Las Mujeres

There are some places that stay with you long after you've left them. Las Mujeres and the Driftless region of Wisconsin are one of those places.

I've had the privilege of calling Elise and Tony friends for years, and watching them bring Las Mujeres to life has been incredibly inspiring. Nestled among the rolling hills, winding streams, and ancient orchards of Wisconsin's beautiful Driftless Region, they've created more than a farm and winery. They've created a place that invites you to slow down, pay attention, and experience the land in a different way.

Their work is rooted in regenerative farming, thoughtful craftsmanship, and a deep respect for the community and landscape that surround them.

I'm so grateful to share their story with you. I hope that after reading it, you'll not only want to visit Las Mujeres and find their ciders and wines in shops near you, but you'll also leave with a deeper appreciation for the people and places that remind us to live a little closer to the earth.

Interested in visiting Las Mujeres or tasting their wines and ciders? Click here to learn more and plan your visit.

Let's start with you.

Before we talk about the farm and products, tell me a little about yourselves. Who are Elise and Tony outside of Las Mujeres?

1. Where did this dream begin?

We fell in love with the Driftless area early in our relationship and knew that one day we’d want to be here full time. Elise has a background in environmental policy. She founded Chicago’s favorite salvage warehouse, Rebuilding Exchange, and worked for Chicago city government and local nonprofits. Tony has a background in food and wine, most recently as co-owner of Cellar Door Provisions.

We both wanted the opportunity to get out of the city and get our hands into the soil. When the pandemic started, we realized that this might be the moment to make that change.

We love natural wine and wanted to make a product that makes people feel good when they drink it, knowing that it’s made in a way that cares for the planet and the health of people and rural communities where the fruit is grown.

Commercial wineries are legally allowed to put up to 70 additives in their wines, including colorants and stabilizers, but aren’t required to disclose that on the label. And most commercial growers use pesticides and fungicides to produce the picturesque vineyards you think of when you imagine a hillside vineyard.

Our ciders and wines are produced with organically grown fruit and have no additives or preservatives. Just delicious fermented juice that sits in barrels for a minimum of one year.

2. Was there ever a moment you weren't sure you'd make it?

Was there anything that almost stopped you from pursuing this dream? What kept you going? What have been some of your challenges while building this business?

What keeps us going is knowing that people are enjoying our product and appreciate that we’re committed to the approach that we’re using.

With a product that’s relatively new for its category, it’s always challenging to get the word out and connect with new customers. We appreciate being part of the Heart Be Your Guide community!

3. What are you building beyond a business?

What do you hope people are experiencing when they visit Las Mujeres or drink the ciders and wines you create?

We hope that people realize that naturally fermented wines and ciders make them feel good. They can smell and taste the fruit in the bottle. They know that the product is supporting small organic growers and having a positive impact on the planet.

We hope more people choose to drink natural ciders and wines and that the community around these products grows!

4. What makes this place and wine/cider uniquely yours?

What are some of the small details or traditions that matter most to you, even if most visitors never notice them? How is your product uniquely yours?

We carefully compose each of our ciders and wines. Our fruit comes from our farm and the farms of partner growers across the Wisconsin Driftless. Fruit starts ripening in early August and we’re still harvesting until the end of October.

Each cider and wine that we make reflects a moment in time during harvest, and we use juice from apples, grapes, aronia, plums, elderberries, and peaches to compose each barrel. What you’re tasting in the bottle is the result of a creative, experimental process.

Each cuvée of cider and wine has unique artwork made by an artist we love. We taste each cider and wine before bottling and think about a visual expression of the flavor, then work with the artist on an image for the label.

5. What has surprised you most?

Whether about farming, owning a business, making wine and cider, or yourself, what's something you never expected to learn along the way?

I never expected to love rural life as much as I do.

8. What brings you the most joy?

Is there a moment that happens here that reminds you, “This is exactly why I started”?

When I’m picking apples and pause for a moment to deeply register the smells and sounds of the orchard. And when someone tells me how much they love a cider or wine we made and how they shared it with friends.

9. What are you protecting?

As Las Mujeres continues to grow, what's one thing you're committed to never losing?

The quality of our fruit, the community of farmers we work with, and the freedom to be creative in our process.

About the Ciders & Wines

The Story

Gigi

Named after my mom, Gina. An inspiring human who inspired me to take risks. She loved her Chardonnay. Our Gigi cider is aged in new oak barrels, so it has an oaky finish.

2. The Craft

The Driftless is a unique part of the country, part of the Upper Mississippi River Valley. It’s called the Driftless because the glaciers of the last ice age never covered this area.

The region has big forested hills, dramatic valleys, and meandering streams. There’s a wildness here that inspires our farming and the ciders and wines that we make.

3. The Experience

When someone opens a bottle of our ciders or wines, we want them to be overwhelmed by the smells and tastes of naturally fermented fruit, to feel connected to time and place.

When they visit our farm and winery, we hope that they feel the wildness of our approach to this work and how humanizing that really is.

4. The Memory

We hope that people enjoy our ciders and wines with big meals shared with family and friends, and that they bring them joy and connectedness.

You can find Las Mujeres at these Stockists HERE!