Wisconsin Breweries, Wineries and things to do...

[B-Guy]

My DW and I are looking for an area in Wisconsin that is rich with Breweries and Wineries to celebrate our 40th anniversary in June. Ideally some ware there is good transportation so we can enjoy ourselves and not having to worry about driving. We’re also looking for suggestions of things to see and do outside of Breweries and Wineries.

TIA

 

[COcheesehead]

We’ve always enjoyed Door County. Lots of things to do and probably one of the prettiest parts of the state. Transportation would be the only issue.

Destination Door County | Door County, Wisconsin

With outdoor adventure, family fun, fascinating culture sites, and world-class dining and shopping, Door County, Wisconsin is one of the top travel destinations in the US.

www.doorcounty.com

 

[Lewis Clark]

Lots of things to do in and around Milwaukee.

Summerfest festival, breweries, the Brewers baseball team, bike rentals and good trails to ride on, museums, etc.

And for fans of the TV show Happy Days, the "Bronze Fonz" statue. : )

Door County is also nice. Al Johnson's restaurant with goats on the roof. Take a tour of Lambeau Field. Bike trails. River tubing.

 

[Mr._Graybeard]

The area around Madison is interesting. New Glarus is is an area with Swiss heritage and the renowned New Glarus brewery. South of there, Monroe is known for Limburger cheese and home to the old Huber brewery, now run by Minhas along with a distillery. To the west you have Mount Horeb and Mineral Point, scenic small towns, along with Dodgeville and Frank Lloyd Wright's hometown, Spring Green. Near Barneveld is the Botham winery. All of these are in the Driftless area, a scenic region similar to the Ozarks. And since they cater to tourists, you'l find a number of craft brewpubs because, well, Wisconsinites love to imbibe.

North of Madison is Wisconsin's most popular tourist region, Baraboo near Devil's Lake and Wisconsin Dells. Sauk City and Prairie Du Sac are across the river from the state's best-known winery, Wollersheim, founded by Agoston Haraszthy in the 1840s before he continued west and became the father of California viticulture.

All these towns are within an hour of Madison, which has plenty of eating and drinking attractions of its own. In addition to it being the state capital and home to the University of Wisconsin, it also has an unusual feature in that its downtown is built on an isthmus.

Of course there's plenty to see and do in and around Milwaukee and Door County as well.

 

[Slotracer]

As has been mentioned, the Madison area and Milwaukee are both great, with almost too many breweries and things to do. (If you do pick Madison, check out the free Epic tour).

Door County is touristy, but can't beat it if you also like the outdoors. It has plenty to do but is not overwhelming. Uber availability may be an issue.

I'll add Eau Claire/Chippewa Falls to the list, as it's on mine. College town with plenty of breweries and wineries, as well as outdoor activities. I'm guessing Uber is not a problem there.

 

[COcheesehead]

The cities are fun, but I was trying to address the winery desire. Door County has almost a dozen.

 

[B-Guy]

Door County seems to come up frequently in searches.

 

[savory]

The Door is a great choice. It continues to be a family vacation destination even though the family is not living near WI.

To minimize driving, select a time and town celebrating a festival. That will provide a lot of activity without driving. But you would still need transport to attend a fish boil, buy smoke fish, other great dinners, wine/beer, etc.

 

[B-Guy]

I’m almost always the DD. I would like to enjoy craft beer and wine without having to worry about driving. I’ve been looking for beer and wine tours but haven’t found any yet.

 

[Mulligan]

Door County seems to come up frequently in searches.

We went two years ago. Awesome area, and the wine was pretty cheap up there too at the wineries. There are 2 tourist seasons up there. The “Newlywed season” and the “Nearly Dead” season. The Newlywed season has the biggest crowds as couples and families go up there in the summer. We went in the “Nearly Dead” season in late September when its largely just old people and less people around. As CO said, you will need to drive though. Some cool lighthouses up there also to visit.

 

[savory]

We went two years ago. Awesome area, and the wine was pretty cheap up there too at the wineries. There are 2 tourist seasons up there. The “Newlywed season” and the “Nearly Dead” season. The Newlywed season has the biggest crowds as couples and families go up there in the summer. We went in the “Nearly Dead” season in late September when its largely just old people and less people around. As CO said, you will need to drive though. Some cool lighthouses up there also to visit.

It may not meet all of B-Guys objective but the Sister Bay Fall Fest has been our most frequent and favorite time to visit. An entire weekend of activity available in Sister Bay in mid-October. Once, we caught the trees at peak. Other years, still nice but not as dynamic.

