Michigan Wines Overview: Regions, Varietals, and Wineries

What makes Michigan a great place to grow wine? While we might not associate Michigan with wine, it is quickly growing a reputation for world-class cool-climate wines. Read on to learn about:

• Michigan Terroir
• The Lake Effect
• Key Varietals Produced in Michigan
• Michigan Approved Viticultural Areas (AVAs)
• A Review of Michigan wines from Good Harbor and Aurora Cellars

It all started over ten thousand years ago. Large ice sheets covering the northern parts of America were beginning to recede. As they retreated, the glaciers ploughed large basins, including what we now know as the Great Lakes. They also carved hillsides, leaving behind sandy soil and glacial moraine. Today, with our much less frigid temperatures, this forms the perfect terroir for viticulture.

The soil in many parts of Michigan’s wine country is sandy loam. Grape vines thrive in this soil because it has excellent drainage, allowing their roots to extend deep into the ground. With deeper roots, the vines are more drought-tolerant.

Today, the three lakes surrounding Michigan serve as thermoregulators. These large bodies of water heat up and cool down very slowly. This helps stabilize the air temperatures around the lakes. With fewer temperature fluctuations, the grape vines can grow better.

Lake Michigan never completely freezes in the winter. Because of this, it keeps the surrounding region slightly warmer in winter. Michigan’s wine regions enjoy fewer days of frost, and more “degree days” of growing.¹ The lake also increases nearby snowfall in winter, insulating the trunks of the vines.

If you still have any doubts about Michigan’s winemaking potential, consider this: Michigan lies along the famed 45th parallel. This longitude is shared with the Bordeaux and Rhone in France, Piedmont in Italy, and the Willamette Valley in Oregon.

Of course, longitude alone does not guarantee great winemaking. The presence of cities, tall mountains, and bodies of water will all interrupt any potential for vineyards along 45 degrees north.

However, all wineries at this position on the earth have the same length of day and angle of sunlight. Combine that with the right soil, climate, and topography, and you have world-class wine.

The most-planted wine varietals in Michigan are²:

1. Riesling
2. Chardonnay
3. Pinot Gris
4. Pinot Noir
5. Cabernet Franc

These grapes, particularly Riesling, are considered “cool climate” varietals. They grow best in regions where the average growing season temperature does not exceed 63 degrees³. Riesling has a later bud break, letting it grow in cooler areas with less damage from spring frosts.

Hybrid varietals are also widely planted in Michigan. Some of these are even more cold-hardy than Riesling and Pinot Gris. These “cold-climate” grapes include Marquette, Traminette (a child of Gewurztraminer), and Vidal Blanc.

Michigan has four AVAs, and over 175 wineries. It is the 9th-highest wine producing state in the United States⁴. The regions for Michigan wines are all bordered by lakes, enjoying the more moderate “Lake Effect” climate.

Fennville AVA

• This is Michigan’s first AVA, and the smallest, with fewer than 10 wineries to date. Today, it is surrounded by the larger Lake Michigan Shore AVA, which has additional wineries
• Terroir: The climate is tempered by Lake Michigan, with warmer winters and cooler summers allowing the wines to attain more delicate flavors and intensity. Light, sandy loam soils offer good drainage.
• Wines produced: Chardonnay, Pinot Grigio, and Riesling along with a wide variety of other cool climate varietals

Lake Michigan Shore AVA

• Terroir: The topography is glacial moraine, shaped by receding glaciers. The rolling hills are perfect for viticulture, flowing cold air away from the vineyards and towards the valleys. The AVA itself also contains many small lakes, which also serve to retain warmth. A sandy loam soil gives good water drainage, aeration, and allows roots to grow deep, protecting them from drought.
• Wines produced: While this region is primarily known for cool climate varietals like Riesling, Chardonnay, and Pinot Noir, it also produces acclaimed Cabernet Franc and Cabernet Sauvignon.

Leelanau Peninsula AVA

• Terroir: The “Lake effect” yields long, cool summers, temperate autumns, and warmer winters. The soil is granite and limestone bedrock, clay subsoils, with sand and gravel loam surface soils⁵.
• Wines produced: Leelanau Peninsula produces some of the most critically-acclaimed wines in Michigan, including sparkling wines, Riesling, Pinot Noir, Chardonnay, and Sauvignon Blanc. Check out our review of boutique wineries Aurora Cellars and Good Harbor Vineyards below.

Old Mission Peninsula AVA

• Terroir: This small peninsula is bordered on three sides by Grand Traverse Bay. It has mild winters, late springs that reduce the risk of frost damage, and cool summers. The sandy loam topsoil offers good drainage.
• Wines produced: Old Mission Peninsula excels at Riesling, Cabernet Franc, and Pinot Noir, but also produces a wide variety of other wines such as Pinot Blanc, Chardonnay, and sparkling wines.

Tip of the Mitt

• Terroir: The Tip of the Mitt is distinct from other AVAs in that its soil is not sand, but coarse-textured glacial till and Lacustrine sand and gravel. Via Tip of the Mitt Petition, “The soils within the proposed AVA have high levels of organic matter, which prevents nutrients from leaching rapidly. The soils also have high water-holding capacities, so vineyard owners take steps to reduce moisture accumulation, such as planting cover crops between rows to absorb excess water.”
• Wines produced: Frontenac, Marquette, and La Crescent

A good place to start when exploring Michigan wines is with the Leelanau Peninsula AVA. Whether you enjoy crisp, dry wines with food-friendly acidity or sweet, luscious ice wines, Leelanau has boutique wineries that make all of these. We had the opportunity to sample twelve different Leelanau wines, thanks to our friends at Good Harbor Vineyards and Aurora Cellars. Here are just a few highlights:

Stay tuned for food and wine pairing ideas with Aurora Cellars and Good Harbor!

Sources:

1 – Alcohol and Tobacco Tax and Trade Bureau, Lake Michigan Shore Petition, accessed March 1, 2023, <https://www.ttb.gov/images/pdfs/Lake_Michigan_Shore_petition.pdf>

2 – USDA’s National Agricultural Statistics Service Michigan Field Office, Michigan Rotational Surveys, accessed March 1, 2023, <https://www.nass.usda.gov/Statistics_by_State/Michigan/Publications/Michigan_Rotational_Surveys/mi_fruit20/Grapes%20hops.pdf>

3 – Climate Central, Grape Temperature Chart, accessed March 1, 2023, <https://www.climatecentral.org/graphic/climate-change-wine?graphicSet=Grape%20Temperature%20Chart>

4 – Michigan Craft Beverage Council, Digital Brochure, accessed March 1, 2023, <https://michigancraftbeverage.com/assets/docs/1458-MCBC-Industry-Brochure-Digital.pdf>

5 – Alcohol and Tobacco Tax and Trade Bureau, Leelanau Peninsula Final Rule, accessed March 1, 2023, <https://www.ttb.gov/images/pdfs/Leelanau_Peninsula_final_rule.pdf>