Wine Tasting in Door County

Once a wine enthusiast, now I’m one step closer to becoming an expert, thanks to Door County Trolley’s Premier Wine Tour. Ding the bell and get ready to learn about the wonderful world of wine in the Door Peninsula.

First stop, one of my favorites and the largest Wisconsin winery, Door Peninsula Winery. We received a private tasting and were taught the best way to experience wine. Wine is best tasted by swirling it in the glass to infuse it with oxygen, sticking your nose right in to smell, and then taking a sip, letting it sit in your mouth for just a moment to discover the initial and after tastes. I also discovered a new delicious flavor on my palate – Cranbernet, a medium-dry blend of cranberry and American red grape served chilled. Just one of the over 50 varieties this winery has to offer.

Ding, ding, ding; second stop, Simon Creek Winery. Al Capone once tried to buy this land but Farmer Simon was not persuaded; legend has it as he refused more than once and for large amounts. After Simon’s death, the land was sold and turned into the current day vineyard. During a tour, we were able to see the stainless steel vats that produce all of the wineries selections and the bottling equipment. They even showed us the original Untouchable Red label, which was actually going to be the name and photo of Capone but changed because the regulating agency would not approve it.

Along the way our trolley driver, and tour guide, shared his favorite spots as well as the areas history and features. Then came lunch in the Board Room at Liberty Square. They offered a special menu just for the trolley tour consisting of a specialty salad, turkey Brie sandwich and chicken paprikash (Hungarian stew) with a cherry bar for dessert. I had the turkey Brie sandwich but shared a few bites of my husband’s stew and both were deliciously filling.

Armed with the right tools for tasting, my nose and mouth, knowledge of wine manufacturing and a full belly, we proceeded to our third and Door County’s newest winery, Harbor Ridge Winery. They have teamed up with Wisconsin’s oldest winery, Von Stiehl in Algoma, to release their first two wines, Mademoiselle and Knockin’ Heads Red. It will be fun to watch the progression of this new winery as they planted their first vines this year and should be producing their own wine within three to four years.

Our final stop was back where we started, Lautenbach’s Orchard Country Winery & Market. With 100 acres of fruit-bearing trees and grape vines that are harvested at the peak of ripeness, Lautenbach’s has a great selection of estate wines. They even sent us home with lovely complimentary wine glasses. To commemorate the Door County Trolley’s 10th anniversary, Lautenbach’s released a special trolley wine in a collectable red bottle, a delicious semi-sweet blend of white grape and cherry wines.

We had a grand adventure learning about Door County and its wineries. After visiting four of the six Door County wineries and watching a video about one in Algoma, I feel a step closer to becoming a true wine connoisseur.

For more information about reserving your spot on Door County Trolley’s Premier Wine Tour visit http://www.doorcountytrolley.com

For more information about the businesses mentioned in this article visit their websites: http://www.dcwine.com, http://www.simoncreekwines.com, http://www.libertysquareshops.com, http://www.harborridgewinery.com, vonstiehl.com, http://www.orchardcountry.com