If you are looking for oldtime parades where float participants toss candy to the kids, home made floats, local organizations with food stands, nearby fish boil at the fire house, Al Johnsons Goats on the Roof restauarant, a nicely done craft fair, never a shortage of beer (I do not remember the amount of variety) and more. Here is a link 80th Annual Sister Bay Fall Fest 2026 | Events & Festivals | Destination Door County

 

[buckskinbowman]

The area around Madison is interesting. New Glarus is is an area with Swiss heritage and the renowned New Glarus brewery. South of there, Monroe is known for Limburger cheese and home to the old Huber brewery, now run by Minhas along with a distillery. To the west you have Mount Horeb and Mineral Point, scenic small towns, along with Dodgeville and Frank Lloyd Wright's hometown, Spring Green. Near Barneveld is the Botham winery. All of these are in the Driftless area, a scenic region similar to the Ozarks. And since they cater to tourists, you'l find a number of craft brewpubs because, well, Wisconsinites love to imbibe.

North of Madison is Wisconsin's most popular tourist region, Baraboo near Devil's Lake and Wisconsin Dells. Sauk City and Prairie Du Sac are across the river from the state's best-known winery, Wollersheim, founded by Agoston Haraszthy in the 1840s before he continued west and became the father of California viticulture.

All these towns are within an hour of Madison, which has plenty of eating and drinking attractions of its own. In addition to it being the state capital and home to the University of Wisconsin, it also has an unusual feature in that its downtown is built on an isthmus.

Of course there's plenty to see and do in and around Milwaukee and Door County as well.

I second this suggestion! Baraboo, Portage, Wisconsin Dells area have at least 8 wineries and 7 breweries. Also tons of other attractions like Aldo Leopold Museum, Circus World Museum and International Crane Foundation in Baraboo. The Historic Indian Agency House in Portage, and tons of scenic attractions at Wisconsin Dells.

 

[dfblack]

My DW and I are looking for an area in Wisconsin that is rich with Breweries and Wineries to celebrate our 40th anniversary in June. Ideally some ware there is good transportation so we can enjoy ourselves and not having to worry about driving. We’re also looking for suggestions of things to see and do outside of Breweries and Wineries.

TIA

My wife and I are recently retired and want to learn more about the state we both grew up in but never had time to explore. PBS has some great shows on Wisconsin like "John McGivern’s Main Streets" and "Wisconsin Life" and others. There is also a great website (https://www.travelwisconsin.com/) that is really helpful if you are looking in a specific region or timeframe.

We also subscribe to a magazine (yes, a physical magazine, because we are old ) called "Our Wisconsin" that is really useful and educational as well.

Between all of those sources, we keep a little bucket list of Wisconsin places and events we want to explore.

 

[COcheesehead]

I second this suggestion! Baraboo, Portage, Wisconsin Dells area have at least 8 wineries and 7 breweries. Also tons of other attractions like Aldo Leopold Museum, Circus World Museum and International Crane Foundation in Baraboo. The Historic Indian Agency House in Portage, and tons of scenic attractions at Wisconsin Dells.

If you go to the Dells area, a must stop is Ishnala. The quintessential “supper club” in all the US. Have a brandy old fashion. It’s an awesome place.

Ishnala Supper Club in Lake Delton, Wisconsin

Located just minutes from Wisconsin Dells, Ishnala Supper Club is nestled in the middle of beautiful Mirror Lake State Park. Entrance to the property includes a beautiful winding drive through hundreds of acres of meadow and forest. Our relaxing dining room offers a breathtaking view of tranquil...

www.ishnala.com

 

[COcheesehead]

My wife and I are recently retired and want to learn more about the state we both grew up in but never had time to explore. PBS has some great shows on Wisconsin like "John McGivern’s Main Streets" and "Wisconsin Life" and others. There is also a great website (https://www.travelwisconsin.com/) that is really helpful if you are looking in a specific region or timeframe.

We also subscribe to a magazine (yes, a physical magazine, because we are old ) called "Our Wisconsin" that is really useful and educational as well.

Between all of those sources, we keep a little bucket list of Wisconsin places and events we want to explore.

There is a really good series on YouTube called Wisconsin Foodie. He explores all kinds of interesting culinary delights in the state.

 

[Out-to-Lunch]

I don't know how I missed this thread. If you come to Milwaukee, and you don't want to drive, there is a shuttle that transits between 5 local microbrews. (Well, maybe including one of them, Lakefront, may be considered a midi-brew.)

Riverwest's free brewery shuttle circles back for another round

PM me. Perhaps I can put you up!

 

[sdtech]

Not a beer post, but I was at a church service with a retired Wisconsin minister. The reading was David and Goliath - he said he believed David was from Wisconsin since he had a cheese connection (goats) and he defeated Giants, Lions and Bears.

Now the beer part - years ago when beer's normally cost $4, I was in a hotel lounge in Beaver Dam and ordered a local beer waiting for my contact. I put out $10 and got $9.45 in change. I asked, "is this right?" and the bartender apologized that beer went from 50 cents to 55 cents a month ago.... "well ok then"

 

[marinauser]

If wineries are your interest, you are probably better off in Michigan - I have not found a memorable winery in Wisconsin although there are a couple that get mentioned on the internet. Then again, to my mind, Wisconsin is much more of a beer state than Michigan.

