Our Vineyard1600+ vines, 11 acres, 7 grape varietals
Our 11-acre estate vineyard is managed by our winemaker and production apprentice, Chaz and Joey. Our vineyard contains 7 different grape varietals, all of which are used to make the wine on our shelves. The grapes we grow are cold hardy and disease-resistant varietals, also known as hybrids, meaning they were made at the University of Minnesota to withstand the colder temperatures and harsher winters we experience in these northern climates. A few of the wines we make are, and/or contain vinifera grapes, which are common wine grapes native to Europe but also grown in the US. The vinifera grapes we use are sourced as whole fruit from vineyards within 60 miles of Petoskey, so even though they’re not grown here, they are processed and made into wine right here in our cellar. Those grapes are: Pinot Noir, Cabernet Franc, Blaufränkisch, Riesling, Chardonnay, and Maréchal Foch.
Fun Fact about our VineyardWe grow 11-acres of grapes, and each acre produces about 3 tons... 1 ton makes about 756 bottles of wine... So our vineyard produces about 24,948 bottles of wine/year, or 2,079 cases!
The Grapes We GrowOf the 7 varietals we grow, 4 of them are white grapes and 3 are red grapes. The red are Marquette, Frontenac, and Petite Pearl The whites are La Crescent, Itasca, Frontenac Blanc, and Frontenac Gris
Marquette (top left) was released in 2006, and has become one of the most popular hybrids in Northern Michigan. We age our Marquette in oak barrels, but occasionally we create an Unoaked version that is fermented in stainless steel tanks. We also produce a dry Marquette Rosé, which undergoes minimal skin contact during fruit processing. Frontenac (top middle) was released in 1996, the first in the Frontenac family. It typically has high acid and notes of cherry and raspberry. We make a semi-dry Frontenac, sometimes aged in oak and sometimes unoaked. We also use Frontenac as the base wine for our Love Sangria, and the sweet red we call Adore. Petite Pearl (top right) was bred in 1996 but wasn’t released until 2010, and it tends to have lower acidity compared to other cold-hardy grapes. Our Petite Pearl is a dry, mellow wine aged in oak barrels. We also use it to craft Portoskey, our Port-style dessert wine, which is fortified with grape brandy.
Frontenac Gris (top left) was released in 2003, and the “Gris” in the name is a nod to the grayish color of the skin, reminiscent of Pinot Gris. It typically produces a white wine that has a hint of salmon color to it, but can also be made into vibrant rosés. We make both, crafting a semi-dry white Frontenac Gris, along with two sweet rosés: one is called First Crush, and the other is a sparkling wine called Shimmer Rosé. Released in 2012, Frontenac Blanc (top middle) features vibrant golden skin and is typically harvested earlier than both Frontenac Gris and Frontenac. Our Frontenac Blanc is a semi-sweet, showcasing the distinct flavors and aromas the grape is known for, including citrus, pineapple, and other tropical fruit notes. La Crescent (top right) was released in 2017, and was named after a town along the Mississippi River in Minnesota. It's known for its zippy acidity and high aromatics of apricot, peach, and citrus, which we love about our semi-dry La Crescent. Itasca (below) was released in 2017, and was named after Lake Itasca, the source lake for the Mississippi River. This grape is known for its exceptional cold hardiness, high-quality fruit chemistry, low acidity, and resistance to diseases. Our Itasca is dry, less acidic than our other whites, with refreshing notes of white peach and nectarine.
Seasons of the VinesGrapevines have an annual growing cycle, which means vineyard work and management is a year-round job! Let’s break it down... Spring = Budding & FloweringBud break starts in early spring, which is when they swell and burst open to reveal the new shoots. They’re extremely delicate during this time, so Michigan’s typical “second winter” can be a stressful time because new shoots are prone to frost damage.
As the first shoots begin to grow, they draw energy stored in the roots. As the canopy begins to develop, the warmth from the sun accelerates grow. At this stage, we perform a process called shoot thinning, where leave the most promising shoots, which will yield the best fruit, and remove those that aren't as productive.
