Winemaker: Andrew Wagener

Red Oak is a family owned and operated winery and vineyard run by Nicholas A. Wagener (Andy) who is also the winemaker. At any given time it is not unusual to see three generations of the Wagener family at work in the Vineyard. Andy was born and raised in Sturgeon Bay, Wisconsin. He developed an early interest in grapes and wines from incidents early in his youth. He developed respect for the grape vine and its hardiness from his grandfather who had nurtured and cared for a number of vines when Andy was young. One of these vines is still found near the corner of the current vineyard.

With the intense law studies complete Andy's interest in grapes again rekindled and he entered the UC Davis Certificate program for Winemakers. After completing this He became an apprenticed for 3 years under Clark Smith who is a master winemaker and who also was trained at UC Davis. Under Clark, Andy concentrated on learning the German style of making white wine as well and the French style of making red wine.

In 2002 Andy started his vineyard at his father's (Nicholas R. Wagener) ranch in Sturgeon Bay. He also started his Winery at its current location. His mission was to produce ultra premium wines from fresh fruits using traditional wine making processes. He worked with Clark Smith to obtain quality grapes in California and Washington so he could begin to produce wine immediately while waiting for the vineyard to mature. The tasting room was completed and opened for business in 2005