The Beginning of Timber Hill Winery
What do you get when a microbiologist marries a hunter? A new business adventure that combines the passions of both – Timber Hill Winery.
Nestled in Milton Wisconsin, Timber Hill Winery opened its doors in October of 2016. From what started as a weekend hobby, making wine for family and friends, Amanda Stefl has grown her passion for wine making into a business that now offers over 20 different wines – from dry to sweet and white to red.
However, becoming a winemaker was not always in the cards for Amanda. After graduating from the University of Iowa, armed with a bachelor’s degree in Microbiology, Amanda worked in a lab after college. It was not until she heard the story of a winemaker at a career conference that wine making entered the picture. After listening to this woman talk about her path to making wine and how exciting her job was, Amanda was convinced to look further into this career option. The more she looked into it, the more she fell in love with the idea of having her own winery someday.
Over the next few years her passion for viticulture deepened as she took classes at a local community college on grape growing and wine making. Soon, she realized that working in a lab was not where her heart belonged and plans for a Wisconsin winery began.
Finding Inspiration in Everyday Life
Quickly, Amanda learned that one does not simply start a Wisconsin winery overnight. While she had the wine making down, she needed a name and logo. That is where her husband Matt came into the mix. Matt, an avid hunter, can often be found scouting the trails on their property with the family’s two dogs – Meeko and Rudy.
Using his passion for hunting and the outdoors as inspiration, Amanda combined her love of wine to create the name Timber Hill Winery. Both Matt and Amanda are represented throughout the business from the winery’s logo – deer antlers for Matt morphed into a wine glass for Amanda – to the wines Antler Shed Red and Widow’s Weekend.
A Family Affair
Timber Hill Winery is not only the result of the owner’s hard work, but the hard work of family members as well. The Stefl’s have been fortunate to have family to help with all aspects of the winery operations. In the spring of 2017, Amanda and Matt (mostly Matt, his father Dave, and grandfather Bob) planted an acre of vines on the Stefl’s property. In the winery, Amanda receives a helping hand from her father Tim and mother Pam, and her aunts Karen and Barb, along with other relatives. Without their families, it is safe to say Timber Hill Winery would not be where it is today.
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