July Wine Club
Tasting notes for wines in the July 2026 release! We love the summer release as it allows for white wines to shine! You’ll see some lovely LedgeStone releases, our featured Nomadic brand, Mixed Meadia and a couple of additional adds for those in the all reds package.
Cheers!
PS: You will be able to swap out a white wine for a red if you are in a combo package for a small upgrade. The Cabernet Franc is excluded from upgrades on this release.
Producer: LedgeStone Vineyards
Grape: Frontenac Noir
Year: 2022
ABV: 13.4%
Country/Region: The Ledge AVA, Greenleaf, WI
The estate-grown Frontenac has roots planted as early as 1999 and is what our vineyard is primarily planted in. Frontenac is known as the ‘King’ of the Cold-hardy varietals (okay, maybe just to us). The plant itself is resilient and loves our vineyard site. The Niagara Escarpment (The Ledge) keeps us a little cooler in the Spring, providing a buffer from late frost and typically keeps us a little warmer in the fall, allowing for a long ripening when the right conditions are met. The 2022 vintage is interesting – it’s four years after we took over the vineyard, bringing the vines back to their happy place. And now, it’s four years later that we are releasing the wine, where has time gone.
If I remember correctly, 2022 was a nice and pleasant summer but we never got that real warm September which we generally rely on for that last home stretch of ripening. Therefore, this Frontenac is a bit more delicate, showing off it’s cherry characteristics and velvety structure. As the wine continues to open up in bottle, the underlying chocolate notes peak through. Per usual, we used a combination of neutral and new American oak – it’s present but not overwhelming. For those that are learning the Frontenac grape, you’ll find that it’s not an overly tannic wine. We see the tannins as a trade-off for the ability to survive our cold winters (-25F). Rather, the tannins you’ll gently come across are those from the oak aging.
The 2022 Frontenac is a beaut and a lovely expression of Frontenac in its many forms. This wine was bottled in January 2026 and trust its been hard to hold it back from you all! Enjoy this wine with a slight chill and we love it with venison with a sweet marinade. We can’t wait to continue to share our style of winemaking with Frontenac. Its an amazing thing to drink the fruits of our labors and hope you enjoy it as much as we do.
Producer: LedgeStone Vineyards
Grape: Albarino
Year: 2025
ABV: 13.2%
Country/Region: Lodi, California
Raise your hand if LedgeStone introduced you to Albarino and you’ve been obsessed ever since! Albarino is a white grape that originates in Spain, hanging out with the cool ocean breeze. While Lodi, CA may not be ocean-side, this particular block grows mountainside, allowing for the fruit to catch those cooler nights to preserve acidity and freshness.
We source the Albarino from Geraldo and have been working with him for nearly six years now. It’s a beautiful thing to develop a relationship with a grower on the other side of the country. Geraldo knows the sugar and acid levels we desire; he knows we like to put a pre-fermentation yeast on the grapes which gobble up oxygen and create CO2 for a layer of protection and most of all – it’s good fun to swap bottles and taste how our winemaking styles compare.
Albarino at LSV certainly has a cult following. It’s loved for being incredibly refreshing, notes of lemon pith, nectarine, and candied limes. It’s that same category as Sauvignon Blanc but aims to be the cooler cousin. This vintage we blended a tiny bit of said Sauvy and LaCrescent. In blending trials, we found it helped highlight the characters natural to the Albo while pushing it a step further. Enjoy this one with girlfriends, fruit, shrimp pasta or heck – just toss an ice cube in it and enjoy it by yourself, enjoying the summer sunset.
About Mixed Meadia
Allan was one of the first winemakers we met in Wisconsin. He got a round table together to try wines from the vintage and talk about the wins, challenges, and styles we had faced that season (mind you, this was after our very first vintage in 2017, probably around that December). At the time, he was new to the region and was the winemaker at Door County Winery.
What struck us about Allan was his determination and passion for the craft and industry. He was keen to make The Ledge AVA known across the world, bringing these cold-hardy grapes to light. Fast forward and Allan now works at Hatch Distillery and has his personal side project of Mixed Meadia (shared tasting room with Hatch). Everything Allan (and his partner Emily) does comes from the land around you. The honey in the mead, the cherries in the sparkling projects, and yes, the grapes used in the winemaking. They meticulously focus on organic products, research, and a ton of patience to bring out a unique and outstanding wine.
I’m putting it together now that Allan joined the Hatch/Mixed Meadia team in 2022 and we are featuring the 2022 Blanc de Blanc! The other featured wine showcases the promise he set out for himself to make a wine highlighting the region, Ledge Blanc, which is now a project taken on by many vintners in the AVA.
We admire Allan and Emily and the way they look at the steps and products of winemaking; heck, we admire those two because they set their minds to something and follow through – exceeding expectations. That’s what Wisconsin is all about – the fruits of our labors and supporting one another from start to finish. We hope you enjoy these wines as much as we do.
Producer: Mixed Meadia
Wine: Ledge Blanc
Grape: 54% La Crescent, 24% Itasca, 22% L’Acadie Blanc
Region/County: WI Ledge AVA (Egg Harbor, WI)
Vintage: 2025
Ledge Blanc is a crisp, aromatic, and refreshing white wine crafted from six Door County-grown grape varieties: Itasca, La Crescent, L’Acadie Blanc, St. Pepin, Frontenac Gris, and Brianna. Produced in accordance with the Ledge Blanc program, each wine is evaluated by an independent panel of wine professionals to ensure it reflects the style and quality of the Wisconsin Ledge AVA.
