Exploring regions not associated with wine-growing shifts what our ideas of what wine should be.
That’s right. You read that correctly. Every state in the U.S. produces wine and, by now, I’ve made it my mission to visit at least one wine producing region in every one of them.
Recently, I visited Wisconsin’s own Door County — one of the leading areas for wine tourism in the state.
Driving through the vast green pastures that are the gates to Wisconsin’s northeast Door Peninsula, you can’t imagine there’s much attraction on the other side. That is, until you witness the blooming spring cherry blossoms. My first thoughts popped up, an apprehensive, “well, I guess I’ve never tried cherry wine before. And what kind of grapes even grow out here, anyway?”
It turns out, quite a few hybrid grapes developed specially by the University of Minnesota for their ability to weather colder climates are growing in Wisconsin. A few of these hybrid varieties include Marquette, La Crescent and Frontenac, and are known for their crisp acidity. Yet, I’d never heard of any of them!
Beyond the point of how I felt about the taste of the wine itself — to which my answer always remains the same: “there’s wine I enjoyed and wine I could go without” — I was more curious about how these wineries thrive in a state that’s more known for its cheese than its viticulture.
With my background in working at some of the leading names and wine regions on the West Coast, I sometimes catch myself stepping into other regions with my own assumptions and skewed preconceived notions of what makes up a successful wine culture . “Wine should be made this certain way. They should be growing these certain varieties,” Yes. Sometimes, my pretension gets the better of me. And thankfully, wineries like Stones Throw understand demographics like my own and are happy to meet us half way – where they source fruit all the way from the more recognizable regions of California and make their wine at home in Wisconsin. Helioterra, a Fish Creek tasting room spearheaded by 2023 Future Tastemaker Anne Hubatch, showcases her love for our own Pacific Northwest region with award winning wines made from fruit sourced from Oregon!
But when I took the time to dig deeper into the native culture of WI wine and have a real conversation with a local associate at The Wine Room – a one stop shop for tasting wine from all around the county, I found a humbling response to my ultimate question: “how is there a thriving community of wineries out here?”
Visitors are drawn to the Door Peninsula to enjoy things like touring historical landmarks of the 19th century with the Ephraim Historical Foundation. They come to eat their weight in fresh lake fish at the The Old Post Office Restaurant fish boil, to bask in the Scandinavian culture of Fika, to splash around on the crystal clear waters of Lake Michigan and, most importantly in my opinion, to see the breathtaking views of our galaxy in one of our country’s rarely distinguished international dark sky parks.
And between all these magical moments, travelers naturally find themselves craving something to compliment their new adventures. Door County’s tasting rooms thrive simply because people love wine and welcome any opportunity to drink it wherever they go. While traveling, us wine lovers seek to discover new flavors, new varieties, and bottles that shift what our palates are used to and our ideas of what wine should be – to stop at Wisconsin’s oldest winery, Von Steil and taste the history of cherry wine and the state’s local viticulture from their very own estate vines. Though it’s certainly not the only reason for visiting Door County, it is always fun to explore local wine when it’s around.
So yes, Wisconsin has wine! But on the chance you come to find that it isn’t your thing, consider indulging in any of the other fun adult beverage experiences Door County has to offer — like joining the Bitters Club at the state’s oldest legal bar, Nelsen’s Hall, or enjoying some award winning cider at Island Orchard Cider, or washing the day away with a Wisconsin Old Fashioned after dinner at Osteria Tre Tassi.
