The wine selection was great. I really liked the rustic feel of location. The attendant was also very informative and helped us make a great selection. Highly recommend as a date spot! There are donuts on site, and orchard to pick apples, and a small store with a variety of unique apple types to choose from! read more

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This place was so much fun! We stopped in after inhaling a few delicious apple cider donuts & fresh cider next door @ Brightonwoods Orchard (highly recommend). There are a couple of tasting rooms once you walk in - The staff at our tasting were so animated and made our experience very enjoyable. You are given a double-sided sheet with all of their options and are able to choose 5 to taste for free (tip once finished for the excellent service!)....all descriptions are listed next to either each cider, wine or spirit. I will say, it was very difficult to choose, but I found that I enjoyed their semi sweet ciders the most and bought a couple of 4 packs to take home (even though it's very easy to get carried away since everything we tasted was delicious) read more

What a cute place for an autumn trip with crisp air, apples and booze! I did the booze sampling which was $5 for 6 samples which I highly recommend the try before you buy option. It's done in a Covid safe way with a tray that is marked with each sample number and a disposable shot glass. After you get your booze then hit the little store for apples galore and the cold pressed cider. The cider is INCREDIBLE and a must buy in the store. Of course I envisioned adding booze - naughty! The place is jamming with guests from both WI and IL so it might be difficult for parking but worth the wait. Grab a picnic table after you get your tasty samples and a caramel apple doughnut to soak up the booze. read more

Aeppeltreow Winery - Samples galore! - Wineries Near Me - Burlington, Wisconsin

What a beautiful farm! We drove from Chicago on a rainy Sunday. I wish the weather was better, but that couldn't be helped. It would have been nice to stroll around the apple orchard. You can pay $10 for 14 low alcohol samples or $15 for high alcohol content samples. Personally, I couldn't handle more than 5 samples, so I stuck with the free ones and gave our great hostess a big tip instead. The drinks were very tasty, but then again, I love cider brew, especially in the autumn. I wish there was a sampler that I could have purchased with 3 ounce bottles so that I could take them back on an airplane. Unfortunately, I was unable to take anything home with me. We definitely will return again if we are visiting the area in the fall or spring. read more

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Stopped here during our camping trip at richard bong since its literally up the block and wow this place is amazing. As soon as we walked in we were greeted and the tour started. The owner started going through the cider list and we had 5 free samples. It was very unique. Then we went for the flight and it was 10 dollars. Its so worth it. My favorite was the spiced cider. We ended up buying 6 cans of cider. read more

Aeppeltreow is a hidden gem. I stumbled upon it a few years ago when my friends and I came to Brightonswood for apple picking and it quickly became a yearly tradition. If you like unique wine- you need to make a stop here. All of their wine, ciders and spirits are made with apples and pears on site, and they offer free tastings so that you can try before you buy! I personally thoroughly enjoyed the apple wine and the spiced cider the most, but all the options were delicious. The spirits were STRONG. They packed a punch and boy they are delicious with a mixer. As if the drinks didn't speak for themselves, to top it all off- the staff made the experience. They instantly made us feel comfortable and we laughed so much at the funny stories and jokes! The experience was very interactive. The prices were very reasonable and we will be enjoying our wine and cider from home! What a wonderful spot. read more

Aeppeltreow Winery - two wine glasses on a table - Wineries Near Me - Burlington, Wisconsin

A special brew. Just wonderful. Don't miss this opportunity when you are in the area

Visiting the winery is a fun "aside" to a trip to Brightonwoods orchard. The people minding the tasting bar are friendly and helpful without being overbearing or pushy for you to buy something. It is true that they mostly have apple and pear wines, but don't let this cause you to hesitate in the least. Spirits fans are encouraged to try the Brown Dog Sorghum Whiskey- interesting! Keep an open mind and a glass in your hand for best results! read more

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Impressed by dedication to mask wearing! The wine, cider, and spirits tasting was great with uniques flavors that I've never experienced before. Highly recommend the spiced cider and blackberry cider. Small fall market offered beautiful apples, squash, honey, and other fall treats! read more

Aeppeltreow Winery - Beautiful pumpkins - Wineries Near Me - Burlington, Wisconsin

This place is a treasure. It's only a little bit of a hike from the city and you get amazing fall produce, the MOST delicious apples, in the country store. Apple cheese dip? So unique and appetizing. Apple cider? The best I've ever had. Plus the winery portion is super cool and down home. You can do a tasting (including some freebies) and they are super open to answering questions and giving recommendations. Will definitely go back! read more

