Things to Do_Wineries

Wisconsin Wineries & Cideries

Spend a weekend drinking delicious, locally-grown wines and ciders with your friends or significant other by a scenic river, on a hill, or in a city. Although craft breweries are a staple in the Badger State, we’re also home to countless award-winning wineries and cideries found in diverse locales and producing some of the tastiest libations you’ll ever find in the Midwest. 

The best part is you can enjoy our local offerings any time of year. If you’d like to experience the wine harvest season, visit us in late summer/early fall, a time when wineries also host harvest festivals, which include fun traditions like grape stomping. Whenever you choose to visit, there’s a table waiting for you and yours at a winery or cidery. 

Wine Time

Wollersheim Winery & Distillery is a dreamy hillside retreat overlooking the Wisconsin River in Prairie du Sac between Madison and Baraboo. The winery is home to a 30-acre vineyard, which has been in the wine-making business on and off since the 1800s. During your visit, opt for a guided walking tour of the winery and a tasting of house favorites, like the award-winning Prairie Blush and the Ice Wine, a type of dessert wine.

Near the Lower Wisconsin State Riverway, Spurgeon Winery in Highland produces mead (honey-fermented wine) and sweet and dry wines made from grapes and fruits like blueberries. Enjoy wine, cheese and other gourmet foods while catching up with friends and snapping selfies on the deck.

Who says you have to choose between wineries? The Door County Wine Trail takes wine enthusiasts on a journey to eight wineries found on the peninsula along Lake Michigan. The wineries include Door 44, Red Oak, Von Stiehl, Door Peninsula, Simon Creek, Lautenbach’s Orchard Country, Harbor Ridge and Stone’s Throw. Simon Creek, for instance, is an award-winning vineyard and winery featuring a large selection of wines, from classic chardonnay to fruity concoctions like cherry wine.

Many of our wineries host special events year-round. Every September, Cedar Creek Winery in Cedarburg puts on a wine and harvest festival to kick off the fall season with plenty of locally-grown wine, food and grape stomping contests.

Hard Cider, Easy Choices

Wisconsin is also home to cideries with flavors and strengths to suit any taste. 

Lost Valley Cider Company in Milwaukee routinely changes its cider menu with seasonal selections, house favorites and new ciders. Take a tour, sample a flight and enjoy a cider-based cocktail with a side of fried cheese curds during your visit. 

Mineral Point is home to The Cider Farm, which sits on an organic apple orchard. Enjoy a rich cider or glass of apple-infused brandy while munching on a fresh salad or sharing a cheese and charcuterie board with your friends. At Maiden Rock Winery & Cidery in Stockholm, you don’t have to choose between wine and cider; enjoy both while taking in the scenic views of the Mississippi River. 

During your visit, partake in a tasting or two and grab a few bottles of your favorites to take home to remind you of the great times you shared with your loved ones at our wineries and cideries.