American Wine Project

American Wine Project, driven by the passion and vision of Winemaker Erin Rasmussen — a Wisconsin native with winemaking experience from California to New Zealand — began in an experimental vineyard block at a large California winery. Confronted with the potential of the Upper Midwest hybrid grapes she was tasting — grapes she knew could be grown in her homeland — she asked herself a bold question: What if the overlooked and often frowned-upon grape varieties of the Upper Midwest could produce truly beautiful, complex wines? Prompted by this experience, Erin returned home to Wisconsin determined to prove they could.

Working with cold-hardy varieties developed in northwest Wisconsin and Minnesota, American Wine Project embraces low-intervention, traditional techniques while prioritizing biodiversity and minimal vineyard inputs. Erin also lets her wines age in barrel and tank for a long time, allowing time and air to help the pronounced acidity of these cool climate grapes soften and integrate and the wines to come into their own and develop nuanced and complex flavors. The result? Wines that are vibrant, textural, and distinctly expressive of place — reshaping the conversation around what North American wine can be.