[Congressional Record Volume 166, Number 110 (Monday, June 15, 2020)]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Page E538]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




        IN RECOGNITION OF STEVE DeBAKER AND TROUT SPRINGS WINERY

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                          HON. MIKE GALLAGHER

                              of wisconsin

                    in the house of representatives

                         Monday, June 15, 2020

  Mr. GALLAGHER. Madam Speaker, I rise today to recognize Steve DeBaker 
and Trout Springs Winery for their work in creating the Wisconsin Ledge 
American Viticultural Area (AVA) in Northeast Wisconsin.
  Steve DeBaker opened Trout Springs Winery in 2005, establishing it as 
Brown County's first winery. Trout Springs Winery is Wisconsin's only 
licensed fish hatchery, plant nursery, and winery all under one roof. 
After 9 successful years in the wine industry, Trout Springs Winery was 
honored by the Wisconsin Grape Growers Association as their Winery of 
the Year in 2014.
  An AVA is a special region designated as having certain geographic 
and climatic features required for growing wine grapes, and the 
designation is often included on wine labels. Soon after opening Trout 
Springs Winery, Steve decided to establish the Wisconsin Ledge as an 
AVA. After 4,000 hours of dedicated research, numerous submissions to 
the Alcohol and Tobacco Tax and Trade Bureau, and some assistance from 
the Niagara Escarpment Resource Network with the GIS mapping process, 
Steve and Trout Springs achieved their goal of establishing the 
Wisconsin Ledge as an AVA.
  The Wisconsin Ledge AVA sits on the Niagara Escarpment, a land 
feature in Wisconsin that stretches for more than 650 miles, created 
millions of years ago. It touches 11 different counties in Northeast 
Wisconsin and contains soil and a climate ideal for growing grapes. 
With 22 bonded wineries within its scope and 3,800 square miles of 
land, the Wisconsin Ledge has become the 12th largest AVA in the world. 
It has grown into a tourist destination for visitors from around the 
world, leading to an annual agritourism increase of nearly two million 
tourists and over $50 million in revenue. Steve's commitment and work 
to developing the Wisconsin Ledge as an AVA has legitimized the 
Northeast Wisconsin as a grape growing region.
  Madam Speaker, I am privileged to honor Steve DeBaker and Trout 
Springs Winery as the birthplace of the Wisconsin Ledge American 
Viticultural Area. His dedication and positive contributions to the 
Wisconsin agricultural industry make Northeast Wisconsin proud.

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