This new Brown County monument tells the story of Wisconsin Ledge and its wineries

WAYSIDE – A monument to the Wisconsin Ledge AVA was completed at the end of July and its map of wineries already is out of date. That`s a good thing.

The Wisconsin wine industry no longer is just a hobby for a few dedicated enthusiasts, and, as the monument attests, it hasn`t been for quite a while.

Steve DeBaker, owner of Trout Springs Winery, was the driving force behind the federal recognition of Wisconsin Ledge as an American Viticultural Area, or AVA, and the creation of the monument. When DeBaker opened his winery in 2005, there were about eight wineries in the AVA, compared with 25 today.

As the U.S. Department of the Treasury explains, an AVA, is a grape-growing region with specific geographic or climatic features that distinguish it from surrounding regions and affects how grapes are grown. An AVA designation on a wine label allows vintners to describe more accurately to consumers the origin of their wines and helps consumers identify wines they purchase. So they can go back and buy them again....
   ...more