Von Stiehl Winery - Algoma, Wisconsin

 

Every wine lover dreams of drinking wine straight from the barrel at least once in a lifetime. Barrel aging and stone wine cellars are iconic. To stand in a wine cellar and breathe in the rich scent of the earth and the wood and the stone and the wine can be a heady experience. To actually taste some of the wine? Divine.

Von Stiehl Winery in Algoma, Wisconsin, is inviting you to have just that kind of experience. Spend some time with our winemaker, Aric, in the wine cellar. Be among the first to try some of his newest creations. Sample the Old Vine Merlot and Zinfandel. Try the Estate Barrel-Aged Marechal Foch, made entirely from grapes grown in our Stony Creek vineyard. Try the Barrel-fermented Chardonnay.

As you taste the wine you'll learn more about how it is created. In addition, you'll enjoy delicious appetizers and past vintage reserve tastings. We're looking forward to a fun afternoon.

Join us for a Wine Futures & Barrel Tasting in our historic Algoma, Wisconsin winery. Saturday, March 24, 2012, from noon to 1:30 p.m. Call 800.955.5208.

 

 

The new production facility at our Algoma, Wisconsin, Winery is almost finished. It's been a long journey. Planning has been underway for years, ground breaking took place last October, the roof went on in December, and gleaming stainless steel containers were put in place last week. Phew.

We want to thank everyone who has has helped us along the way: our staff, our architects, our amazing builders, and the folks who stopped by to taste our Wisconsin Wine and cheer us on.

We're looking forward to a great summer filled with our new Cuisine Concert series, our Ladies' Fest, and our Wet Whistle Wine Fest. We hope you'll fit us into your summer plans, either for one of our special events or for a little wine tasting here at von Stiehl Winery in Algoma, Wisconsin.

Looking good!

Remember reading about Laura Ingalls Wilder and her sisters in the Little House on the Prairie Books? Remember how each girl had one doll - one doll only - to call her own? Those dolls were cherished. They may have been overly loved, but at least they weren't tossed on the floor or left out in the rain.

Indeed, dolls like the ones Laura Ingalls and her sisters had still exist. Today they are cherished less by children than by adults who recognize their worth. If you are interested in seeing some, plan to travel to Algoma, Wisconsin, on June 25, 2011.

Each summer, dealers and collectors travel to Algoma from all over the country for the Annual Doll and Teddy Bear Show and Sale. It's always a heady time for antique dealers and collectors of rare and unusual dolls and teddy bears. Treasures are sought, sold, and found. Collections are dismantled and made complete.

We invite all participants and attendees of the 2011 Doll & Teddy Bear Show and Sale to stop by our Algoma, Wisconsin, Winery after the show. You'll appreciate that von Stiehl is the oldest winery in Wisconsin. Take a tour of our historic building and taste our Wisconsin Wines. When you find the vintage you most like, bring a bottle or two back home with you. Ask the pourers which of our wines get better with age - like a well-made doll.

As many of you know, our Algoma Wisconsin Winery is the oldest in the state. Visitors may tour of the beautiful underground arched limestone caverns where we store our wine - a remnant of the days with this 19th century building was home to Ahnapee Brewing.

Mother's Day is May 8, 2011. We suggest you go beyond brunch and flowers and spend the day with your mom. Bring her to the oldest Winery in Wisconsin - von Stiehl - to tour our historic facilities and sample a variety of our Wisconsin Wine.

If the weather is fine (and we sure hope it will be), bring a picnic to enjoy on the shores of Lake Michigan. Von Stiehl is steps away from Lake Michigan and the mouth of the Ahnapee River. It's a beautiful place to spend Mother's Day with your mom.

Tours of Von Stiehl Winery are offered several times a day from May through October. Tasting is available daily year round.

Stroll around our grounds with mom.

This Algoma Wisconsin Winery has been in the Schmiling family since 1981, when Bill and Sandy purchased the Von Stiehl Winery from Dr. Stiehl. Bill and Sandy's sons, Brad and Aric, took over the business in 2003. While we still produce our original fruit wines - such as Dr. Von Stiehl's Cherry wines - we now produce many grape wines as well.

We have you, our customers, to thank for our success.

Today we are in the process of expanding. Our new production facility should be complete by early spring. We also look forward to refurbishing the 107 year old T. Charles Saloon, where we will host Wisconsin wine tasting and special events.

We wouldn't be where we are without you. We love to make wine, but it wouldn't be worthwhile if we couldn't share it.

And so, we raise our glasses to you.

Our expansion is well under way.

