Rubber Ducky

Long before Joelle ever made a bottle of wine, she and Jason used to joke about owning a winery someday. Before kids. Before Rubber Ducky. Before any of this. Whenever they traveled, wineries were always on the list. They tasted, explored, talked with owners, and dreamed about what it might be like to have a place of their own someday.

Then life took a few turns. In 2020, shortly after buying what they believed would be their forever home, Jason lost his job during the pandemic. A swing set became a roadside farmstand. The farmstand became June & Jem’s. June & Jem’s became Rubber Ducky. Rubber Ducky grew into a country market at an old Twin Lakes apple orchard. Then came food, a café, a beer garden, and eventually wine.

At the orchard, Joelle and Jason opened Mullet’s, a wine bar featuring wines from around Wisconsin. One of those wineries was 𝗡𝗢𝗥𝗧𝗛𝗟𝗘𝗔𝗙. Years later, when the Dalkes realized buying the orchard wasn't in the cards, they told NORTHLEAF owners John and Gail Nordlof they could no longer buy wine. That conversation changed everything. John and Gail were preparing for retirement. Jason and Joelle were searching for their forever. And suddenly, that old joke about someday owning a winery did not seem quite so impossible when John said, "You kids want to buy a winery?"

In July 2024, Joelle stepped into the production room beside 𝗚𝗮𝗶𝗹 𝗡𝗼𝗿𝗱𝗹𝗼𝗳, NORTHLEAF’s Winemaster, and became her student. Gail taught her more than recipes. She taught her the science, the timing, the judgment, and eventually how to trust her own palate. Many of the wines guests know and love today were developed by Gail, and Joelle’s role is never to erase that history. It is to learn it, respect it, and carry it forward.

Then, in 𝗠𝗮𝘆 𝟮𝟬𝟮𝟱, Joelle and Jason officially purchased the winery, and a new chapter began. For previous NORTHLEAF guests, the wine will feel familiar, but the winery experience is very different today. There is food. A lot of food. A new patio sits in front of the winery. A Summer outdoor Hawaiian restaurant. A country market that offers seasonal produce. An 1800s-inspired apothecary that offers gifts. There is a dinner comedy theater. There are tons of live events, cocktails, beer, wine experiences, and more reasons than ever to stay awhile or visit more often.

What was once primarily a tasting room has grown into a Southern WI must-stop destination.The history is still here. The wines are still here. The legacy John and Gail built is still here. But new energy, new ideas, and a whole new experience are waiting inside.

You could say NORTHLEAF has turned over a 𝗻𝗲𝘄 𝗹𝗲𝗮𝗳. And today, Rubber Ducky Winery & Country Market has grown into a place guests are making part of their Southern Wisconsin travels, whether they are coming for a tasting, dinner, live entertainment, shopping, or simply an afternoon with friends.

As Joelle enters her 𝘁𝗵𝗶𝗿𝗱 𝘆𝗲𝗮𝗿 𝗼𝗳 𝘄𝗶𝗻𝗲𝗺𝗮𝗸𝗶𝗻𝗴, the training wheels are off. Gail is stepping back, Joelle is stepping forward, and her instincts are being tested more than ever. Her palate is developing, her confidence is growing, and she already has a few new ideas being tested. This is not about replacing the legacy of NORTHLEAF. It is about carrying it into a new era. So call it changing careers. Call it taking a chance. Some might even call it a midlife crisis. 𝗪𝗲 𝗰𝗮𝗹𝗹 𝗶𝘁 𝗳𝗶𝗻𝗱𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝘆𝗼𝘂𝗿 𝗳𝗼𝗿𝗲𝘃𝗲𝗿. Meet Joelle Dalke. Wife. Mom. Business owner. Student of a master winemaker. Keeper of a winemaking legacy. And now, a winemaker discovering exactly what her own chapter will taste like.