 

[yakers]

Great beer in New Glarus, if you get to Stevens Point try Point Special ('the majors spill more beer than we make')
If you remember the commercial "If you're out of Schlitz, you're out of beer", well, if you're out of Point, you're out of town.

 

[ArmchairMillionaire]

Door County is touristy, but can't beat it if you also like the outdoors. It has plenty to do but is not overwhelming. Uber availability may be an issue.

Beer, Wine, Cocktail Tours Egg Harbor WI | Door County Trolley

Reserve a trolley from Door County Trolley to drive you around Egg Harbor, WI and enjoy a beer, wine, or cocktail tour. Drink 'wisconsinbly' and book today!

doorcountytrolley.com

 

[B-Guy]

Thanks for all the great suggestions so far. We are planning to be in Wisconsin the end of May to the first part of June. Many of you have suggested Door County. After a lot of research looking on what all is available to do in Door County, we are planning to spend a good part of our time there. We found a resort in Ephraim that has a plethora of wineries nearby. It looks as though we could spend a lot of time in the area and not run out of things to do.

Madison is on our short list, looks like there might be some scenic areas to visit. We’re open to additional suggestions around the Madison area, and working our way towards Door County.

 

[ArmchairMillionaire]

Thanks for all the great suggestions so far. We are planning to be in Wisconsin the end of May to the first part of June. Many of you have suggested Door County. After a lot of research looking on what all is available to do in Door County, we are planning to spend a good part of our time there. We found a resort in Ephraim that has a plethora of wineries nearby. It looks as though we could spend a lot of time in the area and not run out of things to do.

Madison is on our short list, looks like there might be some scenic areas to visit. We’re open to suggestions around the Madison area, and working our way towards Door County.

Our favorite thing to do in south-central Wisconsin is a quick stop at Wisconsin Dells for a ride on the Wisconsin Ducks!

Homepage - Original Wisconsin Ducks

www.wisconsinducktours.com

Have a fun vacation!

 

[B-Guy]

There is a really good series on YouTube called Wisconsin Foodie. He explores all kinds of interesting culinary delights in the state.

We found an Amish creamery on Wisconsin Foodie that specializes in blue cheese we may have to visit.

 

[Mr._Graybeard]

If you want to visit a microbrewery in Madison, I'd suggest Giant Jones. Their beers are high-gravity, though, so arrange lodging nearby!

New Glarus would be a must-stop for me. They have a great brewery and do not distribute their beers outside Wisconsin. There's also a vineyard just west of town, Bailey's Run.

From New Glarus, take state Highway 92 up to Mount Horeb, "Troll Capital of the World." turn onto state Highway 78, which will take you to the twin cities of Sauk City/Prairie du Sac. The state's most historical winery, Wollersheim, is on Highway 188 on the opposite side of the river from Prairie. The highways in this Driftless area are quite scenic.

From Sauk/Prairie you can go west to Spring Green, home of Frank Lloyd Wright and his Taliesin estate, or head north to Baraboo, which has Circus World Museum and Devil's Lake State Park. The center of town is a scenic courthouse square flanked by the historic Al. Ringling Theater. West of downtown is Ochsner Park, which has a small, well-maintained zoo of rehabilitated wildlife and rescued exotic animals. The park is on the Baraboo River, a nice place for a picnic. The conservation minded may enjoy a stop at the International Crane Foundation and Aldo Leopold's shack.

Head north on Highway 12, and you're in the Wisconsin Dells tourism mecca, where there's plenty to see and do.

Highway 23 eastbound will take you eventually to Fond du Lac at the foot of Lake Winnebago. On the way you might want to pause at Green Lake and Ripon, birthplace of the Republican Party. Ripon College's alumni include Spencer Tracy and Harrison Ford.

from Fond du Lac, take Highway 151 and 55 up the eastern shore of Lake Winnebago. The road follows the edge of the Niagara Escarpment, a shield of dolomite limestone that's the bed of Lakes Michigan, Huron and Erie. The eastern edge of the shield forms Niagara Falls.

From there, you can head north toward Green Bay or swing eastward on US 10 to Manitowoc and make your way up the Lakeshore to Door County

 

[B-Guy]

New Glarus would be a must-stop for me. They have a great brewery and do not distribute their beers outside Wisconsin. There's also a vineyard just west of town, Bailey's Run.

My apologies, we have had some exceptionally good weather, so I have been working around the farms more than normal. When I had a moment to get caught up a bit, I should have reread all your posts to prevent duplicating my thoughts, but failed to do so.

We are planning to spend some time between New Glarus and the upper peninsula. Not sure where exactly yet, however we will plan to spend another day or two somewhere between the two. Mr._Graybeard has had great suggestions which I will likely follow loosely, but avoiding the more touristy areas.