Aeppeltreow Winery - a man holding a tray of wine - Wineries Near Me - Burlington, Wisconsin

Always look forward to the opportunity to stop at AeppelTreow when I'm in the area. They have an excellent variety of exemplary ciders and the spirits are top shelf! I've enjoyed getting to know Charles & Milissa over the years I've been visiting and look forward to catching up with them whenever the chance arises! AeppelTreow is a must visit when in SE WI AND they now ship their cider so I'd highly recommend ordering some to experience for yourself. Cheers! read more

Aeppeltreow Winery - Tasting room at AeppelTreow - Wineries Near Me - Burlington, Wisconsin

I enjoyed Aeppeltreow Winery which I would call more of a 'cider-y' as they do a variety of hard ciders (in sparkling and still form) as well as a few whiskeys, etc. Do not come here looking for fruity wine as they don't have that and also don't come looking for red or white grape wine as they don't have that either. What they do have is pear cider and apple cider (hard form for both) which are quite tasty. I stayed away from the sweet ones, but there are some for those of you who enjoy sweeter tastes. I enjoyed the pear versions of the sparkling as well as the hard cider. Americana is also a cider, but bottle in a wine bottle - this was a tad sweeter, but similar to a hard cider you might find on tap in a variety of spots across Chicago-land and elsewhere. The winery is small, but interesting and there's a little board to indicate how things are made. We had a bit of a verbal explanation as well, which was nice as we got a feel that the couple who runs this spot really cares about their product. We oddly weren't offered the pay tastings and instead were offered the free ones (not sure why as I would have gone for the full tasting...but figured I'd be fine with just 5 tastes vs. 10). I did ask to taste one again because I was trying to decide what to buy and I will say that while I was given one, I don't think my request was appreciated. Considering I bought 6 bottles total, I didn't think my request was odd in any way (and totally normal at any winery I've ever been to when you're contemplating a purchase). Anyway, we had a good time, tried some interesting and delicious ciders (though the apple brandy is STRONG, so keep that in mind if you do a spirits tasting). Pricing was pretty good - though you don't have to buy it all there if you live in Chicago as they do have some distribution as I saw it on the shelf at a liquor store this past weekend. read more

What a fun place. A winery that specializes in hard ciders, this orchard provides a relaxing afternoon opportunity to taste ciders and have a picnic. Tastings are very cheap. Free for 5 samples; $5 for tasting all the ciders (16 I believe); and $10 for tasting all the ciders plus 4 distillery options. We opted for the $10 tasting and there were just so much to try. In hindsight, I would just stick to the $5. The owner was very knowledgable and was great at answering our questions. Before coming here, we had bought take out so we were able to eat lunch picnic style on the lawn and even take a nap. Most relaxing afternoon ever. This place is a bit out of the way but definitely worth a visit. Everything is created in house and 200 varieties of apples are used to create the ciders. read more

Aeppeltreow Winery - Wineries Near Me - Burlington, Wisconsin

First of all, I love cider, and I was pretty excited to hear there was a winery/cidery whatever you want to call it nearby. I was also excited about the idea of seeing them work and checking out the orchards and doing a tour, but that didn't happen, so that's my main reason for doing 4 stars. Tours are just so fun, and you learn a lot from them. Anyways, you can do 5 free tastings, pay $5 for all the ciders and a couple dessert wines, or pay $10 and try everything. We went for the 5 free tastings, and that was more than enough. Usually I love dessert wines, but I was not a big fan of the brandy or the dessert wines surprisingly. The ciders/bruts and so on were really good. I like British style cider, and I enjoyed the Sparrow chai-flavored cider so much that I bought a bottle. And it was only $10! Good deal. In any case, definitely a different experience from your typical winery, and they make some pretty good cider. I don't believe they really sell to any stores or restaurants, so you should stop by to stock up! read more

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We were camping at the nearby state park and had seen the sign, the signs say winery but it is actually a cidery which is even better and made me super excited when we got there. This is run by a lovely couple who does the making of the product as well as runs the tasting. 5 tastings for free $5 for a taste of all the ciders or $10 for the entire line which includes the whiskey and brandy selection. We opted for the entire line and boy were we in for a treat. EVERY SINGLE ONE of the ciders were unique and had amazing taste notes. Charles who hosted our tasting is a biochemist by day so he uses the knowledge and skills to make killer ciders and spirits. This little gem of a place must be checked out. It is so worth the trip. Be forewarned though. You will walk out of there purchasing a take home bottle or two or three like myself! Thanks to these folks for this little southern Wisconsin treasure :) read more

