Whistler's Knoll can host a wedding for up to 200 guests in its Grapevine Pavilion, or up to 300 with an added tent, as well as corporate dinners, retreats and holiday parties for smaller groups. The property is a vineyard with a restored barn and a restaurant, in the countryside just outside Hortonville, Wisconsin, in the Fox Valley.
Seminars and company events
The private events program covers corporate dinners and retreats, holiday parties, nonprofit and community events and private wine dinners. Groups get exclusive use of designated spaces within the vineyard, indoors or outdoors depending on the season and the number of guests. The team takes only a limited number of private events each season, so popular dates go early. Minimum spends vary with the date and the type of event and are given during the inquiry. A projector and screen, Wi-Fi across the property and a SONOS sound system are listed in the wedding package, which gives an idea of the equipment available for a presentation or a speech.
Weddings and receptions
Couples can hold the ceremony among the vines on white folding chairs or indoors, then move to the Grapevine Pavilion for dinner and dancing. The wedding day comes with exclusive access to the property from 10 am to 11 pm, a day-of coordinator, basic planning help, a bridal party studio and a Groom Room, banquet tables and chairs, event staff and licensed bartenders, an antique cake table, yard games and parking for up to 200 vehicles. Local zoning sets firm limits: beverage service ends at 10 pm and music at 10:30 pm. Welcome gatherings, brunches and multi-day programs are quoted on request.
Rooms and capacities
The Grapevine Pavilion takes 200 guests, or 300 with an additional tent. Custom canvas curtains with vinyl windows, gas heaters and barn fans let it work in cool and warm weather, and it looks out over the vineyard. It is winterized from October 15 to May 1. The restored barn is the second event space. Candles are not allowed in the barn but are allowed in the pavilion. Both spaces have ADA-accessible restrooms.
Catering
Food and drinks are prepared in-house and built around the season and the style of the event, from plated dinners to family-style service. The kitchen is led by Nick Morse, owner and executive chef, who also owns RYE, a fine dining restaurant in downtown Appleton, with Charlotte Morse. The venue holds a Class B liquor license and runs the full bar: wine, beer, cocktails, soft drinks and alcohol-free options. Outside beverages are not permitted, and outside vendors must be approved, licensed and insured. Under Wisconsin law the vineyard sells its grapes to be made into wine and does not make wine itself.
History and setting
Tom and Holly Boettcher started the vineyard as a project they had shared since high school, planting the first vines and restoring the old barn. Nick and Charlotte Morse now run the property. It sits in a rural residential area, which explains the strict evening curfew.
Getting there
The address is W9595 County Highway JJ, Hortonville, WI 54944. Appleton is the nearest city, and Appleton International Airport is the closest airport for guests flying in. There is no lodging on site, so plan room blocks in Fox Valley hotels.
