The Wisconsin State Fair features the Wisconsin Wine Garden. There, fairgoers can taste a flight of Wisconsin wines not only for enjoyment but to see how cold weather grapes and Midwestern wines compare to their counterparts out West and overseas.
Vintner and grape grower Rich Trotta from Drumlin Ridge Winery in Waunakee, serves guests at the Wisconsin State Fair. He’s proud to represent Drumlin Ridge and tell folks ‘I made this.’
Trotta says several universities are continuing to develop hybrid grapes for colder climates. He says he knows how good Napa Valley wines are — growers have hundreds of years on the Midwest in production. Midwestern wines are up and coming, he says.
But he encourages people to drink Wisconsin wine for the different variety of grapes and other fruits that go into wine in this region. Trotta is particular fond of working with cranberries and apples — fruits that Wisconsin can boast about.
