Ring in the Spring with Michigan Wine

April is Michigan Wine Month and a great time to leave the winter behind and explore the budding greenery of the countryside.  Why not pair your weekend retreat with some fine wine?  Michigan’s flourishing grape industry is not only producing more award-winning wines than ever before, it has sprouted a booming addition to Michigan tourism in recent years.

There are four main areas for winery exploration: Leelanau Peninsula, Old Mission Peninsula, the lower Lake Michigan shoreline, and a small region near Jackson.  Leelanau and Old Mission are both near Traverse City with an abundance of lodging choices, including bed & breakfasts, some of which are at the vineyards themselves.

Leelanau offers fifteen different wineries to discover.  Among them are Bel Lago, a beautiful vineyard that overlooks Lake Leelanau, and Ciccone, which boasts a panoramic view of West Grand Traverse Bay and the area's rolling hills.  Black Star Farms-Leelanau is also nearby.  Situated on a 160-acre horse farm, it is complete with a winery, distillery, tasting room, creamery, bed & breakfast, and wooded trails. 
 
Across the West Grand Traverse Bay is Old Mission Peninsula, home to seven other wineries guaranteed to delight visitors to the Traverse City area.  With stunning views of East and West Grand Traverse Bay, Chateau Chantal combines a winery, vineyard, and B&B to create a tranquil retreat.  Brys Estate is the newset addition to the Old Mission winery trail, featuring a renovated farmhouse from the 1890's.  The property also includes a refurbished barn, pump house, and gardens as well as a winery, tasting room, and breathtaking views of the East Bay.

If you travel south along the Lake Michigan coastline toward South Haven, you will find another great wine-producing area, commonly known as the Lake Michigan Shoreline.  This area is marked by a dozen wineries including the relatively new Domaine Berrien Cellars, established in 2001, and the St. Julian Wine Company, Michigan's oldest and largest, circa 1921.  Highly acclaimed, St. Julian was even awarded the Taster's Guild International "Winery of the Year" award in 1998, which is the only time a winery outside of California or France has ever received the prestigious award.

For those in the middle or Southeastern portion of the Lower Peninsula, the Jackson area offers great tasting opportunities even closer to home, which Rachel Williams and her husband, Jake, recently discovered.  The couple moved to the Detroit area from Chicago in 2007 and repeatedly noticed billboards advertising local wineries.  When friends from Chicago announced they were coming to visit, they decided it was a great time to explore Michigan wine-tasting.  

Williams raves about their experience: "We went to Lone Oak Vineyard Estate and Sandhill Crane Vineyard.  We just loved both locations.  At Lone Oak, we were warmly greeted by one of the owners and enjoyed great conversation about their grapes, their process, as well as how they got started in the wine business.  The owner gave us excellent ideas for pairing the wines with foods, and also shared a great dessert recipe for their red raspberry wine.  At Sandhill Crane, a lovely woman made rounds to small tables where groups of us sat and tasted.  The variety was amazing - we had a great time noting favorites and we all walked away with several bottles!  It made for the perfect afternoon and we'll definitely be taking out-of-town guests there again."

There are currently more than fifty wineries in the state to explore, according to the Michigan Wine Council (part of the Department of Agriculture).   To be recognized by the Council, a Michigan winery must make wine as a primary business function and its wines must be created from locally grown fruit.  Aside from the four primary regions, there are a variety of other places throughout the state in which to sample Michigan wine.   

The stunning scenery of Michigan wine country may only pale in comparison to the glorious wines it produces.  According to David Creighton, Promotions Agent with the Michigan Wine Council, “Michigan produces some truly exceptional wines.  The main features that make us different are relatively cold climate and relatively sandy soil.  This makes for very different wines than what you would find in a warmer climate like California.  Michigan wines are not heavy.  Cool climates also lower the sugar, which means less alcohol.  The result is delicate, elegant wines that are ideal to pair with food.”

For those who cannot break away and visit the wines where they’re born, local restaurants, grocers and wine shops are bringing them to your neighborhood with increasing frequency.  (If they are not, then Buy Michigan Now encourages you to ask them to do just that).  Here are some tips for selecting and getting to know Michigan wine.

If you prefer white wines, Creighton advises trying a Michigan Reisling.  “The number one grape by far is Reisling.  It is not a sweet wine, it is a grape.  It is probably the greatest white wine grape in the world.  You can make a very dry to a very sweet wine with it.  At least 25 dry Reislings are made in Michigan, and several more semi-dry, sweet, and even ice wines.  Federal regulations dictate that grapes must be frozen on the vine naturally in order to be called Ice Wine, so Michigan, like Canada, has an ideal climate for producing those.” 

Continuing with the whites, Creighton also cites that many experts visiting the state have been exceptionally complimentary of our Pinot Gris grapes and the fine Pinot Grigios being produced by Michigan winemakers.  He describes them as having a “crisp, clean taste”.

Fans of red wines will be pleased to know that Michigan excels when it comes to Pinot Noir as well.  Creighton indicates that this is probably the most largely planted redskin grape in the world, and that Michigan does very well with them.  Also high on Creighton’s list of red recommendations are the Cabernet Francs.  “The Cabernet Franc is essentially the father of Cabernet Sauvignon--it ripens earlier.”

Michigan wines are not only coming from grapes, but from the abundance of other fine fruits grown in the state.  You can find wines made from raspberries, blueberries, apples, and of course, cherries.  Many of these are delightfully sweet and enjoyed even by those who do not necessarily consider themselves to be wine drinkers. 

To learn more about this growing local industry, the vineyards, or wine tourism, visit  Michigan Wines.  The site even has a calendar of events to help you find locations and unique ways to enjoy this month-long celebration.  If you cannot make it to an event, create one of your own.  Consider inviting friends over to ring in spring with some great Michigan vintages.