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This was a fun little mini-trip from Lake Geneva (it took about 25 minutes to get there). It was a rainy, dreary day, so we thought a bit of hard cider and spirits tasting would brighten up the day. It sure did. The tasting room is the front part of the winery where all their products are made. It looks like a big barn from the outside and kind of like a warehouse on the inside. There's a bar area where the tastings happen around the bar itself. The counter is pretty big, and I would estimate about 12 people can taste at once. They sell some cheeses, chocolate, bitters, and some other wine/alochol related products in this area, but we didn't purchase any. Here's the deal. You can try 5 different kinds of the cider for free. Or, you can try everything they have (with the exception of some of the really hard stuff) for $5. I paid up my $5 and got to tasting. My favorites: Perry - A pear champagne and like nothing I've ever tasted before. There were none on the shelves when we sent to purchase it, and we were told it was because it had just been bottled that day. Luckily, we were able to buy one and take it home. Brown Dog - Their whiskey made from sorghum. Amazing. Poirissimo - A super heavy, not at all subtle pear dessert wine. It was quite strong on its own, but it was recommended to be mixed with vodka to make an out of this world pear martini. We didn't buy any, and I'm kicking myself now. Bunting Berry Cider - A super sweet and fruit cider made with strawberries and raspberries. My husband thought it was a little too sweet and preferred the more muted Red Poll Cranberry Cider, but I loved it and we ended up with a 4 pack of it. I was bummed that we went too early in the season for their apple cider and wine. It's not available until late August. Oh well, I guess we'll just have to head back! The owners, a husband-wife team, Charles and Malissa, are super nice. They are very knowledgeable in their field and were able to explain their processes and even answer a bunch of questions for us. You can tell that making ciders and spirits is their passion because it really shows. Their products aren't distributed a ton, but you can find their stuff in Chicago. The Pelican uses several of their products, and for those of you in the Lakeview/Roscoe Village area, we were told that West Lakeview Liquors on Addison will soon be carrying their products as well. One final note, we had a little kid who was about 4 there during our tasting. From other reviews, I assume that there are things for the kids to do when the orchard is open. However, if you are coming just to taste, I would leave the kids at home. The kid was bored and he was a bit annoying to the rest of the group. read more

Went on a whim on a Saturday afternoon when we wanted to get out of MIlwaukee and really enjoyed it. We had hoped to walk the grounds a little, but they'd sprayed chemicals that morning - the only disappointment and obviously it couldn't be helped. Waited about 10 minutes for a group in front of us to finish tasting - the tasting bar is small, so don't expect to walk right in and know that large groups should probably make separate arrangements with Aeppeltreow. Did the full $10 tasting and were happy with it. Loved the variety of stuff and the sample sizes were perfect. People there at the same time acted like they were worried about getting drunk, but that really wasn't going to happen with the sample sizes offered. There were two people doing tasting and I couldn't help wishing we'd gotten the other person as I watched her add bitters to some of the spirits and make "cocktails" for her groups, while our person kind of just marched right through. It's awesome to have the family that owns the place and does all the work doing the sampling - lots of little bits of information and personal stories - but when they don't follow the same "script" so to speak, you can't help but feel like you got less. It was somewhat busy and there wasn't a lot of organization to people entering. That meant while we were waiting for a spot another couple walked in and walked right up to the bar and kind of usurped us. This happened to another group later. It's not the Winery's fault that folks are rude, and maybe it's not actually as frequent a problem as it seemed while we were there, but some sort of number system might be in order? The only other suggestion I'd have is for some chairs in the waiting area. A group of bicyclists came in while we were there and they ended up sprawled all over the floor while they waited. Overall it was a quick little jaunt out of Milwaukee and a nice way to spend an hour or two. read more