It's time. Wisconsin's oldest winery is outgrowing its facilities, and it's time for us to expand. This is very exciting to us. By spring, our new production facility should be complete. We'll also have a new old saloon: the 107 year old T. Charles Saloon, which will be a grand space for events and Wisconsin wine tasting.

We couldn't do it without you, the loyal customers who love our Wisconsin wine. Cheers!

It's not a glamorous shot, but it is the groundbreaking of our new facility.

Members of our Wisconsin Winery Ladies of the Vine Club (or LOTV) are in for a treat. In addition to receiving free tours and discounts on gift merchandise and winery events, LOTV members are invited to several unique events each year. If you aren't yet a member of LOTV, don't despair. You become one when you sign up for a LOTV event at our historic Algoma Wisconsin Winery.

The next such event takes place on November 6, 2010. LOTV Untasted Spaces invites participants on a special tour of our wine cellars and winery buildings, old and new. We'll let you see our laboratory and computer room, and reveal more about the wine making process than we normally do. Look forward to chilling ghost stories and taste what few have tasted before - raw wine from our tanks and barrels.

We'll stop by the lovely old T. Charles Saloon, where participants will be treated to a special wine and cheese pairing while learning how this historic barroom will be restored and added to the new winery. We'll then move into the von Stiehl tasting room to finish the day with a pairing of wine and chocolate.

Participants of LOTV Untasted Spaces will be among the first to hear about our new "cuisine concerts", planned for the summer of 2011, and the Stiehl Ball. Are you intrigued yet?

This tour will be given on Saturday, November 5, at 11 a.m. and again at 1 p.m. For more details, please visit our Wisconsin Winery Events page.

To sign up, call 800-955-5208.

Photo: the old T. Charles Saloon.

In the heat of the summer, two things are essential. The first is access to a body of water, such as Lake Michigan, in which you can swim. The second is access to good wine, such as our Wisconsin Wine. Fortunately, both can be found in Algoma.

Crescent Beach is not far from the marina, in downtown Algoma. It's the kind of beach that invites lounging, shell collecting, and sand-castle building. All in all, it's a pleasant place to pass an afternoon - especially a warm afternoon. The cool waters of Lake Michigan will be irresistible.

The oldest winery in Wisconsin is not far from Crescent Beach. After a few hours in the sun, you'll be ready for the shade of our tasting room, where we will uncork just about any bottle you'd like to try (within reason, of course). After all, it behooves us to open our cellars to the public - you can't love us unless you know us.

Summer may be winding down (the start of school - death toll of summer vacation - is close at hand), but that's merely a reminder to make the most of it while you can. Algoma is only 45 minutes east of Green Bay. Stop here on your way to Door County, or make our Algoma Wisconsin winery your destination. Then you can toast the arrival of autumn in style.

Algoma's Wednesday Night Concerts start July 7, 2010, and runs through August 18, 2010. This is a wonderful opportunity to hear great music in a relaxed, lovely setting overlooking Lake Michigan.

Arrive early and visit the Farmers Market, which starts at 6pm. Select fresh fruits and vegetables from local farms, along with fresh breads, cheeses, and jams. Pick up fixings for a picnic to enjoy while you listen to the music.

While in Algoma, you must stop by our Wisconsin Winery - it's the oldest winery in Wisconsin, and in our humble opinion, one of the best. Take a tour of our historic building, and enjoy wine tasting. Our knowledgeable pourers will help you select Wisconsin wines you are sure to like.


The line-up of the Wednesday Night Concerts is below:

July 7: Conscious Pilot

July 14: Chicago Blues Summit

July 21: Dave Steffen Band

July 28: Big Mouth and the Power Tool Horns

August 4: Mantra

August 11: Lubriphonic

August 18: Copper Box

Our Wisconsin Winery is owned and operated by brothers Brad and Aric Schmiling. Brewing wine and beer has been in the Schmiling family for generations. Henry Schmiling was a brew master at the original Ahnapee Brewing, back in the 19th century. In 1981, Bill and Sandy Schmiling purchased the Von Stiehl winery (in the original Ahnapee Brewing building) from Dr. Stiehl. They continued producing great Wisconsin wines, and raised their sons to love the winemaking industry.

In 2003, Brad and Aric Smiling purchased the winery from their parents, who remain involved to this day. The business has prospered under Brad and Aric's leadership. They are producing more grape wines than ever before, though the fruit wines - particularly the original Montmorency Cherry wines created by Dr. Stiehl - are still an important part of their business.

Come take a tour of the winery this summer, and pick up a bottle of refreshing Wisconsin wine. We are located on the shores of Lake Michigan, in the lovely little town of Algoma - perfect for a weekend getaway from the city.

For more information about the oldest Wisconsin Winery, please watch this video.