The Old Mission and Leelanau Penisula's are located in Northern Michigan along Lake Michigan near Traverse City. Historically the region was known for fruit growing (primarily cherries) and grape vines have only been commercially grown in the are since the 1970's. Most of the wineries are much more recent having only been started in the last 15 years (many within the last 3 years). In all, there are about 25 wineries in the region. To say that the wine culture in the region is changing rapidly is an understatement. If you haven't visited the region (or tasted the wines) in the last 2 years then you probably don't have a good handle on what is happening.

I visited the region 2 weeks ago and selected 10 wineries to visit which had gooten the best press and reviews. I had tried many wines from these wineries in the past but most of the really exciting wines do not make it to the Chicago area. I was able to visit 9 of the 10 wineries and have posted my notes on the board. The only winery I was not able to visit was Shady Lane. Here are links to my tasting notes:

Black Star Farms
L.Mawby
Two Lads
Bowers Harbor Vineyards
Penisula Cellars
Chateau Grand Traverse
Brys Estate
Chateau Chantal
Left Foot Charley

The two prettiest wineries were Two Lads and Chateau Chantal. The highest quality wines were being made by Left Foot Charley, Chateau Grand Traverse, Peninsula Cellars and L.Mawby.

I was extremely impressed by the wines and the great strides that have been made. Frankly, I expected to find only slightly better conditions and efforts than exist in Southwest Michigan. I expected plenty of non vinifera wines, a lack of vineyard specificity and abundant non vintage offerings. I found none of that. All of the wineries concentrated almost exclusively on vinifera grapes. The winemaking methods and quality was very solid. There were very few N/V wines (except for sparkling wines). Most impressively, most wineries had spent considerable time and effort to locate and identify the vineyards which produced superior grapes and are putting out single vineyard bottlings.

Every winery (except one) concentrated on German/Alsatian varietals. These varietals (mostly Riesling, Gewurzrtraminer, Pinot Blanc and Pinto Gris) have been identified as doing best in the region. Clearly the red wines lagged behind the whites in terms of quality. It is a credit to the wineries that they concentrate on what they can do best instead of trying to make Cabernet Sauvignon and Chardonnay which will not reach the ripeness levels necessary in this climate.

Some very impressive wines were being made. I scored 13 wines in the outstanding or potentially outstanding category. In addition, I only tried 1 Icewine on my trip although almost every estate makes a very fine example. Also the signature white wines at some estates were sold out and I could not try them. Had I tried all of them, the list of outstanding wines probably would have reached 2 dozen. here are the wines that I rated potentially 90 points or higher:

2008 Chateau Grand Traverse Dry Riesling- 88-90
2008 Left Foot Charley Riesling Seventh Hill Vineyard- 88-90
N.V. L. Mawby Blanc de Noir- 89-90
2006 Peninsula Cellars Select Riesling- 89-90
2008 Left Foot Charley Riesling (Late Harvest)- 89-90
N.V. L. Mawby Talismon- 90
2008 Bowers Harbor Riesling Block II- 90
2008 Left Foot Charley Riesling Brengman Bros. Vineyard- 90
2008 Black Star Farms Riesling Arcturos Late Harvest- 90-91
2006 Peninsula Cellars Gewürztraminer Manigold Vineyard- 91
2008 Chateau Grand Traverse Riesling 'Lot 49'- 91
2007 Chateau Chantal Riesling Ice Wine- 91-92
2007 Chateau Grand Traverse Riesling Botrytis- 92

Many other wines scored in 87 points or higher. I did not expect this level of quality and was shocked by the results of what I tried.

This is a very exciting up and coming wine region and I want to be careful about not overstating my opinion. However, without hesitation I can say that this region is making THE BEST DRY AND OFF DRY GERMAN AND ALSATIAN VARIETAL WINES IN THE UNITED STATES. Bar none. I have never tasted as many Riesling, Gewurztraminer, Pinot Blanc or Pinot Gris wines from any other region in the US which showed such consistent depth, complexity and balance.

The prices were outstanding as well. All of the wines I listed above sold for $16-25. Of course the big drawback is availability. Most of the premium wines do not make it out of the region. Even then they sell out quickly because of limited quantity. However, if you are in the area or see any on restaurant lists or in stores in the upper Midwest, I highly recommend trying them.

VM

Correction on prices. The Ice Wine and Block II sold for more than $25.

