Wine of the Month: Wollersheim Winery

Wine of the Month~
Wollersheim Winery~

History~
Wollersheim Winery sits on a scenic hillside across the Wisconsin River from Prairie du Sac WI.
In the 1840's Hungarian nobleman Agoston Haraszthy discovered
the sloped land where the winery sits today and planted it with grapevines.

In 1849, he followed the gold rush to California
Peter Kehl, a German immigrant
took over the property after Haraszthy left
Building the structures that still stand today
Kehl planted American grapes to make wine
After Peter Kehl's death, his son Jacob continued
the family winery and started to make brandy

In 1899, after Jacob Kehl's death and
a difficult winter
the family stopped making wine and
converted the property into a conventional Wisconsin farm

In 1919, when Prohibition passed
the remaining wine was sold and
the Kehl family stayed on the property for two more generations.

In 1972, Robert and JoAnn Wollersheim
bought the farm from Peter Kehl's
great-grandson to restore it to a working winery.
They planted the hills with grapevines,
filled the limestone cellars with oak barrels and
converted the old carriage house into a store.

Philippe Coquard
arrived at the winery from the Beaujolais region of France in 1984
Philippe became Wollersheim Winery's winemaker in 1985

Wollersheim Winery grew rapidly.
In 1990, Wollersheim Winery bought
Cedar Creek Winery
Located in an 1860's woolen mill
in Cedarburg WI

The sister wineries share the same ownership and
the same wine maker but
the two brands are distant.

Annual production of Wollersheim and
Cedar Creek Wines have risen from
15,000 gallons in 1987 to 240,000 gallons in 2014
Cedar Creek and Wollersheim Wines are sold at both wineries,
in stores and restaurants throughout Wisconsin and Illinois.

Wollersheim Winery also produces brandy.
Coquard Brandy is a 100% Wisconsin Brandy
An All-Wisconsin Brandy made from Wisconsin
White grape wine,
Distilled in a copper pot still and
aged two years in custom-toast Wisconsin oak barrels,
the oak barrels give the Brandy it's amber color
Conquard Brandy gets it's delicate and
floral aroma from the grapes.
The brandy is all natural with no added sugar.
Conquard Brandy is Perfect for Sipping.

Wine Winery

Information from: Wollersheim Winery