When you think of Michigan’s culinary staples, there are probably a few things that come to mind, like Detroit-style pizza, Vernors pop, and pasties. But here’s something you might not know—our state is also home to a thriving, globally recognized wine scene.

Today, The ’Gander’s Chaunie Brusie gives us a virtual tour of Michigan’s five wine regions and highlights some standout local wineries that prove you don’t have to leave the state to sip something world-class.

Court rules MI House withheld bills from Governor (MLive): A state appeals court ruled that Michigan’s Republican-led House must send nine previously passed bills to Gov. Gretchen Whitmer. The decision came after Senate Majority Leader Winnie Brinks sued House Speaker Matt Hall for withholding the bills, which were approved last year when Democrats held the majority. The case now heads to the Court of Claims for enforcement. The disputed bills cover worker benefits, pension eligibility, and debt protections.

Thousands of MI preschoolers face loss of access to Head Start (Freep): Nine Michigan Head Start programs serving nearly 3,000 children could lose funding if the federal shutdown continues past Nov. 1. Most are in the Upper Peninsula, where many lack backup funding. Some, like the Alger-Marquette Community Action Board, can only stay open until mid-November—after that, staff layoffs and closures loom, cutting off child care, meals, and vital support services for low-income families.

Northern MI empties its ‘wood basket’ (IPR): Michigan’s timber industry is facing a shortage after an ice storm wiped out about 3 million acres of forest across 30 counties earlier this year. Foresters rushed to harvest fallen trees, flooding the market in the short term but leaving little timber for the next several years. The state has set aside $14 million to replant red pine, though experts say recovery could take decades.

The state’s glacier history and impact from the Great Lakes contribute to ideal conditions for cultivating delicious Michigan wine. (Free Run Cellars)

By Chaunie Brusie

While many people primarily associate Michigan with things like the auto industry and the Great Lakes, Michigan wine is also globally recognized. Michigan has over 13,000 acres of vineyards, and the state’s unique features—like the Great Lakes, rolling hills, and sheltered microclimates thanks to the lake effect—all work to create diverse (and delicious) conditions for cultivating wine.

My personal favorite wine is Leelanau Cellars’ Great Lakes Red, a warm and inviting Michigan wine that pairs well with everything from pasta to seafood to dessert. While I’d definitely recommend you give Great Lakes Red a try, there are also plenty of other wonderful Michigan wines to try. For instance, have you ever heard of ice wine? Made from grapes frozen before harvest, ice wine is one of the more unique types of Michigan wines.

You can explore ice wine and more from each of Michigan’s five federally recognized American Viticultural Areas (AVAs): Fennville, Lake Michigan Shore, Leelanau Peninsula, Old Mission Peninsula, and Tip of the Mitt.

The Alcohol and Tobacco and Tax and Trade Bureau explains that a viticultural area is a specified grape-growing region. An AVA is defined by the unique characteristics of the area, such as its soil, climate or microclimate, temperatures, or other factors. In Michigan, for instance, the history of glaciers moving through to create our Great Lakes also contributed to sandy and mineral-rich soil and sloping hills ideal for growing grapes.

The Great Lakes also create microclimates that lead to protected moderate temperatures that prevent frost damage, as well as a longer growing season. It sounds counterintuitive, but the high piles of snow that the areas near the lakes get actually protect the vines during the winter. The water also acts as a bit of a temperature regulator in the summer, preventing the heat from getting too extreme, which also protects the grapes.

Most of Michigan’s AVAs rely on the lake effect protection, harboring cold climate grapes, but the state has five different AVAs, each with its own distinct wine characteristics.

The Modales Wines vineyard and winery in Fennville, Mich. (Jamlee Favorite/Modales Wines)

Fennville is an AVA located on the eastern shore of Lake Michigan, known for its favorable fruit-growing conditions and moderate temperatures due to the lake effect. Specifically, Fennville favors growing cold-weather, tender grape varieties. Because Fennville is located on one of the most natural points near Lake Michigan, its climate is highly regulated and known for ample snow and freezing cold temperatures.

As a result, grape vines are delayed from budding until mid-May, and the growing season extends through November, which gives the grapes even more time to sweeten and ripen.

The best Fennville wines to try

Free Run Cellars in Lake Michigan Shore’s AVA is renowned for white wines from cold-climate grapes, like its Pinot Grigio. (Free Run Cellars)

Michigan’s second AVA is also on the eastern shore of Lake Michigan, with protection from the lake that keeps the grapes protected and grants them a longer, more temperate growing season. The lake effect keeps temperatures from getting too extreme in the summer, which helps the grapes develop the right balance of sugars and acids to produce delicious wine.

The best Lake Michigan Shore wines to try:

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Thanks for reading. This newsletter was written by Karel Vega with a story from Chaunie Brusie. It was edited by Paula Solis.

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