By: Maureen Boylan

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.

MILWAUKEE JOURNAL SENTINEL SUNDAY, AUGUST 23, 2015

Driftless RegionWollersheim Winery, Prairie du Sac

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

romance. We grow for quality of wine.”

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.

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 RegionParallel 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.

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

Wineries across

Wisconsin: Autumn is the perfect time

to tour these scenic vineyards and cozy tasting rooms.

www.wisconsintrails.comFor more travel news

Content provided By trAvel WisConsin oktoBerfest, WisConsin-style, p.4

Two Days To Explore

Tomahawkp.2

wineries

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.

Content provided by Travel Wisconsin

Day One9:30 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.

Noon – Load up on the lunch buffet at Randy’s Bambinos. Balance those slices of pizza with a healthy salad or homemade soup. Gluten-free 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

is Bootlegger’s, built in 1928 and said to have been frequented by not-so-savory characters Al Capone and John Dillinger.

9 p.m. – Grab a night cap at the Prairie Rapids Tavern, featuring an outdoor room for a view to the

Tomahawk River. For the name alone, quaff a cold one on the outdoor patio at Bottom’s Up on Lake Alice.

11 p.m. – If camping is your thing, there’s Terrace View Campsites on Muskellunge Lake or Sure-Wood

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 Two7:30 a.m. – Go where the locals go for a great cup of Joe and fresh-made pastries – What’s Brewin’ coffee shop. There’s garden seating

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.

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.

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.

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.

A Night on Us!

osthoff.com • Elkhart Lake, WI

Door County – Visit RidgesSanctuary.org or call 920.839.2802 for information.

The Cook-Albert Fuller Center at The Ridges

Open year-round

Visit our Nature Store

2 SUNDAY, AUGUST 23, 2015 MILWAUKEE JOURNAL SENTINEL

EscapeEscapeto Polk Countyto Polk County

800.222.POLKwww.polkcountytourism.com

Pho

to:

Erik

Bar

stow

in Northwest Wisconsin

Two Days to ExploreTOMAHAWK, WI

Treehaven’s hiking trails wind through various Northwoods habitats / Photo credit Treehaven

Windmill Ice Cream Shoppe can be reached by land or water / Photo credit Windmill Ice Cream Shoppe

Silver Birch is a classic Wisconsin supper club / Photo credit Silver Birch Supper Club

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.

Load up on ice cream at the Windmill Ice Cream Shoppe / Photo credit Windmill Ice Cream Shoppe

Dine on the patio at Silver Birch while the weather cooperates / Photo credit Silver Birch Supper Club

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 RegionCaptain’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 RegionVines 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

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 RegionAll Sisters’ Winery, Bayfield

“People come into the winery and think they are walking into

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.

Content provided by Travel Wisconsin SUNDAY, AUGUST 23, 2015 3 MILWAUKEE JOURNAL SENTINEL

FROM PAGE 1 WI WINERIES

Northwoods Region

DoorCountyRegionFox Valley

RegionDriftlessRegionMINNESOTA

IOWA

WISCONSIN

MICHIGAN

ILLINOIS

GlacialHillsRegion

All Sisters’ Winery co-owners Caitlin and Renate Hauser believe all women are sisters / Photo credit Caitlin Hauser

The Great River Road runs along the Mississippi River on Wisconsin’s west coast, passing five different Wisconsin wineries including:

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!

Danzinger Vineyards – Alma Elmaro Vineyard – Trempealeau Maiden Rock Winery & Cidery – Stockholm Seven Hawks Vineyards – Fountain City Valley Vineyard – Prescott

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.

Great River Road

Wine trAil

disCover More

Wineries

Note: The Wisconsin Winery Association’s wine regions are separate and unrelated.

Content provided by Travel Wisconsin

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oktoBerfest, 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.

Sample authentic German foods, compete in the sauerkraut-eating or beer-stein-holding contest, watch the Golden Keg Procession.

Octoberfest – Appleton

Sept. 25-26. Octoberfest transforms the streets of downtown Appleton into a two-day party, complete with Spaten Oktoberfest – the world’s first Oktoberfest beer.

Oktoberfest USA – La Crosse

Oct. 1-4.

One of the nation’s top Oktoberfest celebrations, held where G. Heileman Brewing and Old Style beer were born. Prost!

Oktoberfest Celebration – Lake Geneva

Oct. 10-11.

Bring the kids to this family-friendly celebration. Pig out on caramel apples and take home a pumpkin at the Great Pumpkin Giveaway.

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.

TravelWisconsin.com/ Fall-Color-Report

fAllColor

ReportPhoto credit Chippewa Falls Area Chamber of Commerce

Photo credit Chippewa Falls Area Chamber of Commerce

Photo credit Vines to Cellar

Content provided by Travel Wisconsin SUNDAY, AUGUST 23, 2015 5MILWAUKEE JOURNAL SENTINEL

Look Port and Starboard for Fall Color

Dells Boat Tours – Wisconsin DellsSurround 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 – BayfieldExplore 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.

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.

Fish Creek Scenic Boat Tours – Fish CreekDoor 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.

Wisconsin River Cruises – RhinelanderEnjoy 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.

Horicon Marsh Boat Tours – HoriconThe annual migration of Canada geese begins in mid-September and peaks in mid-October, but other wildlife is abundant and fall colors paint a perfect backdrop.

Lake Geneva Cruise Line – Lake GenevaThe 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.

Chain O’Lakes Cruises –WaupacaThe double decker sternwheel-er, 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.

Photo credit TravelWisconsin.com

Content provided by Travel Wisconsin6 SUNDAY, AUGUST 23, 2015 MILWAUKEE JOURNAL SENTINEL

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