VM

I'm glad you liked them. We found all of the region's wines poor, most of them undrinkable, and nothing worth purchasing, other than one novelty cherry wine for laughs.

That does not surprise me since your visit to the region was 7+ years ago. Things have changed.

Which wineries did yu visit when you were there?

VM

How do you make the assumption of when my most recent visit to the region was?

VM
Ch.Gran T ice wine many of time!
cellar a couple for over ten years an they drank very well!
will have to make the trip down the next time we are at the cottage in Harbor Springs!
we should be their the day after xmas for a long week of skiing, snow shoeing,cross country skiing! the fire place, kids, wine and great food!

I am glad to hear you enjoyed it. My wife and I go up there every year and Peninsula, Left Foot Charley and Chateau Fontaine (on Leelenau) are some of our favorites. We definitely enjoy the whites more, which tends to work out since we visit in mid-summer and that is the perfect time for some of these wines.

We haven't been to L. Mawby in a few years, but plan on visiting next year, since we are enjoying sparklers a lot more as of late. I wouldn't say you missed much at Shady Lane - I liked them when we first started visiting, but recently have been a bit turned off.

With the growth of some of the wineries, they have lost some of the "Mom & Pop" charm that we first loved (you used to get tastings from the owner/winemaker because there really wasn't anyone else around). However, I can deal with that if it means that they are growing more and improving their wines, which they seem to be doing.

quote:

Originally posted by bez780:
VM
Ch.Gran T ice wine many of time!
cellar a couple for over ten years an they drank very well!
will have to make the trip down the next time we are at the cottage in Harbor Springs!
we should be their the day after xmas for a long week of skiing, snow shoeing,cross country skiing! the fire place, kids, wine and great food!

i am all so their first week of july(long)
june on weekends for early golf and weekend most of the summer!
just may start thinking on how to do an off line some where up their! mix it with a golf
or what ever!

VM,

Absolutely! We're kicking out some excellent up here, despite the fact the quality is uneven.

I've judged twice for the Michigan Wine Competition, this year and back in '06, and can say that even within that time span, the improvement has been dramatic.

You're right the whites are rockin', but the reds are coming along too, especially for those wineries that have given up chasing the market and realize that they'll never make a wine to compete with the CA style.

Thanks for taking the time to do the writeup, and enjoying the wines for what they are.

bez- They weren't pouring the CGT Ice Wine. Really wanted to try it though. There were a few members of the board in the Traverse area so you might be able to put together an offline.

Winesparty- I'm a little concerned about Peninsula because of he change in wine makers. I think the jury is still out on whether they can maintain their level of quality. Regarding Left Foot Charley, I was really disappointed that the Pinot Blanc Island View Vineyard was sold out. If you visit LFC next Summer could you pick up a bottle for me (if you remember). I would really appreciate it.

VM

chaad- You're welcome although it was my pleasure. Discovery and sharing are two of the joys of this hobby. With respect to the red wines, I didn't taste anything up North that would change my opinion that Wyncroft is still the best in the StateVM

Wyncroft best reds in the state of Michigan?

Very well could be!

Jim Lester told me he made his first pinot noir off the southwest lake shore vineyards in '82, IIRC, and his current crop of Avonlea vineyard pinots show that Jim has put his experience to good use! The '06 was so fantastic!

quote:

Originally posted by Vino Me:
If you visit LFC next Summer could you pick up a bottle for me (if you remember). I would really appreciate it.

VM

I should be up there again in July/August and will do my best to remember.

chaad- I know the grapes for Jim's bordeaux bland (Shou) were planted around 1990; but, I could not find any details about the age of the Pinot vines in my prior notes. Interesting that you liked the 2006 Pinot so much. When I visited Jim last year, he poured the 2005-2007 Pinots for us and I thought the 2005 was by far the best. Wyncroft Pinot Vertical Notes.

winesparty- Thanks. I'll understand if picking up a bottle for me is not paramount in your mind 8 months from now. Also, strongly consider dining at Martha's Leelanau Table if you have not done so. My Traverse area dining experience is at this link.

VM

Very nice and thorough write-up; thank you. It should be published in WS, as far as I am concerned...

I would think that as the winemaking know-how is now freely accessible and, in many cases, importable and transferable (e.g. traveling consultants, etc...), wines from everywhere will likely become, at the very least, decent and drinkable. The key is the terroir, and I think each region will have it's own virtues to extol. As the old guard dries up and dies off, there will likely be less of a backlash against up-and-coming wine regions. That isn't to say that Burgundy will stop being the spiritual homeland of the Pinot, it's just that maybe we'll all be more open to believing that an elegant Pinot can be produced elsewhere.

