Algoma Winery
History and FAQs of von Stiehl
Our Algoma winery is housed in a historic civil war era building. It was built in 1868, and has had many tenants over the years, including being the home to the original Ahnapee Brewery, Kelsey Fly Net Co (which was the original business of our current Algoma Net Company), a factory, and feed mill storage building. It was opened as the von Stiehl Algoma winery in 1967 by Dr. Charles Stiehl, the local physician known as Doc Stiehl.
As shocking as it is, there were no wineries in the state of Wisconsin at the time, so Doc Stiehl asked the state to create a winery license to legally sell his Door County Cherry Wine. Therefore, making von Stiehl the oldest licensed winery in the state of Wisconsin. We appreciate all that Doc Stiehl did in founding our winery and the Wisconsin wine industry. In 2009, we released a special wine in his honor: Doc Stiehl’s Cherry Bounce. The label was inspired by an old tonic label. Cherry Bounce is a blend of cherry brandy and the original von Stiehl cherry wine recipe.
While many things have changed since Doc Stiehl opened von Stiehl in 1967, we still use his original recipes for the two wines that founded the Algoma winery, Sweet Cherry and Dry Cherry wines made with Door County Montmorency cherries grown by Seaquist Orchards. We hope you enjoy the history and legacy of Doc Stiehl with every sip you take from these two classic wines.
To pay even more respects to our heritage and home, we created our first hard cider, Hard Apple Cider, with Kewaunee County Apples in 2016. Our hard cider selections have now expanded to Door County Cherry, Guava Hopped Session, Blueberry Cream, Brandy Old Fashioned, and rotating seasonal hard ciders. In 2020, we added an outdoor cider bar for customers to enjoy their favorite hard ciders, wines, and wine slushies while watching the boat and kayakers cruise down the Ahnapee River. We also feature our ciders in our Cider & Spirits Bar. Come check it out!
We are open year-round, 7 days a week!
Gather your friends and stop by von Stiehl Winery today.
Jan–Apr: 10 am – 4 pm
May–Dec: 10 am – 5 pm
Christmas Eve and New Year’s Eve the winery is open until 2 pm and we are closed Easter, Thanksgiving, Christmas & New Year’s Day.
von Stiehl is one of Wisconsin’s most iconic wineries. Check out Discover Wisconsin’s episode about to learn why!
von Stiehl Winery is Wisconsin’s oldest licensed winery. We opened our doors in 1967 and have been producing award-winning wines in the historic Ahnapee Lake Shore Brewery building ever since.
von Stiehl Winery was founded in 1967 by Dr. Charles Stiehl. It holds Wisconsin Winery Permit No. 1, marking the beginning of the modern wine industry in the state.
- von Stiehl Winery is located in Algoma, Wisconsin, which serves as the scenic gateway to Door County. We are a prominent anchor on the Door County Wine Trail.
Located just 30 miles east of Green Bay, von Stiehl Winery in Algoma is a top-rated destination for visitors looking for historic charm, Lake Michigan views, and premium wine tastings
- Yes, we offer historic cellar tours where guests can explore our 19th-century limestone lagering cellars, which are listed on the National Register of Historic Places.
- von Stiehl is best known for our traditional Door County Cherry Wine, as well as our high-end estate wines grown at Stony Creek Vineyard, including Marquette and Cabernet Franc. Be sure to taste Satin Red, Naughty Girl, and Cabernet Sauvignon.
- Our tasting room in Algoma is open daily, offering a curated selection of over 30 varieties of wine, ranging from dry reds and whites to sweet fruit wines. Spirits and hard ciders are also available on our property at our Cider and Spirits Bar.