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Got grapes?

By Kelly Doyle

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Wine importer Gerry Keogh often finds himself shooting the breeze with everyday people who are captivated by his trade. For Keogh, it’s just part of the job. Today, more than ever, people outside of the industry can’t stop talking about wine. Those in Wisconsin are no exception. After the days he spends on the road working with industry insiders, Keogh comes home to Wisconsin to find friends, family and strangers eager to learn about the latest trends occurring within the wine business. “It’s something that fascinates anyone who’s not in it,” he says. “Doctors and filmmakers are fascinated by it. Never ceases to amaze me. I met a radiologist, and all he wanted to talk about was wine.”

Keogh and winery owner Bill McCardell, also of Madison, are consummate examples of how ordinary guys can get involved in an often-extraordinary industry. “When you’re in it you perceive it as great,” Keogh says. “Not always free wine, but always access to great wine.”

Keogh got into the business back in Ireland, his birth country, where he worked with his brother as a wine importer. Once in Wisconsin, Keogh responded to an ad for a job as a wine wholesaler. After a few years there, he took a job with a wine store, then with another wholesaler and finally with his current employer. “We eat and drink like we’re kings,” he says. “And we might not get paid as well as them. But we do OK.”

Like the industry in which Keogh thrives, wine is not leaving Wisconsin anytime soon. With the influx of lower-priced brands coming out of Australia and the distribution of local labels, such as Wollersheim (see Winery tour displays state's great grapes), people in Wisconsin have taken a liking to the new possibilities.

But Wisconsin shoppers are following a nationwide trend. A recent push in wine sales, Keogh explains, lies directly on the label. Fancier and bolder looking labels, like House Wine and Folonari’s Pink Pinot Grigio have drawn in a new consumer: women. Twenty-two to 35-year-old women make up the majority of sales at supermarkets, Keogh says. Novelty labels and bottle images of Marilyn Monroe and Paris Hilton have helped galvanize this new buyer.

But local interest can also be attributed to local investment in the wine industry. Because Wisconsin has a limited growing season, grapes can be difficult to cultivate within the borders of the state, forcing wineries to produce limited quantities, or like Madison's Bill McCardell, look to other regions for the growing and production process. McCardell and nine other local investors collectively purchased the deLorimier Winery in California’s Alexander Valley. Mosaic Vineyards, as deLorimier is now called, produces wine that is distributed nationally. Because of Mosaic’s recent introduction into the Wisconsin market, the average Wisconsinite is probably unaware that a bottle of Mosaic Meritage or Sauvignon Blanc with an Alexander Valley label on the supermarket shelf is financed and produced by a group of local Wisconsin guys who were fascinated by the industry.

“Well, we weren’t necessarily wine snobs,” McCardell says. “But we liked wine and we hoped this could be a good opportunity.” After pooling their funds, the group of investors eventually purchased the winery and vineyards in the picturesque and world-renowned Sonoma County.

McCardell holds both ownership and management roles at the vineyard. He said he knows more now than he ever did before about wine production. “It’s quite an interesting process and a very romantic process,” McCardell says. “But at the same time it’s all business.”

McCardell is thrilled with the reception of the Mosaic label in Wisconsin. The winery produces 10 different varietals, which are now being distributed across the state. “We are marketing in Wisconsin. And it’s sold at quite a few outlets throughout Wisconsin,” McCardell says. “There is quite a bit of interest. We’re pleased that many people have come to know it and appreciate it.”

Winery tour displays state's great grapes

Believe it or not, Wisconsin is home to multiple wineries, including the Wollersheim Winery in Prairie du Sac, which produced more than 200,000 gallons of wine in 2005. Set amid the rolling hills of southwest Wisconsin, the Wollersheim Winery welcomes guests year-round for tasting and touring.

Back in October, I decided to see for myself what a Wisconsin winery had in store. With two of my self-proclaimed wine aficionado friends in tow, we were all in for a pleasant surprise.

After buying our tickets and examining the gift shop, we began our tour of the winery. It was not so different than the tours and tastings I’ve experienced in Napa and Sonoma counties in California. The tour is enlightening, even for those who think they know wine. Throughout the tour, our guide was well-informed, and provided the tour group with tidbits of the winery's history paired with practical explanations of the wine-making process, which for the most part is done on-site.

My friends and I were the youngest three on the tour, probably by about 30 years but we also represented a new generation that sees learning about wine as enjoyable, not obligatory. We completed the tour and were the last ones at the tasting. It wasn’t just about getting our money’s worth; Wollersheim has something to be proud of.

Although most of their wines, even their “dry” reds, fall on the fruitier, sweeter side of the grape spectrum, I enjoyed the Wollersheim Chardonnay. You can find it at most grocery stores and wine shops throughout the state and it’s easy on the wallet.

Even though the wine itself might not be for everyone, the experience was well worth the visit and the $3.50. If you find yourself with a clear calendar (particularly in the late summer and early fall when the scenery is breathtaking), take a trip to Prairie du Sac and see for yourself what Wisconsin wine is all about.

Need some help finding wine? Check out this Wisconsin map to find a few wine stores throughout the state.