Just a Taste

I'll admit this up front.  I'm pretty uninformed when it comes to wine.

Friends of mine in Indianapolis could wear the title of oenophile, as they were lovers and connoisseurs of wine.

As you know from reading my blog, my tastes tend toward Ice Cream, Custard, and Gelato with a good sized glass of Mt. Dew.

But, just a half-hour north of us is the Wollersheim Winery on the south side of the Wisconsin River where it makes a western arc toward the Mississippi River.

It's a well-known place here in the Badger State and famous for it's products.  They have started distilling brandy on site as well and their second batch will be ready in May.

With son Mark up for a weekend visit (yes, he is legal age), it seemed like a good place to check out.
The grounds are beautiful and demand a return visit when it gets warmer.

On this visit, the warmth was found inside with a couple of taste tests: White Port and Blushing Rose.

The White Port is made with grape brandy added just a few days into the fermentation process - leaving it sweet and with a 20% alcohol content. 

What I can tell you about it is that the taste was very good and there was no sting to the mouth - just a gentle numbing sensation.  It would be very good with a strong cheese.


My guess is more than a taste would create a different kind of numb sensation!

Blushing Rose is semi-sweet with a taste of mango, kiwi, and pineapple.

Much more qualified people than I could provide an actual review on Wollersheim Winery.  In 2012, the San Diego International Wine Competition selected this winery on a hill south of Sauk City, Wisconsin was named winery of the year.

The grounds are beautiful - dating back to the 1840s when the first vines were planted.  The winery was built prior to the Civil War and produced wine until a tough winter froze all the vines in 1899 and it became a dairy farm until purchased in 1972 by the Wollersheim family who researched varieties that would thrive in Wisconsin.

Through the years it's created it's own identity and become a tourist attraction.  It's great location with the beautiful river, the Merrimac Ferry not far upstream, and proximity to Madison.

In 2010, the Winery was also licensed as a distillery and it's first batch produced in 2013.

I can't review that for you, I'm afraid, I know even less about that.