The style is shaped by the place it comes from. Our cool, lake-moderated climate creates a more predictable growing season, allowing the grapes to ripen while preserving their bright natural acidity and expressive aromatics. Beneath the vineyards lies the dolomitic limestone of the Niagara Escarpment, which gives the Wisconsin Ledge its name and provides the well-drained soils that help define the region’s wines. Together, the climate and geology produce whites that are vibrant, balanced, aromatic, and exceptionally food-friendly. Fermented with native yeast and bottled unfined and unfiltered, Ledge Blanc is our purest expression of what this region does best.
The Ledge Blanc label is inspired by The Fool tarot card, but instead of depicting a character, it features the landscape of the Wisconsin Ledge. To us, Ledge Blanc represents the pure expression of our region. The artwork changes every vintage to tell the story of the growing season. The 2025 label reflects a dry vintage, the unusually early appearance of spiders throughout the vineyard canopy, and the powerful windstorm that swept through Door County, toppling cherry trees while our vines stood resilient. The Fitz is included in recognition of its 50th anniversary and as a reminder that the waters surrounding Door County create both the unique climate that shapes our wines and the dramatic weather that defines each vintage.
Producer: Mixed Meadia
Grape: LaCrescent and L’Acadie
Region/Country: WI Ledge AVA (Kewaunee and Egg Harbor, WI)
Vintage: 2022
Style: Sparkling / Methode Champenoise
Blanc de Blanc is a traditional method sparkling wine produced from our estate-grown Door County Itasca, La Crescent, and L’Acadie Blanc. After its secondary fermentation in bottle, the wine spent two years aging on its lees before being hand disgorged. This extended aging creates its fine, persistent bubbles, creamy texture, and elegant complexity while preserving the bright acidity that defines our cool-climate vineyards.
While it is made using the same traditional method as Champagne, our wine is intentionally not an imitation of Champagne. Our cool-climate, northern-grown varieties bring expressive floral aromas, ripe orchard fruit, and vibrant citrus to the forefront. Rather than trying to emulate Champagne, we embrace the unique character of our region. The rich fruit and floral notes marry beautifully with the brioche, cream, and toasted flavors developed through two years of lees aging, creating a sparkling wine that is distinctly Door County and distinctly Wisconsin.
The label is inspired by The Fool tarot card, with Death as the featured subject. Death represents both the wine’s transformation during two years of aging on its dead yeast (lees) and our regional namesake, Death’s Door. The Fool represents all of us who grow grapes and make wine in this emerging region. Every great wine region began with people willing to take that first leap into the unknown, and in that sense, we’re all fools. The card’s number, 0, also reflects our winemaking philosophy: zero unnecessary additions beyond the grapes and yeast. Accompanying The Fool is our ever-curious cat, Richard Parker, faithfully making the journey alongside us.
Producer: Field Recordings ‘Pizza Nights’
Grape: 100% Gamay
Year: 2025
ABV: 13%
Country/Region: Paso Robles, California
A fun, chillable, light to medium-bodied red wine with a nose showing fresh red cherries, strawberries and a hint of floral. Think summertime red! This Gamay from the Central Coast of California, has soft tannins, lively acidity and a clean finish.
Field Recordings was founded by Andrew Jones in 2007, and continues to operate out of Tin City, a small-production winery district on the southern edge of Paso Robles. Have any of you club members been? There’s a little winemaking/ice cream/craft community in this little plaza. It’s given life to so many very very small producers. Highly recommended.
Jones sources grapes from approximately 28 organic and sustainable vineyards from growers committed to low-intervention farming, much like his winemaking methods. Fermentations utilize native yeasts and neutral vessels which preserve fruit character without oak influence, and sulfites are minimal or omitted entirely.
Pizza Nights is a Gamay intentionally made for the table, ready to drink the moment it’s chilled…nothing pretentious. Having pepperoni or double sausage and mushroom tonight? You’ve got the perfect pour. Like most low tannin, summer reds – we recommend chilling this wine down just a bit.
Producer: Pico Maccario
Grape: 100% Barbera
Year: 2024
ABV: 13%
Country/Region: A’sti, Italy
If we were to take a trip to Italy it would promptly be to the Alps in A’sti where barbera and nebbiolo call home. Any time theres a new Barbera out there by people who truly love the grape and push it’s limits, we gobble it up! Pico Maccario is two brothers with Piedmontese roots and a shared obsession for Barbera. Pico Maccario is a vibrant, family-owned estate with 112 hectares of serious vineyard muscle and a bold, modern twist.
Born in 1997 in Mombaruzzo, this winery isn’t afraid to challenge norms. While its heart beats for Barbera, specifically Barbera d’Asti, it also dabbles in top-notch crus in Barolo and Barbaresco, thanks to its 2016 Langhe expansion. The result? A portfolio that balances old-world charm with next-gen vision.
Their icon, Lavignone, hails from a single 54-hectare block — the largest Barbera cru in existence! Lavignone literally means ‘big vineyard’ and we’re here for it. Now, as a winemaker, I adore this style of winemaking. Grapes are harvested, crushed and held at a cool temperature for maceration/fermentaion for two weeks. Then they keep it simple with 6 months in stainless tanks and straight to bottling, where it rests for 6 additional months. Here we are talking about our Frontenac aging for 4 years in barrels and these guys skip it altogether! Why? Because it’s all about the beauty of the fruit. It’s intended to be light, inviting and easy. A table wine that can be shared with braised stews or pastas with a hardy meat. It’s grippy yet full of ripe fruit. It’s exactly the way a Barbera from this region should be showcased. Take a moment to put aside what you think of big, bold, tannic wines and enjoy the freshness of the region and this wine. We think you’ll rather like it.