WOLLERSHEIM WINERY
Handpicking frozen grapes at Wollersheim Winery.
How Wisconsin winemakers are adapting to climate change MOLLY MEISTER
It’s a brisk cold morning in mid-December, with the mercury hovering around 15 degrees. While many of us are snuggling under blankets or enjoying a warm cup of coffee, Philippe Coquard and his small team of workers are bundled up braving the elements and handpicking frozen grapes on their 27-acre vineyard in Prairie du Sac. These special grapes, known as St. Pepin, are on their way to becoming Wollersheim’s award-winning ice wine, known for its intensely sweet taste, almost like liquid honey. Affectionately known as the “nectar of the vines,”
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it’s a holiday treat that pairs well with cheesecake, pecans and other desserts. Ice wine is among dozens of specialty wines sourced from grapes grown around the state. It joins the ranks of wines created with other Midwestern grape varieties bred to thrive in Wisconsin’s historically cooler climate. However, as state temperatures fluctuate between unseasonal highs and lows, and Wisconsin experiences extremes of droughts or heavy precipitation, local winemakers are feeling the effects of climate change.
