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Open Daily 10 a.m.- 5 p.m., Year-round
Tours daily at
10:15, 11:15, 12:15,
1:15, 2:15, 3:15, and 4:15
For more information, contact us at:
1-800-VIP-WINE (847-9463)
E-Mail: info@wollersheim.com
PO Box 87
Prairie du Sac, WI 53578-0087
For GPS Locating Only:
7876 State Rd 188
Sauk City, Wisconsin
[GPS Coordinates:
N43° 17.201' W089° 42.499']
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Wollersheim Mini Prairie Fumé - Unbreakable Good Taste.
News Releases
Ice Wine Harvest Dependent upon Wisconsin’s Winter (Dec. 2009)
Prairie du Sac, Wisconsin – On Tuesday, December 15, 2009, with a foot of snow blanketing the vineyard and temperatures at 7° F, pickers got to work at Wollersheim Winery harvesting a unique crop of frozen grapes for Ice Wine. “Timing is everything,” notes Winemaker Philippe Coquard. “Like all agriculture crops, you are at the mercy of mother nature, so you must watch the weather closely trying to harvest under just the right conditions. For Ice Wine, temperatures are ideally between 10° F and 15° F.”
By definition, Ice Wine is made from grapes harvested after freezing in the vineyard and then, while the grape is still in its frozen state, it is pressed and the water turns to ice crystals. This leaves a highly concentrated juice, very high in sugars and aromatics. After a lengthy fermentation, the sweet nectar or "nectar of the vines" as Coquard calls it, is turned into a distinctive wine to serve icy cold with dessert or as a dessert on a very special occasion.
Wollersheim Winery’s Ice Wine is made from estate-grown St. Pepin grapes. Beginning in September until they are harvested sometime around December, these winter-hardy and thick-skinned grapes are netted against birds plus fenced to prevent deer damage. When conditions are right, the grapes are harvested, pressed and the winemaking process begins with the finished bottles becoming available the following October.
This year’s crop faced a number of challenges throughout its growing season. After Wollersheim’s regular grape harvest in September, there was extensive rain fall and cold followed by unseasonal warm temps in November all of which didn’t help the Ice Wine grapes. A few clusters were lost to weather and come December, Coquard was anxiously waiting for the hard freeze and temps in the single digits.
Harvest of this “gift from Wisconsin’s winter” was later than usual, but in the end Coquard felt fortunate to have a crop which yielded 2,900 pounds of fruit that after pressing translated to 150 gallons of Ice Wine at 34.5% natural sugar. His pride for growing Ice Wine grapes and putting Wisconsin's cold weather to good use is evident. Coquard wants the world to know that, “We might not be able to grow Pinot Noir, but yes we can do Ice Wine in Wisconsin! Something California will never be able to do.”
The grapes picked this December 2009 will be made into Ice Wine 2009 that will be available in October 2010. The Ice Wine from the 2008 harvest was released this fall 2009 and is still available. Wollersheim Winery is open year-round from 10 am to 5 pm for tours and tasting.
Join Wollersheim Winery on Facebook to view pictures of harvest.
Media Mentions
- Milwaukee Journal Sentinel made a blog post about the introduction of Mini Prairie Fumé - "Wine here!" in plastic, screw top bottles? on Wednesday, May 12, 2010. Take a read.
- Wisconsin State Journal features Mini Prairie Fumé packaging launch in Business section on Wednesday, May 12, 2010. Take a read.
- Winemaker Philippe visited with Wisconsin Public Radio's Larry Meiller on Monday, November 23, 2009. Their conversation covered the tradition behind a nouveau wine, caller questions on winemaking and grape growing, plus highlights about the winery's "A Vintage Christmas" event. Take a listen at WPR's audio archive - segment #091123G from Monday, 11/23/09.
- WKOW TV 27 Highlights 2009 Grape Harvest View Story & Video
- Wisconsin State Journal features 'Count' Agoston Haraszthy in "Odd Wisconsin" section on Wednesday, July 29, 2009. Take a read.
- Wollersheim Winery 2009 Harvest Summary. View short segment.
- Coquard Brothers in the News! View Milwaukee Journal Sentinel newspaper article.
- Wollersheim Winery is Positively Wisconsin - WKOW TV 27 Article View Story.
- America's Heartland showcases Wollersheim Winery. View Wine & Romance TV episode.
- WisconsinFoodie visits Wollersheim Winery. View episode.
- Wisconsin State Journal captures Ice Wine harvest on film. Enjoy wintery pictures with audio.
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