Sipping on the Escarpment: A Wine Day in Door County

For crisp, expressive cold‑climate wines along scenic escarpment vistas, Door County delivers. This day trip visits four estate‑focused wineries—Door 44 Winery, Anchored Roots Vineyard & Winery, Whitecap Winery, and Mixed Meadia Wines—each contributing to the signature Ledge Blanc style or exploring its terroir in creative ways.

Map Your Route

Total Drive Time: ~1 hour (not including tastings or meals)

View the interactive map of the route

Stop 1: Door 44 Winery — Sturgeon Bay, WI

Begin in their sleek tasting room overlooking the vineyards. Door 44 is known for producing Ledge Blanc as part of the Ledge Blanc consortium, under its Parallel 44 umbrella.

• Ledge Blanc (2023 vintage): Bright, fresh, and crisp, with pear, kiwi, starfruit, honeydew melon, lemon-meringue, and subtle limestone minerality.
• Other notable offerings: Marquette Reserve, La Crescent, plus ice‑wine styles like Frozen Tundra White & Red and Glacier Fumé.

What to Try:

• Ledge Blanc (signature white blend)
• Glacier Fumé (dry white with honey and oak)
• Frozen Tundra White (semi‑dry ice wine style)

Stop 2: Anchored Roots Vineyard & Winery — Egg Harbor, WI

This boutique estate harvests from their own cold-hardy vineyard planted since 2020. They are a member of the Ledge Blanc consortium, offering their own version of Ledge Blanc.

• Anchored Roots Ledge Blanc (2024): Blend of approx. 56% Itasca, 37% Frontenac Blanc, 7% La Crescent An elegant, dry white blend with a lively palate of citrus, melon, and limestone.
• By-the-glass options: Frontenac Gris, Ledge Rosé (off-dry)

What to Try:

• Anchored Roots Ledge Blanc (VQA‑style blend)
• Frontenac Gris (fruity‑aromatic, light sweet)
• Ledge Rosé (off‑dry, red berry blend)

Stop 3: Whitecap Winery — Ellison Bay, WI

Whitecap specializes in estate‑grown cold-hardy varietals and blends. Though they are not a public tasting room and do not produce Ledge Blanc specifically, their offerings reflect and support the strong Ledge AVA expression.

What to Try:

• Marquette (structured red with cherry and spice)
• Petite Pearl (soft-textured, ripe flavors)
• Frontenac Blanc or Beachstone white (light blend with pear and pineapple)
• Brianna (tropical‑floral aromas)
• St. Pepin (semi-sweet crisp with pear/lemon notes)

Stop 4: Mixed Meadia Wines — Egg Harbor, WI

Mixed Meadia is both a winery and meadery, producing creative sparkling wines, co-ferments, cider blends, and Ledge Blanc offerings with fruit and honey sourced exclusively from the Wisconsin Ledge AVA.

What to Try:

• Mixed Meadia Ledge Blanc ’24 (an estate grown, wild fermented blend of Itasca, L’Acadie Blanc, and LaCrescent)
• Blanc de Gris (one of their Traditional Champagne Method Sparkling Wines)
• Cherry Pét-Nat (local tart cherries, bone dry and naturally sparkling)

Explore the wines, meet the growers, and enjoy a crisp sip of Wisconsin’s wine future—one glass of Ledge Blanc at a time.