Wollersheim Winery
Robert & JoAnn Wollersheim
Bob & JoAnn with Philippe & Julie
Philippe Coquard
Wollersheim Winery
From the Beginning
In the early 1840’s, Hungarian immigrant Agoston Haraszthy acquired the land near the Wisconsin River. Unfortunately, his European vines could not withstand the cold Wisconsin winters. In 1856, German winemaker Peter Kehl acquired the acreage and planted vines that were more winter-tolerant. When the vineyards froze during an extremely cold winter in 1899, the winery was converted into a ‘conventional’ Wisconsin farm.
In 1972, Robert & JoAnn Wollersheim purchased the farm from the Kehl family to restore it to a working winery - and Wollersheim Winery was born. In 1984, Philippe Coquard came to the winery on an agricultural exchange and - as fate would have it - married Julie Wollersheim. Philippe, not only comes from a long family of vintners but he also has degrees in winemaking and viticulture. Philippe became Wollersheim’s winemaker in 1985.
The Wollersheims experimented for a few years with grape varieties to determine which would grow best in the seasonal Wisconsin climate. In 1989, Prairie Fumé was born.
Sustainability
Wollersheim Winery uses several green practices including:
local, organic mulch,
rainwater is used in a variety of ways - including high-temperature steam on weeds in the vineyard,
uses American-made bottles & Wisconsin labels to reduce the carbon footprint, and
uses local, sustainably harvested oak for barrels.
It’s a Family Affair
Family members of all ages work at the winery, distillery, and bistro in different areas including winemaking, distilling, marketing, vineyard, and the stores.
