Homegrown success straight from the vine

Jennifer Much

Contributor

June 1, 2023

CATO – Ten years ago, Jeremy Haese took his passion for gardening to a whole new level when he planted his first rows of grape vines – a leap of faith that he said landed him right where he wanted to be.

Soon, those vines led to growing plump grapes and now a thriving business – Silarian Vineyards, a family-owned winery located on Hilltop Road in Manitowoc County.

First comes beer
Haese said his reverence for wine first started with an interest in beer.

“I started out making beer with buddies,” he said. “Once I started gardening in a location where I could grow more long-term plants, I put in some fruit perennials like strawberries, raspberries, an apple tree and a reliance grape.”

Reliance grapes, Haese said, are a seedless, deep-red variety of grape that are juicy and flavorful.

The high sugar content makes these grapes perfect for salads, table use, jellies and most fittingly, he said, wines. 

“At that point, I was still just making beer, but also starting to become a foodie,” he said. “Wine was a pretty quick and natural progression with gardening, cooking and beer making.”

A dream, Haese said, turned pretty quickly into reality when a spring seed catalog arrived in the mail advertising Frontenac wine grapes.

“It was perfectly suited for my location and even much colder parts of the Midwest,” he said. “The purchase was made and the first wine grape was planted.”

Haese said friends, family and a former neighbor – who had a similar interest in wine – pitched in to help.

“Together we, by hand, terraced a few hundred vines on his family’s farm land,” he said.

As the fruit of their labor along that steep hillside began to flourish, Haese began to look for land of his own to expand.
“Researching cold, hardy viticulture became a serious hobby,” he said. 

It was during this time, while living in Manitowoc, that Haese said he met his wife Brenda, and the pair set out to grow the vineyard together.

“The planets aligned for a brief moment,” he said.

The couple eventually found an old farmhouse in the Town of Cato.

“I was ready to get back to the country,” he said. 

//17bec5072710cda5b8dd81b69f4c6e58.cdn.bubble.io/f1685647266699x615934350607638900/richtext_content.webpJeremy, Brenda, Luca and Cora Haese

Updates and a purchase of an additional 3.2-acre parcel, Silarian Vineyards opened its doors.

“I learned that we got really lucky and fell into a perfect spot to grow grapes right in the heart of the Wisconsin Ledge AVA,” he said.

The Wisconsin Ledge AVA, found in many counties spanning the state, is an American Viticultural Area along the Niagara Escarpment, Haese said.

Haese said the vineyard’s location allows the business to produce rows of vines that yield a crop with a touch of exclusivity. 

“We grow some grape varieties that are not common in other Wisconsin, commercial-sized vineyards,” he said. “Being located between two lakes, and at a very advantageous distance to Lake Michigan, gives us one of the best growing zones in the state.”

It’s all in a name 
Even the vineyard’s unique moniker ties back to the land.

Derived from the word “Silurian,” Haese said Silarian relates to a geological term.

“Silarian Vineyards is smack dab in the middle of the Niagara Escarpment – a large plate of Silurian bedrock that was formed from ancient sea floor when the Midwestern area was an inland sea,” he said.

Haese said even the vineyard’s logo pays homage to its location.

“Our logo is actually a life form that was found in the tidal pools of that time period and now found as fossils in the Silurian dolomite,” he said. “This is a tip of our hat to our local rocks.”

Focus on estate wines
Haese said Silarian Vineyards – which is home to LaCresent, La Crosse, Verona, Marquette, Petite Pearl and Oberlin Noir grapes – focuses on creating estate wines and Wisconsin wines.

“Wisconsin wines are truly amazing, and we want to be part of putting Wisconsin wines on the map,” he said.

The vineyard – which encompasses five acres of planted vines, along with a winery and tasting room – Haese said, is a family affair.

“The whole family is in on this,” he said. “Harvest is about a six-week phase, and our parents are here multiple times a week to help.”

Haese is in charge of the winery and vineyard operations, while Brenda serves as chief financial officer and helps in the tasting room on weekends.

He said his dad can also be found helping year-round in the vineyard.

The Haese’s two children, Luca and Cora, are also important helpers of the business.

“Our kids are pretty young yet, but they are eager to do what we are willing to hand off,” he said.?

Haese said Silarian Vineyards aims to provide its customers with a “bucolic setting to enjoy Wisconsin wine where you are actually among the vines at the farm.”

Haese said Silarian Vineyards wines are offered by the bottle or the glass in the tasting room – which he said is constantly changing.

As summer rounds, Haese said Silarian Vineyards will again host music and pop up events, and the grounds can be rented for private functions and special celebrations. 

The future
Haese said Silarian Vineyards’ business plan was built around the natural cycle of starting an estate winery, “which plans for capital up front and a slower launch as vines and wines mature.”

 “We were able to use that time to make more wine,” he said.

Haese said his vision for the vineyard is ever-growing.

“Last fall, Silarian Vineyards purchased an 18-acre parcel directly north and adjacent to our current property,” he said. “It is a perfect vineyard site.”

More to come on that soon, Haese said.

Silarian Vineyards is open from 4-8 p.m. on Thursdays, noon to 9 p.m. on Fridays and noon to 6 p.m. on Saturdays. 

For more information on the vineyards, its wines and special events, visit silarianvineyards.com.