Bayfield Winery and Blue Ox Cider

We are a family owned and operated winery and cidery and we, Phil, Jen, Maddie and Lou, want to welcome you to our beautiful little piece of earth right outside Bayfield, Wisconsin.

The Bayfield Winery was started by Scott and Renate Hauser in 1995. After 25 years they decided it was time to hang up the pruners and enjoy retirement. Phil had been working at the winery for a few years and when the business went up for sale, it was an opportunity we couldn’t pass up. We had hatched a dream of starting a hard cidery and this presented the perfect opportunity to add our cider to the current wine offerings. Thankfully one of the Hausers, Ian, stayed on as our head winemaker and we still make the delicious wines many have grown to love.

The 100 acre farm was started in the 1920’s by the Betzold family as a fruit farm selling primarily strawberries, cherries and apples. The apple trees on the farm were all planted by the Betzolds. When the Hauser family bought the property they planted the front vineyard in 2015 and the back vineyard in 2018. The property is protected by a conservation easement which ensures it will stay undeveloped. The University of Wisconsin Extension also runs some agricultural trials on the property. Right now there are hazelnut bushes and in the coming year, 2022, table grape trials will begin. 

A little bit about our personal history. Phil and Jen both grew up in the Twin Cities. After working for a while in our respective careers we decided we wanted a change of pace. Our cidery dream began in 2012 when we rented a cabin in the fall and on the way picked up some hard cider and a peck of apples from a nearby orchard. We started hunting for a small existing apple orchard and found the perfect 10 acre orchard right outside Bayfield, WI. We started planting hard cider apples and learning how to take care of apple trees. We live on that 10 acre orchard and can see the winery from our house.

Come on by, have a drink and say hi.