Our unique site located on one of the highest points in Berrien County, within the Lake Michigan Shore AVA growing region, provides what can be the ideal climate for outstanding wine grapes. The extended growing season and gentle ripening contribute to the characteristics of quality and complexity in our wines. Located on southerly facing hillsides ranging from 900’ to 800’ of elevation, our vineyards are trellised in a north/south direction to provide even sunlight on both sides of the vines, and hold the sun’s heat to allow better ripening of the grapes, especially for red wines.
Our oldest vines were planted in 1992, and we have been adding more grapevines each year as our needs grow. We currently grow 21 different varieties of wine grapes in our 40 acres of vineyards:
Cabernet Franc |
Cabernet Sauvignon |
Chardonnay |
Chelois |
deChaunac |
Lemberger |
Malbec |
Marsanne |
Merlot |
Petit Verdot |
Pinot Gris |
Pinot Noir |
Riesling |
Roussanne |
St. Vincent |
Sauvignon Blanc |
Seyval Blanc |
Syrah |
Traminette |
Vignoles |
Viognier |
Autumn in the Vineyard: It’s Harvest Time! The grapes have already gone thru “veraison”, which is when they start the ripening process by changing color. Grapes for red winemaking change from green to purple and grapes for white winemaking change from green to golden yellow. The 21 varieties of wine grapes that we grow ripen at different times, starting around the middle of September and continuing until the end of October. To determine when the grapes are ripe and ready to pick, we test them for sugar (or brix level), pH, and acidity. Wine grapes contain lots of seeds, and those seeds also turn from yellow/green to brown when the grapes are approaching maturity. After the grapes are picked, the leaves turn yellow and fall off and the vines “harden off” and go into a dormant state for the winter.