Later in the spring, flower clusters begin to develop on the new shoots. These flowers self-pollinate (no bees needed!) and then bloom. During this stage, we are tying the vines, where we secure them to the wire and cordon to provide extra support as the berries grow and prevent the vines from being weighed down. Fully developed grape clusters are heavy! Tying the vines helps maintain their structure along the trellis system, ensuring they don’t sprawl out or grow vertically.
In the past we tilled underneath the vines to move away from using herbicides. In 2023, we planted a cover crop, consisting of native grasses and clover. This practice helps promote biodiversity and the regeneration of top soil. By encouraging healthy microbes, we strengthen the soil, which is essential for producing great fruit. After all, the foundation of exceptional wine begins with healthy soil.
Summer = Berry Growth & VeraisonIn early summer, young clusters begin to appear which eventually become the berry bunches you think of on a grapevine. See the progression below!
This is also time for leaf pulling, which is just as it sounds: pulling off leaves to provide more sunlight for the berries and increase airflow to fend off disease. It’s also key for future growth, as removing the leaves signals to the bud that next season it could be a vegetal or fruitful bud. Vineyard work is always a balance of thinking towards this coming harvest and the next 2-3 years of the vine! Click here to watch a video of the leaf blower and to see how it helps the vines for a better visual.
Gone are the days of pulling leaves by hand, thanks to our leaf blower, shown here! It blasts a strong stream of air that removes leaves from the canopy, helping with sunlight and airflow, as mentioned earlier. This tool is a game changer for us because, without it, we’d spend weeks manually pulling leaves to open up the canopy. Leaf pulling is a time-sensitive task, ideally done when the berries are pea-sized, and with so many vines to tend to, we’re incredibly grateful for the equipment that makes it all more efficient and helps us care for the vines better!
Mid to late summer is when the green, unripe berries start to change color and ripen, signaling that sugar levels are increasing and acidity is dropping. This process is called veraison. It’s an exciting time as these new colors mark the approach of the upcoming harvest!
Fall = HarvestWe typically harvest between August and October, depending on the weather and when the grapes are ready. Chaz and Joey monitor the grapes closely, testing their brix (sugar level) and pH (acidity) to ensure everything is on track. Each grape varietal has its ideal levels, so we aim to harvest as close to those as possible.
In the past, we hand-picked our entire vineyard with the help of volunteers, and much like leaf pulling by hand, it took a lot of time. It also required careful planning and coordination, which the weather often complicated. But in 2020, we made the decision to invest in a mechanical harvester, and it’s been a total game changer!
With Harvey the Harvester, as we call him, it only takes two people: one to drive and one to guide. As Harvey drives overtop a row of vines, there are finger-like parts that shake the grapes off and collects them in the back silver bin. Click here to watch a video of Harvey in action! It’s much more time efficient to use Harvey for harvesting the grapes when they're ready. What used to take a week with 30-40 volunteers now only takes Harvey a couple of hours! After the grapes are picked, the leaves lose their color, fall to the ground, and the vines start preparing for their long winters nap.
Visit Our Cellar page to learn about how we process grapes after harvest! Winter = PruningAs temperatures drop with the arrival of winter, the vines go into dormancy, directing their nutrients into their deep root systems and essentially going to sleep for the season. This protects them from the cold and the cuts of pruning.
Pruning is an important job in the vineyard; it takes a keen eye and patience to ensure the job is done right. The vineyard team cuts back the prior year’s growth and chooses the best spurs and buds that will grow new shoots the following year. Like leaf pulling, pruning requires balancing the needs of the upcoming harvest with planning for the next 2-3 years of the vine’s growth. The majority of pruning takes place during the winter months, while some vines prefer early spring. Without pruning, vines would become overgrown and unruly, producing almost no fruit. Pruning directs the vine’s energy, ensuring it focuses on creating high-quality fruit. The image on the bottom left shows vines before pruning. On the bottom right, you can see a vine after pruning—neatly trimmed and with space for the buds to grow.
Before & AfterPictured below is our vineyard in its early days, when we started with just one block of vines. Over the years, we planted another block and now have over 1,600 vines! We’re incredibly grateful for the growth and expansion we've experienced over the years.
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