Our Grounds

Residing above the bluffs of Fish Creek, the Lautenbach family estate, known as Orchard Country consists of a spacious country market offering hundreds of locally grown products, a winery and cider mill located in the 100 year old restored red dairy barn, along with an apple grading shed, storage buildings and picnic areas-all nestled among 100 acres of fruit bearing trees and vines.

Clark-Lautenbach Farm hayingThe property was first purchased from the U.S. Government in 1858 by the Town of Gibraltar's founder, Asa Thorpe.  Throughout the next 100 years, the property changed hands among members of the Thorpe and Clark families.  Many families were raised, as well as milking cows, horses, feed crops, peas and fruit trees through the years.great grandma lisch selling fruit by the roadside

Purchased in 1955 by Bill and Ruth Lautenbach, the family continued to plant Montmorency cherry trees on the property.  For years, fresh fruit was sold by the roadside to passing tourists from an old wagon and cigar box, for change. 

original farm market

In 1975, Bob and his family built the first farm market, to accommodate the booming tourism industry looking for fresh fruit and local home-made preserves.   In 1979, Bob built an old-fashioned cider press. Using wooden slats with cheese cloth liners filled with crushed fruit....the Lautenbach's line of ciders was born. Cider-making was a messy and tedious process, thus a German-style bladder press was purchased in 1989 to modernize the process. 

In the early 80's Bob decided it was time to diversify his products using the Montmorency cherries, grown on the property. Work began soon after on the old dairy barn to refurbish it into a wine production area and tasting room. Orchard Country Winery was established in 1985 and opened it's doors to visitors in the Spring, with it's first cherry wine.

In 2000, entrepreneur AJ Frank approached the Lautenbach family on establishing a trolley tour service on the property.  Door County Trolley, Inc. turned the "old pumphouse" into a ticket booth/sales office and now owns a flourishing fleet of 8 trolleys offering guided tours of the peninsula.

building new farm marketThroughout the years, additions were made to the market using buildings from the migrant worker's camp, with it eventually growing 5 times it's original size. 

After suffering a fire in February 2005, the Lautenbach family had an unexpected focus as they headed into the spring season of 2005: rebuilding. Despite the shock of losing the original family-built market, it became an opportunity to build a new and improved market and wine shop.

Custom-built by Portside builders, Orchard Country’s new market and wine shop opened on July 2nd, 2005. A spacious new floor plan filled with hand-built displays lined with shiny jars of bright red cherries, delicious jams and jellies as well as the smell of fresh baked pies, the new store has all of the favorites you have come to enjoy and much more.

New to the market is a beautiful tasting bar custom built by Jody Viste, Bob’s son-in-law. Offering a taste for every palate, over 30 of Orchard Country’s award-winning wines are available for tasting.

In the fall of 2007 Cottage Row Framing and Gallery was established by Anne and Myron Rogers in the front part of the big red barn, thus offering another activity for guests visiting Orchard Country.