The winery/orchard relies on a trained "chemist" named Charles McGonegal (an enophile only but definitely NOT a professionally trained wine, cider or spirit craftsman, only one with a BS in chemistry who works at Honeywell and a stated love of cider since college), and who has zero palette, taste or olfactory abilities. Everything tastes like either sodium benzoate or metabisulfite (nasty food preservatives--yuck) which is the difference between a bad reconstituted lemon juice and fresh-squeezed citrus... One cider even uses McIntosh, Cortland, Ida (red), and that is a no-no as far as tannins needed is concerned for hard ciders of any quality. Particularly putrid are any of the 'pear fruit' sparkling wines. Moreover, the handling of flavoring (infusing with barrel aging or botanicals), of their gin, brandies or ports is particularly dismal. As far as the wine tasting area, imagine being in the basement milking area of a cow barn... Zero atmosphere, no ambiance and not even music being played. Unpleasant all around. No tours actually exist. The orchard is boring. Nothing for kids to do. The personalities of the proprietors and staff are either arrogant or boring. Stay away! This is NOT an ARTFUL ROAST (as the owner has insinuated in their response), but a SERIOUS REVIEW of a bad experience. But you be the judge and ask why the owners do not take this review seriously nor do they respond to the chemical preservatives issue or the actual taste of their middling products. Having been to most of Wisconsin's wineries and tasted nearly all ciders and beers from the state, be assured anyone can enter a poorly judged competition and place with a ribbon or medals, when they pay an entry fee and have panel members with no knowledge of leading national or international competitions... Because a state fair level competition isn't a reason for bragging rights when awarded bronze by bad judges made up of housewives, farmers, beauty queens, aldermen and small town council-members. read more

Went here Sunday afternoon. The Autumn weather and Halloween flavor made it more enticing. We took a tour of the winery for free and also sampled the local wines, and hard ciders. Very delicious! They also had free samples of cider, cheese, and locally grown apples. You could purchase pumpkins, gourds, and corn stalks for your Halloween needs. A must see if you're in the area! read more

A fun diversion if you're in the Burlington area. We were in town for a friends wedding and stopped by the tasting room. $200 later we were on our way to FedEx to mail home our bounty. I was seduced by the tart, sweet, unusual flavors and the friendly, homespun hospitality. read more

My whole party was asked to leave...I have been coming to the orchard on this property since I was a kid, we have always had great experiences there, and I know Bill (Owner of Orchard) quite well. So when my fiancé and I were planning a double date with another couple we thought what would be better than going to a local orchard & winery on a beautiful fall day? Well... Unfortunately we didn't get too far because no sooner did we get to the winery we were asked to put masks on. My party gladly obliged, however I have a severely deviated septum, and wearing a mask longer than 3-5 min has caused me to become light headed (near passing out) numerous times in the past. So I politely told the kid I have a medical condition. We continued browsing at the samples we planned to order and take outside to consume, until another kid came up to me and asked me to put on a mask again. Again, I explained I have a medical condition, but he said since I had no way to "Prove It" I'd have to either wear a mask or leave. Unfortunately I did not have a mask and even if I did wearing it would have been a quick way to end our date. I felt this was very unreasonable considering others in my party were wearing masks and we were at least 10ft from the tasting bar where the nearest people were. My whole party was asked to leave because I have a medical condition... way to discriminate!... We ended up going down the road to a local bar where I was even closer to employees and fellow customers...without wearing a mask...problem free. read more

Excellent start to a holiday weekend! The orchid has the best apples, cider and wine tasting area. Very very reasonable pricing all around. There were over forty different kinds of apples. Pears are also superb. A place to remember and reminisce for a long time. Open since 2001. Wine tastings and tours. Best apple orchid. A gem gem gem!! read more

found this hidden gem by chance doing a google search for apple winery in wisconsin. definitely worth the 45 minute drive from my house. before the visit nobody in the family was a hard cider fan but, we are now. particularly the aeppeltreow winery hard ciders. planning the next visit now... read more

Just go here - this is local homemade wine and spirits that are great! Go out of your way on a Sunday - the spirits are great and some come in 80 proof or cask strength 103 proof - the brown dog whiskey in cask strength is hands down the winner in the spirit category - the pear brandy is also a winner read more

Aeppeltreow Winery - Wineries Near Me - Burlington, Wisconsin

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Stopped by after seeing the sign and we were not disappointed! The winery/ distillery/ cidery is run by a knowledgeable and personable couple who distill some delicious and strong whiskey! We stayed and chatted for a while and participated in the tasting. I'm not one who typically chooses sweet wines or ciders but the drinks here were the perfect combination of tart and sweet. Would love to stop by again to stock up on more! read more

I feel the tasting experience was sub-par. The ciders are good, the love of the craft is there, and the overall quality is way beyond the typical American mass produced ciders. That said, I don't think they compete with the better crafters. A few steps behind Virtue, for one example. I think they should narrow the breadth of the product offering and focusing on optimizing a few ciders and a first-class Apple Wine and/or Apple Brandy. Homework to be done... read more

This shouldn't be called a winery as their specialty is ciders!!! It is really a "cidery." Please keep that in mind when visiting, but don't let it deter you. The tasting is excellent! We paid $10 to taste the complete line of ciders, wines, and spirits, and I highly recommend doing the same. The owner/cider maker is truly knowledgeable about and proud of his products. I really enjoyed the pear cider or "perry" and Bunting berry cider. read more

