Neighbors March 2011 | Page 21

Day Trips (Continued from Page 20) When people think of traveling in Wisconsin, these places most often come to mind: the Dells, Milwaukee Zoo, Minocqua and Door County. And, why not? After all, they are well known and pretty spectacular. However, if thoughts of the norm make you yawn, chances are you will enjoy reading Day Trips each month. ROAD LESS TRAVELED Ann Marie and I spent six years discovering destinations about which we have not been able to stop talking. We hope you will also want to experience these same adventures and satisfy your travel bug, as we have. Soon after, Peter Kehl, a German immigrant took over and established the present buildings during the Civil War period. After his death, Peter’s son Jacob assumed control and sold wine in small barrels to customers as far away as Maine. He operated the winery until his death in 1899. The family then stopped making wine and began planting conventional crops. Dedicated to the unordinary, we know we will always find the perfect restaurant even though we may walk in and walk right back out of several establishments in the process; knowing the ambience is not quite what we are seeking. RESCUE Although we have missed our share of exits and turns, almost magically, we find the perfect place, leaving us with breathless excitement, meaningful moments and stories that must be told. Today, John and Jo Ann’s daughter, Julie, runs the winery with her husband, Phillippe Cocquard, a winemaker who arrived in 1984 from the Beaujolais region of France. WELCOME TO WOLLERSHEIM Phillippe grew up working with his two uncles at their family wineries. The winery is open year round with tours running hourly. It is hidden it seems; Wollersheim Winery is a national historic site, is nestled on a hillside overlooking the Wisconsin River. In 1972, the property had been nearly abandoned. John and Jo Ann Wollersheim purchased it and restored it into a working winery. (Continued on Page 22) HERITAGE Hungarian Count Agoston Haraszthy initially selected the property for vineyards in the 1840’s. In 1849, after years of struggling with winter damage and tough economic times, he headed west to follow the gold rush. Eventually, he became known as the founder of the California wine industry. Page 21 Neighbors-March 2011