When neutral is anything but plain with an old world European charm and a layer of modern lovely woven in - all right here in the Wisconsin countryside in today’s feature of Chateau Louis Belle’s private label wine release event. A private label of my very own wine I have been working on since last September’s harvest in my spare time when I am not planning weddings. Just when you thought Wisconsin was only known for beer and cheese, today, we are celebrating the incredible booming wine industry that has taken off in recent years here in the Dairyland state. All thanks to cool-climate grapes, some cultivated through the University of Minnesota and others that are native to the U.S. that can grow right here in Wisconsin and withstand our cold harsh winters. It’s a really beauuuuutiful thing to pay patronage to all the ahh-mazing local wineries here that are putting Wisconsin on the map for producing quality tasting wines with locally grown, cold-hardy grapes.
So pour yourself a glass of vino, settle in and take a peek through this imagery filled with earthy, organic touches we crafted in the floral design and details like the stationery and signage that soften out the edges and pull you in. All while serving guests Spanish tapas, signature sangria cocktails served on a Parisian style bar cart and dinner Al fresco style with Neapolitan pizzas and European mini desserts.
Guests were invited to taste six different wines as listed on the wine tasting menu for them to follow along during the presentation. These varieties were: Delaware, Niagara, La Crescent, Rosé, Apple and Frontenac.
We hand-lettered calligraphy on fabric for a different element and suspended them from vintage windows.
Cut blooms of Scabiosa and Ranunculus are a total show stopper in addition to freshly picked wildflowers for an earthy, organic and unstructured floral centerpiece we curated.
Parisian style meets French country with this signature sangria station with both a red and a white wine - the Louis Sangria or the Belle Sangria. Crafted with cool-climate wines from Lunch Creek Winery in Neshkoro, as a special thank you to Lyn, who has been such an incredible mentor to me in my journey of winemaking over the last year.
Dinner and wine tasting al fresco style under the beautiful evening sky. A special thank you to my Dad who built this beautiful wine tasting bar and cafe lighting structure posts - oh, and for letting me take over your workshop turned wine cellar and lab!
With 130+ wineries here in Wisconsin, we have the incredible Wisconsin Winery Association that promotes and produces an annual guide, map and directory to serve as your playbook for visiting and tasting area wineries throughout the state.
My heart is so, so full to be surrounded by the most amazing circle of family and friends who attended my first ever, wine release. Your support means the world as I embark on this exciting wine venture!
A HUGE thank you to my incredibly amazing parents who helped me pull this event off putting in lots of hours of planning, hauling, lifting, moving, prepping and everything in-between that goes into executing an event of any size. It truly is a labor of love - could not have done it without them.
Matthew with M + M Sound pictured above providing the wonderful sound and music.
A special thank you to these ladies, my Aunt Becky and mom, Deb pictured above pouring wines during the tasting!
And a huge thank you to my BFC, Mira for being my photographer taking beautiful candid shots throughout the event. You nailed it!
Lake Chelan Wedding Planner, Styling, Floral Design + Calligraphy Signage: Wildbird Weddings + Co | Chairs: Event Essentials | Catering: Christianos Pizza | Music: M + M Sound