If you’ve think you’ve seen it all when it comes to high-end wine programs in restaurants, you’ll think again when you’ve experienced the "All Roots Lead to Wisconsin" list at c.1880, winner of the 2013 Wine Spectator Award of Excellence.

The program operates outside the usual box when it comes to local sourcing. In fact, the wines on the list don’t come from vineyards in Wisconsin at all. Rather, they are wines sourced from vineyards in Oregon, Washington and California whose winemakers have "roots" in Wisconsin.

Joshua Wolter, Racine native and general manager and beverage director at c.1880, came up with the idea after happening across a bottle of wine from Racine Wine Company in Oregon at the Waterford Wine Company.

"My dad was in town from Racine for his birthday," Wolter tells me. "I bought the bottle of Racine wine, and we really enjoyed it."

Turns out Racine Wine Company/Roots Wine in Oregon was founded by Racine native Chris Berg.  Berg produces stellar pinot noir in the $60-$80 price range using grapes from his vineyards located near Yamhill.

In 1999, Berg helped his parents plant seven acres of grapes. In 2002, the Bergs picked their first harvest of a whopping three tons, which were made into 72 cases of pinot noir. Today, Roots produces approximately 3,800 cases annually.

Berg’s wine making philosophy is based in a non-interventionist approach which relies on natural methods and respect for Mother Nature. The wines are produced with as little human fiddling as possible, using natural yeasts, slow fermentation and little or no use of new oak barrels. 

And the wine?  Well, the 2008 Racine pinot noir ($83) is a concentrated, elegant wine which appears dark red in the glass with notes of cherries, wood smoke and Asian spices on the nose.

And the Estate Vineyard 2009 received 90 points from "Wine Advocate" for its profile, which features bright red cherry fruit, cedar, spices and floral notes.

"It has been so popular," Wolter says, "That it’s getting to the point where we’re going to buy out the Roots."

Wolternotes that, although there are a multitude of breweries and distilleries in Wisconsin, the local wine scene is limited. 

"This isn’t wine territory; the weather is too cold. Our wine selection is basically limited to Wollersheim and Door County wines made with cherries. Wineries like Stone’s Throw are located here, but are importing their grapes from California."

So, Wolter hatched a plan to locate other wineries, like Racine, whose owners and winemakers trace their lineage back to Wisconsin.

"I brought the idea to Chef Thomas," he says, "And he said he loved the idea and told me to go for it.  I hit the ground running, and did a little homework. I found more wineries started by people who had these ties to Wisconsin… some of them still refer to themselves as ‘Cheeseheads’ on their web sites."

Wolter hit up all of his distributors. And soon ideas trickled in – one here, another there, until he’d developed a Wisconsin Roots wine list featuring about eight wines from five vineyards. He rolled out the selection in September, and it met with an outstanding response.

"I have never seen such a warm reception to anything in a restaurant … Last week we sold 6 bottles of the Andrew Will Two Blonde Vineyards, which is priced at $150."

People were so excited about the offerings that Wolter has now expanded the Wisconsin Roots list to two pages; the current list now features 11 vineyards with 18 wines that boast connections to Wisconsin. Wines fall into the $33-$144 range, with most falling between $30 and $60.

Selections include vineyards like Grunau in the Russian River Valley, owned by Whitefish Bay native John Grunau, Beau Joubert, a South African winery refurbished by Wisconsin natives and Clos Chantedue, an estate owned by Shorewood native and James Beard Award winning food writer, Patricia Wells.

And the locally-based stories are endless.

One popular wine hails from from Dusted Valley, a Washington winery named 2013 Winery of the Year by "Wine & Spirits" magazine. Founded by Chad and Corey Braunel, who both grew up in Northern Wisconsin, the winery produces whites, rosés, Bordeaux and Rhone style wines with with classic earth, minerality and acid qualities.

But, as they say on their web site: "Dusted Valley was founded on the notion that when family pulls together the American Dream can turn into a living reality. Hey, we're just a proud bunch of farm-raised Wisconsin Cheese-heads, and what goes well with cheese? You guessed it – wine."

And the Braunels are true to their roots. To this day, Dusted Valley uses barrels made with oak from the Braunel family’s land in Marathon.

"They’re getting accolades for the Wisconsin-made barrels," Wolter tells me, "Simply because the grains are tighter on the wood due to our cooler growing season. The wood flavor also isn’t as pronounced as from French oak, so the flavor is pretty unique."

Wolter has also made some personal connections as he’s pulled the wine list together.

"Dan Rinke, the owner of Johan Vineyards was actually a soccer or football coach for one of my friends who went to school here in Milwaukee," he tells me.

Johan has two wines on the c.1880 list. One is a drueskall style pinot gris.  Unlike most pinot gris, this wine appears orange and cloudy and is usually served at more of a red temperature. According to Wolter, it harbors flavors of persimmon, preserved fruits and quite a bit of alcohol flavor.

"It’s unfiltered, using an old Scandinavian method.  It’s very raw," he says. "And unique. I wouldn’t even call it a white."

Pewaukee native, Roger Scommegna, is another Wisconsinite who headed west to explore viticulture. He teamed up with the "Three Thieves" Joel Gott and Charles Bieler in 2001 and launched what Wolter likes to call "CardBordeaux" – a boxed wine with an impressive flavor profile.  He also started his own private winery, Signal Ridge, where he produces an approachable sparkling wine from chardonnay and pinot noir grapes.

And then there’s one of the most interesting stories of the bunch – that of Buena Vista Winery in the Sonoma Valley.

"I’m a history nerd, so their story is really interesting," says Wolter, as he pulls out a bottle of "The Count" 2012 Founders Red. 

"It was the 1840’s, and Agoston Haraszthy was from Hungary," Wolter goes on. "He moved to Wisconsin, founded Sauk County and set up the infrastructure there – roads and the whole nine yards. He grew the hops and barley for the beer barons.  And he named himself ‘The Count’…  but the weather was too cold in Wisconsin and his wine grapes wouldn’t grow, so he moved to California, worked for the mint in San Francisco.  He bought 800 acres in Sonoma…"

For those curious about a taste of viticulture that traces its roots back to Wisconsin, c.1880 will be hosting a number of wine dinners, showcasing the vineyards on the "All Roots" list. 

The first will be held on Monday, Nov. 18 beginning at 7 p.m. when c.1880 partners with Johnson Brothers Wine & Buena Vista Winery for a one-night only experience exploring the depths of food and wine pairing. Chef/Owner Thomas Hauck has created a six-course menu of culinary delights to pair perfectly with the wines of Buena Vista Winery. "The Count of Buena Vista Winery" himself, will be present to discuss the BVW portfolio.

Community seating will be provided to ensure that guest can mingle and discuss the layers of flavor throughout the evening. Price is $110 per person, including wine pairings. Wines will also be available for purchase at a discounted retail price. Reservations can be made by calling the restaurant at (414) 431-9271 or emailing joshua@c1880.com.