Wisconsin River Wine

The Wisconsin River corridor from Madison north to the Wisconsin Dells is the historical heart of Wisconsin wine, anchored by Wollersheim Winery in Prairie du Sac. Founded in 1972 on a site where Agoston Haraszthy briefly farmed in the 1840s before moving to California and founding Buena Vista Winery, Wollersheim has become Wisconsin's most recognized and awarded producer. The region's clay-loam soils over limestone provide better drainage than much of southern Wisconsin, and the river valley creates a mild microclimate that helps cold-hardy varieties survive. Wollersheim's Prairie Fume (a Seyval Blanc) has become a Wisconsin institution, and their Marquette-based reds are increasingly impressive. Several other producers have opened along the corridor, creating a wine trail between Madison's urban culture and the Dells' tourism infrastructure.