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Blustery fall weather has arrived, but that doesn't stop intrepid Midwesterners from having fun. Weekends are still a time for outdoor activity and recreation - hiking, biking, boating, sightseeing, wine tasting… anything goes. 
This weekend, why not take a break from the city (Green Bay, Manitowoc) and head up to Door County to relax and unwind. When you do, stop by our Algoma Wisconsin Winery for wine tasting and a bottle or two of your favorite Wisconsin wine - it will make the weekend that much better.
Touring the Kewaunee Area Barn Quilts is a great way to spend a day. Inspired by a similar project in Iowa, the Kewaunee County Area Barn Quilt project highlights historically significant barns. 4-H and FFA students throughout Kewaunee County spoke with the property owners about their barns, and patterns and colors were selected. The youngsters created the quilts and hung them over the course of a year, and today there are 18 barn quilts in the region.
Our Algoma Winery tasting room is conveniently located in the midst of these beautifully adorned historic barns. On warm and sunny fall days, try a glass of refreshing Chardonnay or Chenin Blanc. If you need to hold on to your hat, stop by for a sip of our velvety Cabernet Sauvignon or our eminently drinkable Satin Red. The atmosphere of our tasting room is inviting and friendly - the perfect addition to a weekend getaway on the Door Peninsula.
Please visit Kewaunee County Area Barn Quilts for additional information.
One of the best parts of fall is the reemergence of comfort food. During the heat of summer, appetites wane and we're easily satisfied with a big bowl of salad and maybe a skewer of barbecued meat. We drink refreshing Wisconsin white wines like Chardonnay, Dry Riesling, and Lakeshore Fume. Once temperatures start to drop in the fall, however, we find ourselves craving full-bodied red Wisconsin wines and food we can really sink our teeth into, like cassoulet.
The origins of cassoulet are obscure. At least three towns in southern France call it their own dish, while others insist it was brought to Western Europe by the Arabs. In any case, the dish first gained fame in the late middle ages in southwestern France, and is today one of the most beloved French dishes throughout the world.
Hearty and warm, rich and satisfying, cassoulet is made with white beans and just about any type of meat, barring fish or chicken. It should always include sausage, and may include duck, goose, lamb, pork or even venison - whatever strikes your fancy. It's best when it can stay in the oven for many hours, forming and reforming a nice crust on the top. The smells alone will drive you wild.
Below is a simple recipe for Cassoulet. Enjoy it with our Cabernet, Merlot, or even our Satin Red. This dish brings out the best of any of our red Wisconsin wines.
Cassoulet
1 onion, chopped
3 garlic cloves, minced
2 celery stalks, sliced
Saute in a little olive oil.
Transfer to an oven-safe casserole and add:
1 -14 1/2 oz. can stewed tomatoes
32 oz. white beans, rinsed and drained
2 oz. old red wine (who lets red wine get old???)
1/2 lb. bologna, cut into chunks
1/2 lb. Polish sausage, cut into chunks
1 red bell pepper, chopped
1 green bell pepper, chopped
1/2 tsp. dried basil
1/2 tsp. dried parsley
1/4 tsp. tarragon
1/4 tsp. sage
salt and pepper
Mix together and bake in a covered casserole at 325* for one hour, or longer at a lower temperature, stirring occasionally.
Serve in large soup or pasta bowls with more red wine and lots of crusty bread.
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.
This Wednesday, October 27, marks the last of the Music on the Farm series at the Agricultural Heritage Farm site, south of our Algoma Wisconsin winery. The Mark Jirikovec Band will take the state from 6 to 10 pm. In addition to cheerful music, there will be an assortment of fresh, tasty, food.
Music on the Farm is always sure to inspire even the most timid dancers to kick up their feet, and the evening with Mark Jirikovec and his orchestra will be no different. The band has been playing together for 25 years, and seamlessly interprets a wide variety of Bohemian, German, polkas, waltzes, and Big Band music, along with a little Rock & Roll.
