A Jill Story: Putting the WI-ne in WI

Say "Wisconsin Cheese!"

Yesterday we left the suburbs of Minneapolis and arrived in Baraboo, Wisconsin. We were looking forward to this next leg of the trip because it was when we would finally meet Daniel, one of the staff members at the Best Western Baraboo Hotel. Daniel emailed me after I booked my stay to ask if I had any special requests or needed any suggestions for planning my stay in town. His friendliness and excitement to share his knowledge about the places to visit in the area was such a treat.We took his recommendation to eat at the Log Cabin last night and were glad we did. Great food, cheap, and so much to look at inside!

Baraboo WI sits just south of Wisconsin Dells which is a summer hotspot known for its waterparks. I'm not really sure why they decided to hang their hats on waterparks and not on the beautiful landscape and smattering of wineries.

Our day started with a made-to-order breakfast from Bonzos, the restaurant that is adjoined to the hotel. This was included as part of our stay, which was a super nice perk and change from they cold cereal, waffles and serve-yourself toast and pasteries that is the norm.

And they called it, Puppy Love

After our heart breakfast we headed out and browsed around downtown Baraboo, stopping at a couple of different gift shops and a neat used bookstore. I might have been more interested in the wares at the bookstore if it were not for the fact that my suitcase is already bursting and heavy. Most memorable about that shop though was the golden retriever who was snoozing by the door and greeted visitors with a happy tail wag. I bent down to get better acquainted with the pooch and melted when it put a paw on my arm for a doggie hug.

After two hours downtown we took a 20 minute drive south to Wollersheim Winery for the tour and tastings. The tour was $5 and there was a free flight of samples. We also took in a flight of reds for an added $3 and sampled their top red for $2. The tour was interesting. Wollersheim is the oldest winery in the US. The first guy to own it sold it after losing his crop to the harsh Wisconsin winter. He then moved to California and is considered the father of the Napa Valley wine region.

The winery and its grounds is a beautiful space, even in February. The sun came out for a bit in the afternoon as we stood outside and I was delighted to feel its heat on the backs of my legs. Again, I was left scratching my head a bit when the tour guide said that they did not offer the place out for events (i.e., weddings). I thought back to my summer last year in Kelowna and Osoyoos and could picture the same kind of crowd taking in this small gem of a region. With Wisconsin being known for its cheese it seems like a perfect pairing. The guide explained that the family that owned this particular winery wanted to "keep it about the wine-making", which I guess I can respect from an artisan point of view.

So my favourite wine from Wollersheim was their chardonnay. I purchased it and their white port, which was also delicious. We weren't happy though when we stopped at the grocery store on the way home and found most of the bottles on the shelf cheaper than at the winery. Again, weird business practice.