Thanks for the compliment.

VM

Will hold final judgement re the scores until after tasting a few again. IMHO opinion scores seem a bit high from a past visit there 3 years ago.

Especially Bowers as I went there only cause it is my last name. Thought then mid 80's

CH Grand Riesling was about an 84

From where they were to this would be quite an increase.

Same trip also hit NYS FL region, and thought on whole these wines were more rounded, better taste, and more aroma.

I agree with FLWS completely. Finger Lakes wines were heads and tails above the swill we've had in Michigan, especially the Michigan reds. Best state in the US, after CA, OR, WA, and NY is New Mexico, imo.

FL Wino Spouse- I think you will be very surprised at the rise in quality over the last few years. I can't tell what you tried from your post but I don't think our opinions are that different. I only rated 2 Bowers Harbor wines above 87 points (both single vineyard Rieslings) and the rest in the low to mid 80's as you did. With respect to the Chateau Grand Traverse Riesling, they make 11 dry and off dry wines and I did not try them all. My ratings for the 3 I tried ranged from 83-91.

BO- The wines have changed drastically in the 9 years since you visited.

VM

VM,

Great write up.

I think it is very important to note that individual tasting room experiences can be vastly different for a variety of reasons. As you alluded to, most of the good wines are made in small quantities, and therefore are often not available, and/or sell out quickly. Also, there is constant experimentation with varietals, vineyards and blends, so all the wineries often make 10 or more cuvees in a year, and it's hard to taste through them all. Thirdly, vintage conditions in Michigan can vary wildly. The climatic difference between 2005 (HOT, dry, late frost) and 2009 (cold, rainy, early frost) is a strong example of this. Finally, as you have noted, there's a lot of plonk diluting out the good stuff. If you randomly picked 6 wines from a tasting list, you might very well get 6 bad ones, and miss the one or two gems. Note that if there's a weak wine, it is likely to stay on the tasting list longer than a good one.

As a minor point, I think you have given a little bit of short shrift to the reds. I have had some really good pinots, Cab Francs, and even one Merlot, from Old Mission (and, admittedly, some really bad ones, too). Again, the good ones were almost all low-production wines, and most of these sold out almost instantly.

The region certainly has made tremendous strides in quality over the last few years, and I hope this trend continues. Also, most of the vineyards, winemakers, and wineries are very young, and as they age, the wines should continue to improve.

It is now time for Board-O to tell us exactly when he was last there, and what wineries he visited, and any other details he cares to share, before he takes any more of his pot-shots. I'm starting to think it was 15 years ago, on a dreary November weekend, and his Prozac prescription had run out.

Redhawk,

I agree that vintage variation and knowing what to try and what to avoid in a tasting room is important. Your comment on the vineyards, winemakers and wineries being young is also on point. The first commercial grapes were only planted in the mid 1970's. Most vineyards are less than 20 years old. The grape growing culture is very young. By comparison, grapes have been grown commercially in the Finger Lakes region for over 100 years.

With respect to Board-O's last visit to the Traverse area, I don't think he will respond with details. However, I asked him about his last visit on the board back in 2003. He probably doesn't recall our exchange. Anyway, his response was that he last visited the Traverse area 3 years earlier (in 2000). He confirmed that his last visit to Michigan wineries was in 2000 in a 2005 post to Jim Lester of Wyncroft Winery. I think he has posted a few more times since then confirming his last visit was in 2000.

VM

Wrong again, VM. You have no idea what you're talking about, as usual. So in 2005, as you say, I said I hadn't been to Michigan since 2000. Somehow you draw the ridiculous, illogical conclusion, that I haven't been back since that post. All you're doing here is presenting your fabrications as facts, which they are not.

Spend some more time digging up old threads. I'm flattered that you waste so much time on me.

Your opinions on this subject are as old and stale as you. Your failure to respond to Redhawk's questions are very telling.

VM

You're drawing faulty conclusions again. Logic is not your strong point.

Why is it so difficult for you to answer Redhawk's questions and tell everyone the last time you visited the region and where you tasted? You are entitled to your opinion; however, you should be willing to provide the basis for it. That is all Redhawk is asking.

VM