Stop by our Algoma Wisconsin Winery on your way down to Music on the Farm. A little wine tasting is sure to help put you in a celebratory mood; and at the end of the evening - after four hours of dancing - you'll be ready to relax at home with a glass of your favorite Von Stiehl wine.
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.
Fall colors are at their peak at our Algoma Wisconsin winery and north of us in Door County. Now is the time to drop everything, hop in the car, and head to the Door County Peninsula. Use stored vacation time, call in sick, or bring your laptop and work from the road - in short, do what it takes. This won't last forever; in a week or two, the trees will be bare.
The first stop when heading to Door County should always be our Algoma Wisconsin winery. After all, no weekend in Door County is complete without Wisconsin wine. Chilly evenings call for our Cabernet Sauvignon Barrel Select, while sunny fall days seem to demand our Chardonnay, full of the flavor of ripe apples.
This weekend - October 15 , 16, and 17, 2010 - is the 65th annual Fall Festival in Sister Bay, about fifty miles north of Algoma. The festival features a parade, a Classic Car Show, a fish boil, and arts and crafts. It takes place in town, along the coast of Green Bay. No festival in Wisconsin is complete without live music, so many bands will take the stage.
Once you've had your fill of the festival, head to one of the numerous orchards in the area for apple picking. Or enjoy a colorful bike ride along around the peninsula, up Green Bay and down the coast of Lake Michigan. Now that sounds like a perfect fall day.
Door County is recognized as one of the most spectacular spots in the Midwest for leaf peeping. As you plan your fall color tours in and around Door County, remember to stop by our Algoma Wisconsin winery. Our Apple Icing is delightful at this time of year, combining as it does the flavors of freshly picked apples and butterscotch. Delicious.
A heartfelt shout of thanks to everyone who attended the 2010 Wet Whistle Wine Fest at our Algoma Wisconsin Winery this past weekend. We hope everyone who came had as much fun as we did.
Grape Stomps brought out the best in all who participated. Flights of wine and cheese and wine and chocolate were thoroughly enjoyed on our new terrace. The enthusiasm of some of our fans delighted us, as always.
Below are a few photos from this past weekend. More are available on our facebook page. Grab a glass of our Wisconsin wine, sit back, and relive the weekend.
There is a new terrace at our Algoma Wisconsin Winery, and it stands ready to welcome folks to the 2010 Wet Whistle Wine Fest this weekend - September 18 and 19.
Now we have more space for sipping wine and a better spot for live music. Gracious steps make it easier to negotiate the hill with a glass of wine in hand. We are thrilled.
We're expecting a good turnout for the Wisconsin Wine Festival this weekend. The weather should be fair, the music may inspire dancing, and the wine will flow. We hear that grape stompers are practicing at home, so the annual Grape Stomp is sure to be more exciting than ever.
Every year at Wet Whistle, something unpredictable happens - in a good way. You never know what treasures will appear at the Fine Art Fair, or what new pairing of wine and chocolate will change your life. It's worth attending just for that.
The 2010 Wet Whistle Wisconsin Wine Festival takes place Saturday and Sunday, September 18 - 19, from 10am to 6pm. See you then.
Yes, it's that time again. Our Wisconsin Winery is hosting the 2010 Wet Whistle Wine Fest on September 18th and 19th.
You never know who you'll see.
Doors open at 10am (it's after noon somewhere, right?) and stay open until 6pm. That means 8 hours each day are devoted to Wisconsin wine tastings, wine and cheese pairings, and wine and chocolate. No Wet Whistle is complete without Grape Stomps, a time for wine enthusiasts to experience grapes in a new way - with their feet.
You never know what you'll see.
Spend time at the Fine Art Show, the Heritage Food Tents, and listening to live music. Celebrate the Wisconsin Wine you have come to know and love. For more details, please visit our Events page.
