THREE LAKES - Three Lakes Winery Manager Eileen Splitt said people get very excited about Cranberry Fest.

"It’s a huge crop in Wisconsin. We’re the nation’s number one producer of cranberries. It’s excited. It’s not necessarily something people are exposed to all the time so when you get to go out and see them harvested it’s very interesting," she said.

As Cranberry Fest kicks off In Eagle River this weekend, here in Three Lakes they’re showing us cranberries are more than just for eating, you can drink them too.


Shelley Sims, who took the Cranberry Bus Tour said "I think it was really interesting, I learned a lot about cranberries and wine. It was really neat."

Hundreds of people took the Three Lakes Winery Bus Tour on Saturday and Sunday.

Holding the tours during Cranberry Fest Weekend is a tradition that’s been going on for years.

The process--the bottles get rinsed out first. "They come in sterile from the manufacturer. The next station the bottles are filled and leveled off to the correct height of 750ml. After that they’re corked. Labels are rolled on the front and back. A person takes them into the box and then they go out and are ready for sale," said Splitt.

The winery makes 30 different kinds of wines...everything from cranberries to blackberries to mixes.

Splitt said "All of the fruit wines are semi-sweet. I like it because it’s tart, it’s refreshing it’s semi-sweet so it’s not overly sweet like a dessert wine. It’s very drinkable. "

Angela Popp, who took the tour said, "I like the more sweet wines. That’s why I like the Three Lakes Winery because most of them are sweeter wines."

Sims said, "I like the fruitier wines and I’m visiting here so it’s a real treat to see what the local winery has to offer."

The winery is open all year round. All of their wines are sold at the gift shop.

Most bottles are under $10.

The Cranberry Tour will also run next weekend during Pumpkin Fest in Three Lakes.

You can purchase tickets at Pumpkin Fest or buy them at the winery.

Story By: Jenn Sullivan