On the Trail

By Terri Gordon - The Other Side of the Lake | July 2005

The gentle hills of southwest Michigan are not only idyllic, they are ideal for growing grapes.

The light winds coming off Lake Michigan prevent early freezes in fall, and protect against the late frosts of spring. The temperate climate and rich soils are much like the soils found in the wine producing regions of France and Germany.

It is hardly surprising that the farmers who tamed the land planted and nurtured the niagaras and concords native to America. It was only natural to turn the grapes-and other fruit they grew-into wine.

As American tastes changed and connoisseurs turned toward the more delicate wines of Europe, wineries began to experiment with French-American hybrids, like vignoles and chambourcin. Success with these varieties led to attempts at growing European varieties, and today several competitive wineries dot the region.

The Southwest Michigan Wine Trail offers an excellent way for visitors to enjoy the area's scenery-and try its wine.

At the southernmost end of the trail are the tasting rooms of St. Julian and the Round Barn.

Founded in 1921, by Mariano Meconi, St. Julian is Michigan's oldest and largest winery. The family tradition is carried forth today by David Braganini, Meconi's grandson. The winery itself is located in Paw Paw, just east of Coloma, but its fine Italian-style wines are available for tasting and purchase at the Union Pier tasting room.

Also in Union Pier is the Cider House, a new tasting room of the Round Barn Winery Distillery and Brewery, of Baroda.

Opening the first of July, the Cider House will make and serve fresh apple cider, as well as the Round Barn's complete line of wines and brandies. The 50-foot tasting bar will also feature Rachel's Pi Series chocolate truffles made with Round Barn's brandies.

The Round Barn Winery, Distillery, & Brewery itself is located just a bit north, and to the east, in Baroda.

On 30 sprawling acres, the Round Barn Winery is surrounded by vineyards, woods and other farms. The tasting room, with its deck, looks out over the vineyards and the picturesque Round Barn that houses the distillery and brewery where the Moersch family creates brandies, beers and ales.

"We're having a lot of fun!" says owner Rick Moersch.

The public is invited to Reds, Whites and BBQ, the Round Barn's 1st Annual BBQ Cook-off on Sunday, July 3 -at 1 p.m.

Live music by Underwater People, from Chicago, hay rides, games, wine tasting and ribs and chicken by the Woodfire Grill will help people fill the day.

Around the corner from the Round Barn, in Buchanan, is Tabor Hill Winery and Restaurant. One of the earlier vineyards in the area, Tabor Hill has established itself as a premium wine producer -and a fine-dining restaurant.

The facility celebrates its 35th anniversary on July 23 with special winemaking tours, hay rides through the vineyard, wine tastings and appetizers.

Special events will mark its anniversary at each of Tabor Hill's other tasting rooms, found in Bridgman, Ann Arbor and Saugatuck. The winery looks forward to the grand opening of the newest tasting room, in Benton Harbor's Arts District, on August 5.

Tabor Hill is proud of its new releases, a 2004 Lake Michigan Shore Vidal Blanc Ice Wine, a 2004 Lake Michigan Shore Cabernet Franc Rosé and a 2004 Lake Michigan Shore Cabernet Franc Port.

Up the road, in Berrien Springs, are two more wineries: Domaine Berrien Cellars and Lemon Creek Winery and Fruit Farm.

A relative newcomer to the business, Domaine Berrien Cellars is quickly gaining a reputation as a maker of quality wines.

Sitting on 80 acres of farmland, Domaine Berrien Cellars, began planting its vineyards in 1992 and grows a wide variety of grapes. As their wines are hand-crafted, from vineyard to bottle, supplies can be limited.

Across the street, the Lemon family has tilled the land since Eli Lemon, whose parents moved the family from Germany to America in 1830, bought a 50-acre parcel of rolling hills in Berrien Springs in 1855 and began to plant fruit trees.

The Lemon farm has grown well beyond the original acreage farmed by Eli. As land became available, the family purchased adjacent property to expand its enterprise. The farm is now six times the size of the original parcel.

While Lemon Creek has always grown fruit, the winery is a fairly new endeavor.

The Lemon family opened the winery in 1984 and began making their own wines. The wines they produce come only from the grapes they grow on the farm. "We make it here. We bottle it here," says Tyson Lemon, the winery's cellar master and a seventh generation Lemon. "It goes from the field to the wine tank to the bottle and out the front door. We don't buy any grapes, everything here is estate grown."

Farther north, in Coloma, Contessa Wine Cellars, on Friday Road, and Karma Vista Vineyards, on Ryno, complement each other-one offering traditional, Old-World atmosphere, the other punching it up a bit, a là rock and roll.

At Contessa, wine maker Tony Peterson, learned his skills making wine with his father, who learned his skills from his father. He tries to incorporate those traditional skills into his wines, retaining the "old world charm" while embracing the best "modern amenities."

Tucked away in the lush hills of Coloma, Contessa Wine Cellars replicates the ambiance of an Italian Villa, overlooking vineyards and fruit orchards and green valleys.

As a sixth generation farmer, Joe Herman has lots of experience with growing and harvesting. He and his wife, Sue, opened Karma Vista Vineyards & Tasting Room in 2002. Their 50 acres of wine grapes produce over a dozen types of wine. With names like Starry Starry White, Pink Side of the Moon and Coloma Sol, they create wines with a twist, a pleasant surprise that makes them unique. Herman likes that they offer a good "cross-section" of flavors. The greater the range the better chance of having a wine to fit every mood.

Twenty miles east of Coloma is the town of Paw Paw, home to St. Julian Winery and Warner Vineyards. The tasting room of Black Star Farms is also located there.

Warner Vineyards has been family owned for three generations, since its establishment in 1938. Its Wine Haus occupies Paw Paw's historical waterworks building, built in 1898. The facility also features Kevin's restaurant. Warner's celebrates the Fourth of July by offering generous discounts on their wine, and holds a Summer Evening Cookout on the ninth.

A Warner Vineyards tasting room can also be found in South Haven.

Black Star Farms Tasting Room, in Paw Paw, brings a fresh breeze from the north into southwest Michigan. Located in Sutton's Bay, on the Leelanau Peninsula (on yet another wine trail!), Black Star Farms produces wines and cheeses, both of which can be tried and purchased in the Paw Paw tasting room.

Back to the west, Fenn Valley Vineyards & Wine Cellar, in Fennville, is the northern most winery on the trail and caps off the tour. Family owned and operated, the 230-acre farm and winery complex was established in 1973.

With nearly 55 acres of vineyards, the winery produces a number of wines, including Meritage, an oak-aged red wine blended from Cabernet Franc, Cabernet Sauvignon and Merlot grapes, the sulfitefree Sansul Noir, and the award winning Pinot Grigio.

Summer is a good time to travel the Southwest Michigan Wine Trail. Each winery is its own destination, each its own variation on the theme, and the sights along the way make the destination that much more memorable. More information on the trail, the wineries and many special events can be found at www.miwinetrail.com.

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