Bay Winery

in less than a decade, ryan zahler has gone from not drinking wine to becoming a wine appreciator, winemaker and owner of the small-batch bay winery in sturgeon bay. originally from southern california, zahler ironically didn’t find an interest in wine until moving to door county for a work assignment in 2011. “i moved here for a temporary job, and that’s when i started visiting area wineries. i really liked the different wine varieties, and i fell in love with it,” zahler said. “after the assignment was over and we had to go back to louisiana, i started experimenting with making my own.” bay winery graduated from hobby to small business with the grand opening of its tasting room on may 18, 2019. to prepare, the lower level of zahler’s bay shore drive home has been transformed from a completely bare space to a rustic, richly decorated room complete with a tasting bar and wine displays. the remodel took a year and a half and can comfortably fit 10 to 15 people. for now, the tasting