Wisconsin’s winemaking roots run deep. German and Scandinavian immigrants planted vineyards along Lake Michigan and the Mississippi River in the 1800s, producing fruit wines and cold-hardy hybrids like Catawba and Concord. Though beer dominated for decades, a new generation of winemakers revived viticulture in the 1990s, buoyed by university research and the development of hardy grapes such as Marquette and La Crosse.
The University of Wisconsin–Madison Division of Extension anchors wine education statewide, offering workshops in vineyard establishment, canopy management, and cold-climate grape production. The Southwest Wisconsin Technical College adds practical training through its Viticulture Certificate Program, combining online learning with hands-on fieldwork.
For professional credentials, the Milwaukee Wine Academy provides Wine & Spirit Education Trust (WSET) courses and industry training for hospitality staff, sommeliers, and enthusiasts. Wisconsin students also access advanced coursework through regional partners of the American Wine School and online National Wine School programs.
Together, these institutions form the backbone of Wisconsin’s wine education network—linking university research, practical viticulture, and professional certification to support a fast-maturing industry in America’s cold-climate heartland.
