By Taylor J. Hale

AUBURNDALE – A Portage County couple is opening a new winery in Auburndale.

John and Carol Hrusovszky started work on MoonDancer Winery in the fall of 2018 and expect the elegant venue to open to the public by mid-July.

“We’re buying our grape juices from various places in the U.S. and Europe to get some of the best — we are doing only high-quality wines,” said John Hrusovszky.

Hrusovszky and his wife started their journey in 2008, making wines in their home and sharing them with friends. The duo quickly adopted the new hobby and began to refine their techniques.

But, the quality of their wine isn’t the only thing that will set MoonDancer apart. Hrusovszky noted that the winery would also offer fully vegan wines, a rarity in the Midwest.

“Every one of our wines will be vegan,” he said. “Most wines you buy in the store are not vegan. Most people don’t know this.”

Most store-bought wine use a substance called isinglass, obtained from the swim bladders of fish, to create clarity. MoonDancer uses a fully vegan product called Sparkolloid powder.

“Even though very little of the fining product is left in the wine, it still makes it not vegan,” Hrusovszky explained.

MoonDancer will offer 15 different types of red and white wines along with homemade honey mead. The business will have their first batch of young wines available at their opening in July.

MoonDancer Winery is located at 10524 George Avenue, Auburndale. The winery will be open to the public three days a week.