Parallel 44 Opens New Winery, Vineyard in Sturgeon Bay
DOOR 44 CREATING AUTHENTIC VINEYARD/WINERY EXPERIENCE
The newest winery and vineyard in Door County is a little taste of Napa Valley on 20 acres just north of Sturgeon Bay. The Marquette varietal grapevines growing at the corner of County P and Highway 42 have been cultivated on the property for the last five years.
The grapes are being used in such red wines as Petite Pearl Reserve and Vintner’s Choice Marquette Reserve. To establish a reputation in Door County, Kewaunee-based Parallel 44 owners Steve Johnson and Maria Milano operated a tasting room “Door 44” next door to Grandma Tommy’s Country Store in Sturgeon Bay – a great pairing for both businesses. Now the time has arrived for Johnson and Milano to share their dream of creating an authentic vineyard/winery experience on the Door Peninsula.
These two wine lovers started their working lives as attorneys, raising three children, until they honeymooned in the Napa valley wine region of California. Johnson said he and Maria looked at each other while sitting in the middle of a Napa vineyard, enjoying wine and thought ‘Why not do this in Wisconsin?’
“Ignorance is bliss,” Johnson said, taking in the sunshine on the outdoor patio of his new Door 44 winery just north of Sturgeon Bay in the Town of Sevastopol, on the corner of County P and Highway 42. “When you start a winery and vineyard, you have to become a farmer, a marketer, a wine maker. This is more challenging than practicing law!”
The 11,000 square foot building includes a tasting room with indoor and outdoor seating and space for small events. Both the interior and exterior of the building incorporate Door County limestone and fieldstone into the design and landscaping: the tasting bar is encased in rock, the planters are built of rock and Door County stone giving the exterior Door 44 sign three-dimensional qualities. The crushed-stone driveway winds its way up a small incline to the building, slowing your entrance and providing wide views of the countryside in either direction.
“We want people to join in our experience, and feel connected to Door County and the winery,” Johnson explained. “We’re working to redefine what Wisconsin wine is, and can be.”
For the 2019 season, Door 44 is open 7 days a week, 10 a.m.-6 p.m. The tasting room will host live music each week, serve cheese and bread plates, host winemaker dinners and local cheese producers. It’s also tentatively planning a Harvest Festival in September during grape harvest. For details and more info, check its website: 44wineries.com.
