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News -> Consumer -> Michigan Sparkles for the Holidays
by Joel Goldberg
STOP! Before you reach for that bottle of French Champagne or California bubbly during the holiday festivities, how about giving a try to one of Michigan’s finest? Sparkling wines, that is.
Whether from L. Mawby or Shady Lane on Leelanau Peninsula, Chateau Chantal on Old Mission, or Tabor Hill in the Lake Michigan Shore wine region, you’ll find a variety of Michigan-made bubblies to suit nearly any palate.
If you enjoy wine, you may already know that Michigan is gaining recognition for some of the nation’s better sparkling wines. In much the same way that Champagne comes from France’s northernmost major wine region, our state’s cool northern climate and shorter growing season lend themselves to the less ripe, less sweet grapes traditionally used to make sparkling wine.
One winemaker deserves most of the credit for birthing northern Michigan’s sparkling wine industry: Leelanau Peninsula pioneer Larry Mawby. Since starting his small L. Mawby winery near Suttons Bay in 1978, Mawby has continuously experimented with different grapes and wine styles, ultimately earning an international reputation for his Michigan bubblies. At one time or another, he’s also proffered assistance to nearly every other northern Michigan winemaker taking the leap into sparkling wine.
He’s still at it today, making bubblies under two labels. L. Mawby-labeled wines exclusively contain grapes grown on the Leelanau Peninsula, traditionally bottle-fermented and aged using the same techniques as Champagne. His top seller: the richly flavored Cremant Classic, made from 100% Vignoles grapes.
More recently, Mawby reversed his name to introduce a second, lower-priced brand, M. Lawrence. Wines sporting this label are made from purchased grapes, some grown outside Michigan, and fermented in tanks, rather than the more-costly in-the-bottle method. Best-known among them: Sex, a slightly sweet, pale rosé.
"Sex always sells", according to Mawby, but it’s definitely not the only game in town.
Just around the corner, Shady Lane Cellars has quietly established its own sparkling wine reputation. Their most interesting release? A 2006 Leelanau Peninsula Sparkling Riesling that’s slightly off-dry and provides a palate-pleasing wallop of peach and apricot flavors against a crisp backdrop.
Over on Old Mission Peninsula, the wine line-up at tourist magnet Chateau Chantal includes several bubblies. One favorite is the Gold Medal-winning, easy-on-the-wallet Tonight. It’s a Blanc de Blancs -- sparkling wine made exclusively from white grapes -- in this case Chardonnay. Light-bodied and just slightly off-dry, it’s an easy sipper any time – hence the name.
From tiny Buchanan in the southwestern Lake Michigan Shore region, Tabor Hill’s Grand Mark Brut is a full-throttle, toasty-flavored bubbly made from the traditional Champagne varietals of Pinot Noir and Chardonnay. In the last couple of years, it’s swept a raft of medals and awards, including a Double Gold Medal and Best of Class Sparkling Wine at the 2007 Michigan Wine Competition.
Incidentally, the ultra-heavy glass bottle required to rein in a bubbly’s high gas pressure makes it the least “green” wine to ship long distances. So when you head out for some holiday bubbly shopping, that’s one more good reason to bypass those from halfway around the globe -- and to Buy Michigan.
MICHIGAN SPARKLING WINE SHOPPING LIST
Prices from winery websites; retail prices and availability vary
L. Mawby Cremant Classic, $22. Golden, dry, rich and flavorful.
M. Lawrence “Sex”, $15. Pale rosé, slightly off-dry, berry flavors.
Shady Lane Sparkling Riesling, $22. Bright, crisp fruit flavors, off-dry.
Chateau Chantal “Tonight” Blanc de Blancs, $12.50. Light, easy sipping.
Tabor Hill Grand Mark Brut, $29. Dry with strong toasty flavors.
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Joel Goldberg is editor of MichWine, a consumer-oriented web guide to Michigan wines and wine country. He also judges at the Michigan Wine Competition and writes the “Arbor Vinous” column for the Ann Arbor Chronicle.
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