It’s proven to be a good climate for grape growing. No, we’re not talking about Napa Valley California but rather Manitowoc County. Silarian Vineyards and Winery is located on Hilltop Road, one mile south of the Village of Whitelaw and is owned by Jeremy & Brenda Haese. Jeremy spoke with SeehaferNews.com about the meaning behind the vineyard’s name, explaining that it is one vowel away from the geological time period known as Silurian, which is when the limestone was created that inhabits the area.
Haese explains they have a pretty broad mix of grapes growing on 5-acres of land, including 4 red wine grapes, and 4 wine grapes. “With the 8 variety of grapes, we can create a broad spectrum of wines,” he told us. “Everything from a dry barrel aged red, to a dry white or a sweet white, or an easy drinking red. Eventually, we plan on doing a sparkling white wine.”
Jeremy admits it’s nice to sit back at the end of the day and look how much the vineyard has grown. He said “It’s come a long way from the one vine we had in our apartment in Manitowoc all those years ago.”
Those vines have been growing since 2013 and Haese says, like agriculture in general, it’s been a challenging year, saying that the cold wet year makes things difficult. “You constantly monitor the health of all the vines and fruit, and have to make picking decisions based on what Mother Nature will let you get for that year.” He says it’s a hand-harvested crop, so they rely on extended family and close friends to pick the crop into this weekend, despite the much cooler temperatures.
They’re starting to bottle products at Silarian Winery and will do sales & marketing through their Tasting Room. Jeremy and Brenda are also hosting a Young Business Group from the Chamber of Manitowoc County next Thursday. Jeremy says they are open to the public for those interested in seeing the wine making process. More information can be found on their website at silarianvineyards.com.
