The Door County Wine Trail Blends Vineyard Vibes & Coastal Views

Of course Wisconsin is known for beer, but did you know that the state also holds more than 100 wineries? Start exploring Wisconsin’s winemaking prowess by uncorking a luscious wine weekend in Door County. Your Instagram posts will feature pristine shorelines, undulating terrain, charming small towns, rustic and upscale meals and, yup, exquisite wines. It’s the perfect setting for a girls’ getaway weekend of sips and shenanigans. 

My besties and I are Midwestern born and bred, and our road trips have featured lakeshores and farmlands, rural towns and urban landscapes. But with each visit to Door County we are always captivated by the unexpected beauty of Wisconsin’s “thumb.” Piney patchworks of forests give way to dramatic dolomite bluffs, beaches, bays and rocky outcroppings along the shoreline. Cherry orchards, a hallmark of Door County, paint the countryside with a blur of red orbs. However, cherries are not the reason for our visit this summer. We are instead looking to sample the reds — and whites — of the Door County Wine Trail.

Our first stop on this uncorked adventure is Stone’s Throw Winery. The state’s only all-California-grown grape winery has been crushing it for nearly a quarter-century, snagging awards like “Wisconsin’s Best Wine Bar” and “Door County’s Best Winery.” It’s a perfect place to uncoil from the drive with a stroll through its gardens, a laugh-out-loud round of bocce ball, some sips in the tasting room and bites at Vino!Vino! Restaurant and Wine Bar. 

We take our time savoring the flavors and learn how California grapes are transformed into exceptional wine in Door County. The fruit, harvested at the peak of its ripening, produces less sweet wines than one might expect from a Wisconsin winery, which sets Stone’s Throw apart. There’s something magical about discovering new flavors with your best friends, a taste memory that will stay with us for years. 

The restaurant prides itself on using premium ingredients from Wisconsin based producers like Nueske’s meats and BelGioioso cheeses, adding an extra layer of authenticity to this Door County experience. Depending upon the season, produce comes fresh from their own organic vegetable garden and olive oil arrives straight from Tuscany adding an international flair to farm-to-table dining. 

As we meander further along the Door County Wine Trail, each winery offers its own charming characteristics. At the log cabin that is Harbor Ridge Winery in Egg Harbor, we try a Mademoiselle White Blend, a Harbor Ridge original, and bask in the sun on the patio. Take just 30 steps and you’re reveling in dairy at Wisconsin Cheese Masters, which carries exclusive cheese selections you can’t find anywhere else. We stop in family-owned Lautenbach’s Orchard Country Winery & Market in Fish Creek to buy some fruit wines for gifts — their dry and tart cherry wine captures the essence of Door County’s famous fruit. 

As the sun begins to set, the designated driver of our gang delivers us safely to our home for the next few days — Baileys Harbor Lakefront Abode. After eyeing the spacious property (it sleeps eight comfortably with three bedrooms, each with its own full bathroom), we are already planning a visit next year with a couple more girlfriends. Perched on the shores of Lake Michigan, the retreat boasts panoramic views of the lake, a firepit for evening tales and noshing and a great location near restaurants and wineries. We waste no time claiming our rooms, then congregate on the sprawling patio, uncorking a bottle from our wine trail adventures. Good friends, great wine and a stunning sunset invites deep conversations about our favorite movies and music, the old days and just how we made it this far. 

Morning breaks with birdsong, the lapping of waves and the welcome scent of coffee. After a leisurely breakfast, we set out to explore more of what Door County has to offer — off to the Baileys Harbor Range Lights, the historic lighthouses at The Ridges Sanctuary nature preserve. 

The Range Lights, built in 1869 and listed in the National Register of Historic Places, stand as a testament to Door County’s rich maritime history. As we climb the stairs that span just a couple stories, we’re rewarded with views of native wildflowers, birds, monarch butterflies and emerald dragonflies. 

Our next adventure starts with a short drive down the coastline to Cave Point County Park for some scenic hiking. The power of Lake Michigan has carved out stunning sea caves and cool rock formations, and water sprays from blowholes at the park. We follow the half-mile trail with the crash of waves against limestone providing a natural soundtrack to our hike. It’s a reminder of the raw beauty of nature in these parts, and we share a sense of awe at the unexpected grandeur of Door County. The park’s rugged and beautiful landscape makes an excellent backdrop for our obligatory gal-pal selfies. 

The afternoon finds us back on the wine trail, this time at Door 44 Vineyard and Winery in the heart of Door County. Named for the 44th parallel that runs through some of the world’s best winegrowing regions (including Tuscany and Bordeaux), this winery is on a mission to prove that impressive wines do indeed come from Wisconsin. We take a leisurely stroll through the vineyard, peek behind the scenes of winemaking wizardry, then plop on the patio to soak in pretty views with wine flights and charcuterie and wonder aloud if we should quit our day jobs and become vintners. 

Back on the deck of our lakefront digs the sky is a canvas of pinks and purples, and we toast to the unexpected natural beauty of Wisconsin, the world-class wines of Door County and just how cool it is to experience it together. Door County, we’ll definitely be back for another round.