Self Guided Door County Wine Tour

Your DIY Door County Wine Tour will include a visit to two of Door County’s finest wineries, Door Peninsula Winery in Carlsville and Simon Creek Vineyard in Sturgeon Bay.

These are both “Southern Door” locations so this trip is easily accessible for a short weekend trip year round.  We will give you lodging tips, dining tips and other fun things to do that are relevant to this "southern door" tour!

To provide easy access and a comfortable stay consider staying at one of these nearby Sturgeon Bay Properties If you want to venture a little further north consider the quiet laid-back Shallows Resort or the full service Landmark Resort both just south of Egg Harbor and each with stunning sunsets over Green Bay.

Choose the lodging choice that best fits your style, then contact them for availability and rates for the time of year you are travelling.

Day One
Door Peninsula Winery
5806 Highway 42
Carlsville, Wi
920-743-7431
(Corner of County I and Hwy 42)

Arriving mid-day. If you have not yet had lunch consider heading for The Inn at Cedar Crossing in downtown Sturgeon Bay. They have a wide selection of Wisconsin Brewed Beer but will be happy to recommend a Door County wine to go with one of their fine salads, sandwiches or pub specialties.  Consistently good for many, many years.

Spend a little time visiting the shops in Sturgeon Bay like Wilkins and Olander then stop for some old fashioned fun at Door County Candy. Dark chocolates pair well with red wine. We suggest trying the Dark Chocolate Door County Cherry and Ginger Bark.  Just awesome!

Either before or after you check in to your hotel, resort, B&B or Inn, make your way up to Door Peninsula Winery in Carlsville for a wine tasting.  

Door Peninsula Winery also has an extensive olive oil selection and has a distillery (Door County Distillery) making their own vodka, whisky and gin. At the time of this writing their hours are 9 AM to 6 PM daily with tours beginning on the hour between 10 am and 4 pm. Check their website for details.  You will love the variety and quality of wines that they produce, with seasonal favorites like Sunset Splash, Hallowine, and many Christmas wines.  More than 50 varieties of fruit, white and red grape and sparking wines are made here. And about 150,000 gallons are bottled annually.  Razzle Dazzle Raspberry is a huge hit!  They have wine tastings for a few dolalrs per person, and that is applied to any pourchase you may make.   Their shop is huge and loaded with gormet food items, olive oils, wine accessories and more. 

Time permitting take a trip across the road to the Carlsville Shops and pick up some Door County Coffee (they also have light lunch options available). Pick out a custom taper or two from Door County Candle to add a romantic glow to the meal you prepare while enjoying the wine you take home. If you have a furry friend be sure to remember them with a stop at Pet Expressions 0 the hot spot for cool pet gifts!

If you are headed further north up to The Shallows or The Landmark do the wine tasting and tour on your way there, being sure to select a bottle of wine to enjoy while watching the sunset after dinner. Consider dining at Carrington’s Pub & Grill at The Landmark which is easily accessible to either property.

Otherwise head back to Sturgeon Bay and have dinner at Stone Harbor Restaurant & Pub at Stone Harbor Resort, where you can enjoy the sunset either during or after your meal.

Day Two
Simon Creek Winery
5896 Bochek Road
Sturgeon Bay, Wi
920-746-9307

From Hwy 42, turn east on County I and follow the signs.  It will be a good 3 miles so watch for signs.

Simon Creek produces about 17 different wines in reds, roses, whites, and desert wines.  Great wines like their Untouchabe Red, and their new Untouchable White are terrific.  Their American Viognier is a hit, and their Jacksonport is an after dinner favorite.  Some really great cabs too.   Nice gift shop amidst the wine tasting bar, deck with music in season and more.  Terrific find.  Tell Lance we sent you.  Wine tastings are free for up to a set limit of samples.  Retail prices are very reasonable for the quality of their wines.  A favorite.  

If breakfast is not included with your lodging or available on premises we recommend heading up to the Rusty Tractor for a rustic treat in a converted old barn.  We love this place.  Ask for the slated caramel stuffed French toast (not on the menu!).

If you are staying at a resort enjoy their pool or other amenities. If you feel more active consider a side trip to the Door County Historical Museum, the Door County Maritime Museum or the Door County Historical Village before heading to Simon Creek Vineyard for an early afternoon wine tour and tasting.  You can even go horseback riding at Kurtz Corral whcih is not far from Simon Creek.

Take a ride into Egg Harbor for lunch at Casey’s BBQ & Smokehouse, Shipwrecked or The Bistro Bar &Grill at Liberty Square. Save room for a gelato at Double Delites and take time to peruse the wine selection at Main Street Market to easily find wines from some of Door County’s other vintners, and wines from all over the world.  They have hundreds of bottles from Italy, Spain, Austria, and more.

Liberty Square Shops has a very nice variety of Wisconsin Cheeses. See if you can sample the Montimore by Sartori. This is neither a hard nor soft cheese with a creamy texture. You can eat it by itself along with a semi-sweet red or white wine, crumble on a salad or add slices on top of a burger grilled in your backyard. Fabulous.

For those taking a short trip you can end your tour and start heading home. If you’re extending your stay and the DIY Wine Tour is just a part of your Door County adventure then be sure to use DoorCountyNavigator.com to look for other things to do and places to eat. Downloading the mobile app will make all the information you need available at your fingertips. Just search Door County On the Go at Google Play or iTunes App Store.

The idea of the DIY Tour is to give you some structure by providing recommendations that reduce the number of choices you need to make while giving you the flexibility to manage your own time and enjoy your vacation on your own terms.

So feel free to explore. Look for the “Door County Navigator Reviewed sticker on the door of the businesses you visit.  Skip something, add something but be sure to let us know what you enjoyed. Take a selfie at any of these locations and post on twitter with #DCNphotocontest to be entered into a drawing to win a Door County Vacation.

Remember to pace yourself and drink responsibly. An alternative to The Door County Navigator DIY Wine Tour is a the Door County Trolley Wine Tour which leaves from their depot just north of Egg Harbor.