A Madison, Wisconsin native, Peter Botham graduated from the University of Wisconsin in History and went on to the Maryland Institute of Art in Baltimore.
After working for several years as a commercial draftsman and artist, Peter threw off his coat and tie, so to speak, to pursue a career in viticulture. Having spent summers on his family's cattle farm in Wisconsin, Peter was familiar and entirely at home with the joys and challenges of farming. He saw viticulture as an opportunity to combine all the avocations he loved--farming, nature, wine and art--into one very rewarding vocation. Success as a winegrower and winemaker in northern Maryland prompted Peter's decision to return to Wisconsin to begin a vineyard and winery of his own.
In 1989 Peter made several trips to Wisconsin to begin the refurbishing of the farm and plant the first vines. He moved from Maryland to Wisconsin permanently in 1990. In 1992 the first crop was harvested and sold to another area winery. By 1993, our winery had been properly prepared for production, and the grapes from that year's harvest became the wine with which the tasting room was opened in the summer of 1994.
Botham Vineyards produced roughly 2500 gallons of wine to sell that first year. In contrast, our 2011 production will hover near 30,000 gallons. In addition to our tasting room and online store, our wines are available for purchase in retail liquor and grocery outlets and restaurants throughout Wisconsin.
Peter's vine-to-bottle approach to winemaking follows a less-is-more philosophy; less manipulation of the wines allows grape character to better exhibit itself. Carefully monitored oak aging, and minimal filtration and chemical alteration are practices to which he strongly adheres. The result fruit-forward wines of extraordinary character and balance that have earned more than 300 medals in national and international competitions over the past 17 years.
In his spare time, Peter collects, tinkers on and races vintage sports cars. The vineyard has become a popular destination for vintage auto tours and motoring enthusiasts. And each August, Botham Vineyards & Winery hosts the Vintage Celebration, a one-day event commemorating the beauty, nostalgia and fitness of vintage sports cars, touring sedans, race cars and of course, fine wine.