Next summer, Prairie Wind Winery will open in Clay Center, serving small-batch wine made on-site at 729 Bridge Street. The new-build remains under construction and tentatively plans to open May-June of 2026.

Owners Ed and Julie Zahler said the idea came from a hobby that got out of control. 

He began making wine and wanted to be able to share it with others. That led them to begin Prairie Wind Winery, which will make wine on-site and host indoor and outdoor seating. There will also be a separate retail portion, he said. 

Initially, food would not be available but Zahler said if the interest is there, he would likely expand in the future. 

“We wanted to give people a different experience,” Ed said. “Some will like it, some won’t, but we’ll have different kinds to try.” He added that wine is often subjective, which is why he enjoys experimenting and trying different recipes. Long-time wine connoisseurs, they have enjoyed traveling to other wineries and giving them a try, regardless of location.

“We’ve had the quote gold medal, and I thought it was horrid, yet some group of judges thought it was the best. And we’ve had wine in Gypsum out of the back end of a machine shed; that guy makes good wine. That’s part of the fun.”  

The Zahlers regularly try new wines while traveling, while he cited Merlot and Frontenac as his favorites. 

He said enjoying those experiences are what led he and Julie to open up a winery in Clay Center.

They grow grapes on a lot on Harriett Street, but Zahler said the crop has struggled. And, due to the attention and level of labor needed to keep grapes, he buys them locally instead. He also purchases juice or must, which is frozen grapes that have been pre-crushed. 

“You start to think about the seven acres, you need five-six people consistently; you start doing the math on it, yeah it looks pretty to grow grapes but until you get to a bigger scale it’s very difficult to bother with it.” 

The pair moved from the Pacific Northwest in 2018 when Ed retired from the carpentry union. The pair were wed 10 years ago after growing up together in the same small California town. 

“We didn’t get together until recently, she said I was too intense for her,” he laughed. Zahler has four adult sons, two who also live in Kansas. 

“We can make good wine, that’s not the issue,” Ed said. “It’s getting everything ready.” 

Zahler also works at Manhattan Area Technical College, teaching Construction Technology, while Julie will work on-site. They plan to open in May or June of 2026.