Grafton winemaker taps into local roots

Winemaker John Leo Weber left his global marketing job at a software company in Texas to return to his roots as a fourth-generation farmer in Grafton.

“If you look at it in terms of dollars and cents, it’s absolutely insane to do this. If I wanted to continue making money, I would have stayed in tech. It’s all about living a dream and being close to family,” Weber said. “I never thought I would want to live in Grafton and be a farmer, but it’s kind of a full-circle experience.”

Weber is planning to open Anton Vincent Winery in the Town of Grafton at a 20-acre site along the southeast corner of Highway 32 and Ulao Parkway on property owned by We Energies, which Weber will buy.

The Grafton Town Board and Plan Commission are expected to approve a land division for the winery this month, and Weber plans to start operating by spring.

The winery’s name is an homage to Weber’s great-grandfather, who started farming in the early 1900s and moved his family from Iowa to Wisconsin.

“I hope to honor his memory as well as other Weber family members who have spent their lives making Wisconsin a better place to live and work,” Weber said.  

Weber began producing wine about five years ago while living in Austin, Texas. He said he got interested in the craft through his brother Doug, who is a wine distributor.

“He was a traveling winemaker when I was in college,” Weber said, noting his brother worked in Italy and France.

“He would often bring bottles of wine home for the holidays, and he would talk about the grapes and where they came from. I guess that’s how I caught the wine bug.”

While working as a vice president of global marketing, Weber would spend evenings studying and brewing five-gallon jugs of wine in his spare bedroom.

He eventually went on to earn a sommelier certificate through the International Wine Guild and is in his last semester of a winemaking program at Texas Tech University.

Wisconsin winters aren’t conducive for growing classic French grapes for wines like cabernet and chardonnay, but Weber said he has hybrid versions of those vines that will survive.

“They are crossed with a Midwest grape variety that is more tolerant to winter climates. Those hybrids grow really well here,” he said.

Weber said he wants his grapes to be locally sourced so customers become acquainted with wines they haven’t tried before. He added many wineries in Wisconsin use grapes and other types of fruits that are grown in California.

“It’s really about getting the market up to speed with grapes they might not be familiar with,” he said. “I really want to focus on local products and local grapes. I want to showcase what can be done with the fruit in this area.”

It will take two to three years before the fruit is ready for production. In the meantime, Weber said, he will buy grapes from a local vineyard. Weber is relying on his brother’s expertise as he purchases equipment and to help him through the growing and fermentation processes.

Weber said he plans to construct a 5,000-square-foot building that will have a tasting room and production space. He added he wants to build a house on the property.

“I want to create a whole experience, which is why it took awhile to find the property. We wanted a good opportunity to not only grow grapes but also for people to spend their weekends,” he said, noting he wants to hold weddings in the vineyard and have a space for bocce ball and other social activities.

Weber said the cost of the entire operation is $1.5 million. He is working with a bank and other investors to secure funds.

Weber said he considered remaining in Texas, but wanted to have enough space of his own to fulfill his dream.

“I probably could have done an urban winery in Austin, but I really wanted to have some land and be able to grow grapes outside and enjoy the area I grew up in and give back to the community,” he said.

Weber said he is committed to his dream of being a farmer and is happy he left the corporate world.

“Working in the corporate world was something that I wasn’t thrilled about,” he said. “I’m excited to be entering the agricultural community and following in the footsteps of my family.”