| If you like wine, stop at the Door Peninsula | | | | to try but we managed. The winery produces |
| Winery in Carlsville, Wisconsin the next time | | | | quite a few fruit wines from apple to |
| you get to Door County. The winery is north | | | | blackberry to plum to cranberry to peach to |
| of Sturgeon Bay on Hwy 42. It is located in | | | | strawberry, along with their signature cherry |
| an old schoolhouse. | | | | wine which is made with Door County cherries. |
| | | | The fruits for some of the other wines come |
| My husband, one of my grown sons, and myself | | | | from other places, such as California, but |
| stopped there during a recent trip to Door | | | | all the wine is made at the Door County |
| County. The evening before we had dined at | | | | facility. |
| Shipwrecked in Egg Harbor, Wisconsin (also in | | | | |
| Door County), and had been given a coupon for | | | | The top selling wines at the Door County |
| a free tour of the winery and free wine | | | | winery are the Strawberry Zinfandel, |
| tasting. It seemed like too good of a deal | | | | Blackberry Merlot, and Razzle Dazzle |
| to pass up. | | | | Raspberry. Our favorites were the |
| | | | Blackberry, Cranberry, and Sparkling Razzle |
| Even if you dont have a coupon for the tour, | | | | Dazzle Raspberry. Other wines we liked |
| its a bargain at $2 for each adult. And if | | | | included the Port Reserve, a sweet desert |
| youre not interested in the tour but just in | | | | wine; Sweet Cherry, a sweet wine; White |
| the wine tasting, the wine tasting is free to | | | | Christmas, one of the winerys holiday wines; |
| anyone 21 years of age or older. | | | | the White Zinfandel, one of the winerys |
| | | | signature series wines; and Cranbernet, a |
| We decided to take the tour and then taste | | | | wine made with a combination of cranberry and |
| some of the wines. The tour started in the | | | | grape juices. |
| front of the schoolhouse where our guide told | | | | |
| us the building had been used as a | | | | The winery also offers several non-wine |
| schoolhouse for 100 years, from 1868 to 1968. | | | | products including cherry juice, sparkling |
| At one point in time, the school had 60 | | | | juices, wine jellies, gourmet mustards, and |
| students in 8 grades with only 2 teachers. | | | | Door Peninsula Wine Cheese Spread which we |
| The building was purchased and turned into a | | | | thought was so good that we bought two |
| winery in 1974. | | | | containers to take home. |
| | | | |
| After being given some history on the | | | | The large shopping area in the winery also |
| building, we were taken to the basement of | | | | has hundreds of other items for sale |
| the building, which is where the wine is | | | | including wine glasses, wine racks, gourmet |
| made. We saw how the wine was bottled, the | | | | foods, gift baskets, and wine butlers. |
| vats it is made in, along with the barrels it | | | | |
| is stored in for aging. Along the way we | | | | In addition to taking home some of the |
| learned how the fruit juice the winery uses | | | | winerys cheese spread; we bought a mixed case |
| gets turned into wine. Then we headed back | | | | of wine to take with us. And we didnt break |
| upstairs to the wine bar to start tasting the | | | | the bank buying the wine. The wines at the |
| wines. | | | | winery are a good value. The wines start at |
| | | | around $8 for the fruit wines to a little |
| With over 50 wines being produced by the | | | | under $30 for some of the winerys signature |
| winery, it was difficult deciding which ones | | | | series wines. |