The Chiselled Grape Winery

 

Wineries have been blending different grape varieties into complex fusions for as long as they have been bottling this delightful, fermented fruit.  But, knowing that there was so much more to be discovered, we longed for a wine experience unlike any other. We wanted to experience the marriage of a mysterious and enchanting cold-weather grape from New York with the romance of France’s fruit. We wanted to taste the beautiful depth of an Italian harvest, the seduction of a Chilean grape, and the mystery of Australian soil, artfully mingling in one beautiful glass of vino. We sought to craft flavors that complemented each other in ways no one had ever discovered before. We wanted more than complex, more than balanced. We wanted magnificent. We knew that to discover this magnificent experience, we would have to carve it out ourselves. So we did, and Chiselled Grape Winery was born.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

The Vineyard

 

The Chiselled Grape Winery and its small, one acre vineyard resides in Grafton, Wisconsin, where Port Washington Road and Lakefield Road meet. Our search for the perfect location for The Chiselled Grape Winery led us to many beautiful and interesting places in southeastern Wisconsin. We explored old farm houses and charming buildings that could undoubtedly tell endless stories. But, it was when we came upon an old school house, built on 2 acres of open land, that we finally ended our search. The Chiselled Grape Winery, born of the desire to discover, grow, and flourish, would fittingly make its home in this enchanting school house, complete with the ideal space for a research vineyard.  Other larger acreages are now being identified to enhance our research vines, and we look forward to vinting the grapes grown at our new location in 2013.

 

In the meantime, we have many grape growers in Wisconsin providing gorgeous vines, and appellations from around the country from which we make our fine selection of grape wines. The grape varieties we currently grow include Rkatsiteli (native to the country of Georgia and known as one of the oldest grape varieties), Arctic (a newly defined vinifera grape variety identified at Cornell University), and Gewürztraminer (that unique and spicy Alsatian grape). Each is grafted onto a hearty winter root especially selected for our winery by Frederick Frank, famous for his family winery in the Finger Lakes Region of New York.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

The Wine Makers

 

Harald Tomesch and Allan Haas, the founders of The Chiselled Grape Winery, have known each other for what feels like a lifetime.  But, long before Harald and Allan came together to make wine, they were both inspired by Jazz music. Reveling in improvisation, fusion and the unexpected, their love and appreciation for the elusive art that is Jazz music has proved to be very much alive in their wine-making philosophy.

 

Harald and Allan started their journey in search of a wine experience unlike any other. They wanted to discover the nuances of rare grapes and the tastes that might be unearthed when these unique grapes are blended with more traditional offerings. Creating Jazz music is very much a similar journey – taking what one knows and understands about the art and fusing it with improvisation, experimental collaboration and the quest to create something extraordinary.

 

It is this collaboration and desire to carve out a completely new wine experience that makes The Chiselled Grape Winery so different than those who have come before us. We welcome you to visit us in Grafton and explore all of the wines we have created for you.

 

Piero Spada, Our Wine Expert

 

Piero Spada’s passion for wine stems from the intersection of his deep rooted Italian heritage (dad Mino hails from Puglia, Italy – home of the Primitivo grape/wine) and his inherent interest in the biological sciences.

 

Piero received his BS in Biology from UW-Madison, where he spent time working as a researcher in the fruit crop physiology lab. After graduation, Piero continued his studies in upstate New York, in the Viticulture and Enology program at Cornell University. The established program focuses on the unique characteristics and potential of cool climate viticulture and enology, much to the benefit of the thriving upstate NY wine industry.  While at Cornell, he studied under Dr. Justine Vanden Heuvel, Assistant Professor of Viticulture, focusing his research on the effects of cluster shading on phenolic content and composition in grapes and wine. After finishing his graduate studies, Piero became the Winemaker at Anyela’s Vineyards in the Finger Lakes of NY. It was here that he enjoyed establishing the wine portfolio, implementing appropriate cultural practices in the vineyard, strategizing the harvest/crush, and even pouring a few samples in the tasting room. At Anyela’s, Piero was able to hone the craft of creating awarding winning wines under the tutelage of consultant Rob Thomas of Shalestone vineyards.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

We Are In The News

 

http://www.jsonline.com/business/125272873.html

http://onmilwaukee.com/dining/articles/chisgrape2011.html?26729