American Wine Project was founded upon a spark of curiousity around the possibility of making beautiful, complex wines from grape varieties that have long been disregarded.

After 10 years apprenticing around the world and working at wineries of all sizes and perspectives, winemaker Erin Rasmussen returned to her home state, Wisconsin, to prove that exceptional wines can be made with the cold-hardy grape varieties that were developed in northwest Wisconsin and Minnesota.

Embracing low-intervention, traditional techniques as well as committing to improving biodiversity and minimizing vineyard inputs, Erin and American Wine Project have quickly become a leading voice in pioneering a new perspective in North American winemaking.

American Wine Project was started in 2018 as a way to explore the possibilities of winegrowing in the Upper Midwest. In 2020, we moved into our current home in historic Mineral Point, Wisconsin. The winery is housed in the former high school Tech Ed building. It’s not a fancy building - it’s big and it’s metal, with high ceilings, concrete floors, and three-phase power. It’s perfect for a winery. In the late 1990s, the city of Mineral Point sold the property to a landscape company and garden center. Now, in addition to a winemaking space and tasting room, we enjoy an acre of landscaped perennial gardens.