Okay so, we drove up especially to do the tasting and take the tour. I think it was an hour and a half of a drive and we got there and uhhh the tour. Well, as I understood it and maybe I failed to grasp it-there's always that possibility, they sort of gestured that we could walk around the space. For this experience they hang up a sign that says: Tour? Huh. The tasting. We had the Mom and she was nice and then the other woman with the bitters showed up and *sigh* nothing was tasting-90 minutes out of my life-nice. Know what I'm sayin'? We bought a 2 dollar spaghetti squash at the stand next door but the whole thing's kind of left a....oh don't make me say it.....bad taste. read more

While on a recent trek to Brightonwoods with my mom, we stopped in at the winery next door. Take a tour and try some of their fantastic wines and ciders. I found it to be a fun and informative trip, and you can sneak a tour in while the kids play in the gigantic treehouse. read more

Pronounced "Apple true" Very personable owners/staff at this small winery. $ for the tasting is well-worth it. They sell out pretty quickly, so check their website frequently before making the trip if it's out of the way for you. They work with the orchard next door which has a host of rare varieties of apples, so go through the orchard barn, too, if you're there in the fall. I'm not much of a drinker but this is one of my favorite destinations when we're up for a day trip on the MC. read more

These locally produced wines and ciders are unique in their own right. Will everyone love everything? Probably not? But that isn't the point. I find their products to be high quality and unique. I think the have the best ciders that are produced locally. Stop in for a visit. The folks there will describe all of their products at length. And opt for the $10 tasting. It's worth it. read more

I agree with the other reviewers that this place is more a cidery than a winery. However, if you like a variety of cider, liquor, whisky, and brandy, this is THE place for that. Michelle was a great host and the tasting of all their products was an unbeatable value (only $10!). read more

They are not a winery in the sense that most people think of when they think winery. They are more of a cidery and their wine tasting is a tasting of their hard ciders. Very disappointing if you're thinking you're going to try some wines. Very disappointed and they should make it more clear to those who are new to the area, or are just passing through and though a winery would be a fun place to stop at for a bit. read more

I really enjoyed the free tasting we had, with five offerings sampled including one spirit. The "Perry" champagne and the cognac (I believe it's called Brightongnac) were my favorites. You could also sample all of their offerings for $10, which seemed like a good deal to me since there were probably 20 different bottles open. The staff were very friendly and helpful and overall everything we tried was interesting. I like the design of the bottles, too. The winery is located on a lovely property next to Brightonwoods Orchard, where you can pick up delicious apples and cider. read more

Up in Burlington coming back from Lester's Bison Farm and found the Aeppeltreow Winery. It was a nice fall day so my wife and I stopped in. Wife tried the wines and the bitters, Good. The distilled spirits were good. My wife got a bottle of spirits. A nice place to stop by while in the area. The warm apple cider was very good. read more

I was there with a group of ladies as part of a bachelorette party wine tasting tour. We called a few days ahead to let them know about our group and they were really great at accommodating us. I don't even know how many different wines, ciders, etc we got to try but we loved the variety they have and most of us bought stuff to take home. And some of us are hoping to make a return trip. Really nice experience! read more

Fun wine & brandy tasting. Milissa us very knowledgeable and entertaining. Try the Apple Brandy!

Very good ciders and spirits! Tasting attendant was very knowledgable about their product!

I am giving 3 stars because the products are very good. My wife and I drove 50 miles to get some of the pear brandy and the brown dog sorghum whiskey which is super smooth. I have given it as Christmas gifts to my employees in the past. Unfortunately, we left empty handed. We were there at 11:00 a.m. on a Saturday so they should have had sales and checkout staff. The register was closed and covered. The only person there was giving a tasting for 3 or 4 people. When my wife went into the retail area/tasting room to gather our items she was abruptly told she had to go back down by the door, "fire marshal's orders". There were only 3 people, granted one of them quite large, at the tasting counter. Apparently this place is just too small to accommodate retail traffic and tasting traffic at the same time. My wife was pretty offended. We were driving 2 hours round trip and were wanting to spend a fair amount of money. We felt scolded and definitely not wanted there. We went to the apple bard and the treatment was stellar but that is a different business. I tried to sneak back in and at least buy a bottle of brown dog but still no-one at the register and my wife said no way will she go back there. Is the brown dog sold anywhere else? read more