buck Blueberry and Country Rhubarb. Staller Estate Vineyard & Winery W8896 County Highway A, Delavan 608-883-2100 stallerestate.com Staller Estate Vineyard & Winery, located near picturesque Lake Geneva, started with its owners’ vision to build a family farm winery where they could combine their love for family, a passion for farming and an appreciation of the wine aesthetic. All Staller Estate wines are produced and bottled on-site with cold-hearty grape varietals. Choices include Richmond Rouge, featuring concord grapes, and Reserve La Crescent, a dry, oak-aged white from hand-selected grapes with prominent notes of apricot. Studio Winery 401 Sheridan Springs Road, Lake Geneva 262-348-9100 studiowinery.com Studio Winery combines wine, art and music into an urban winery, with all wines made on-site. They use grapes from their small vineyard, as well as from growers in Wisconsin, Illinois, Michigan and Washington state. Fun, musically influenced blends include Zappa Sweet White Dessert and Axl Rosé; there’s also cabernet, Marquette, viognier, mode blanc and several others.
Washington County
Apple Works Winery/Behnke Estates W179 N12536 Fond du Lac Ave., Germantown 262-677-1000 appleworkswinery.com Located on land that was previously an apple orchard, owner Kevin Behnke wanted to honor the property’s rich history. His family and he set out to produce quality, hard apple ciders and wines from ingredients in Wisconsin and worldwide. Popular varietals include cabernet sauvignon, pinot noir, gewürztraminer, Riesling and sauvignon blanc. Two Brothers Wines 1923 Highway 175, Richfield 262-623-6622 twobrotherswines.com Twin brothers Joe and Henry Gutmann are artists and winemakers, respectively, who make wines from Wisconsin ingredients such as apples, blackberries, cranberries, rhubarb and strawberries. Other wines include whites like Catawba and Seyval blanc and reds like Frontenac, Marquette and Syrah. Customers visiting Two Brothers Wines can enjoy the fine art gallery as well as the wine gallery.
Waukesha County
Pieper Porch Winery & Vineyard S67 W28435 River Road, Waukesha 262-349-9092 pieperporchwines.com Pieper Porch is a family owned winery located on 11 acres of wooded land near the Vernon Marsh. From 2012 through 2016, several of their wines—such as lemon, black currant, cranberry and raspberry—have won medals in the Wisconsin State Fair Professional Wine Competition. Seasonal varieties include strawberry, rhubarb and winter apple. Water 2 Wine Custom Winery 17135 Bluemound Road, Suite H, Brookfield 262-784-9463 water2winemke.com The Water 2 Wine Custom Winery franchise began in Texas in 2003, and in 2012, Larry and Barb VanHoveln opened the first such location east of the Mississippi River in Brookfield. With access to approximately 100 different grapes from up to 14 different countries, Water 2 Wine can make a multitude of common and unusual wines, and all fermentation is done on-site. Water 2 Wine also has a make-your-own-wine program, classes and events.
For more information about Wisconsin wineries, visit wiswine.com.
Shepherd Express' Summer Drink Week runs June 10-16 and is brought to you by Discount Liquor. Read more from Summer Drink Week here.
