Since 2022 has arrived and I have time to reflect on our Summer 2021 Michigan wine country travels. I clearly remember that before resuming our overland east to west coast travels along The Great Northern Route we needed to reach Highway 2 (US-2) on Michigan's Upper Peninsula. Our first stop on our journey north to US-2, was a state park at Sugar Loaf Lake, in the Waterloo Recreation Area. Here we experienced a tornado watch warning. Next stop, Warren Dune State Park, brought us to wine country on the western shore of the peninsula. It was here we introduced to Michigan's Lake Michigan Shore AVA. From there we traveled onto Traverse City. Using Traverse City, as a base, we toured the Old Mission Peninsula AVA. This was my first introduction to Michigan Wine Country.
While our stay in Michigan was brief I have discovered that Michigan is home to more than 140 wineries. These wineries are scattered across five AVA’s (Fernville, Leelanau Peninsula, Lake Michigan Shore, Old Mission Peninsula, and Tip of the Mitt). In fact throughout the state there are six wine trails (Lake Michigan Shore, Glen Arbor Village, Leelanau Peninsula, Old Mission Peninsula, Thumbs Up, Southwestern Michigan Pioneer, and Petosky). Lake Michigan Shore and Fennville AVAs account for around 40% of the state's wine, while the Leelanau Peninsula and the Old Mission Peninsula AVAs, account for 55%. Each Michigan AVA has its own unique terroir. For example Lake Michigan Shore AVA enjoys an extended growing season, the approximately four additional weeks for ripening allows this area to produce big, jammy red varietal wines, like Cabernet Sauvignon, Cabernet Franc and Merlot. The Leelanau Peninsula's produces white varieties with well-balanced acidity, such as Pinot Blanc, Pinot Grigio and Riesling. Hybrid grape wines, such as Marquette, Frontenac and Vidal Blanc, do well in the vineyards farther inland. Michigan produces ice wine, making if one of the few fortunate winemaking regions, besides Canada and Germany.
Michigan, ranked sixth in the US for wine production, has a rich history of wine making, dating back to 1780's. Michigan wineries specialized in sweet wine and fruit wine well into the 1970s. With the growth in demand, starting in the latter half of the 20th century, for locally grown fine wines, several existing Michigan makers of sweet wine experimented with upgrading their production, and new vintners also entered the scene. A slow growth in the number of wineries, and experimentation with different vinifera varieties continued well into the 2000s. While most wineries have focused on grape varieties that are best suited for Michigan's climate, a few have explored further. These days various hybrid varieties are being looked at to allow for grape growing in the Upper Peninsula. Clearly wine making in Michigan has had an exciting history and its future looks promising.
Michigan's Wine Trail
While on the Lake Shore Wine Trail we celebrated our friends, Karla and Gary’s anniversary at a winery restaurant. Besides exploring Lake Michigan Shore wine country we got to relax at the Warren Dune State Park.
From Warren Dune State Park we then traveled onto Traverse City where we toured the Old Mission Peninsula AVA. This area became an AVA in 1987. While in the area we visited Chateau Chantal and Mari Vineyards.
Wine Tasting, Chateau Chantal © Spaswinefood
Mari Vineyards Pushing Grape Boundaries
Old Mission Peninsula AVA, an area know for its cherries became an AVA in 1987. Mari Vineyards is owned by Marty Lagina. Their first vineyard was planted in 1999, with the first release of their flagship wine, Row 7, in 2006. Tradition meets innovation at Mari where 100% of their grapes are estate grown in their six vineyards (60 acres). The 22 grape varieties grown includes experimental Italian grapes and traditional grown appellation varieties. The vineyards are certified sustainable by Certified Michigan Agricultural Environmental Assurance Program (MAED). Moreover, all vineyards are under Mutual Farm Management (MFM), which incorporates organic and biodynamic practices. Six acres of their vineyards planted with red grapes use a Nella Serra (greenhouse) approach. This allows for an extra 4-6 weeks of growth. Mari Vineyards is clearly experimenting with new grape varieties for this AVA.
Michigan, ranked sixth in the US for wine production, was an exciting wine adventure for me. Put Michigan Wine Country travels on your list. It was fun discovering Michigan's wine regions (AVA's). Old Mission Peninsula AVA, where both Chateau Chantal and Mari Vineyards are found, provided a great introduction to the possibility of Michigan wines. I invite you to join me in my wine travels in Michigan and elsewhere at at Wine Travels with Dr. Sharon, and Spaswinefood on Twitter and Facebook.
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