Grand uncorking set for 12 Corners Vineyard
Getting your Trinity Audio player ready...
From the tasting room of 12 Corners Vineyards near Benton Harbor the memorable view of the row-upon-row of grapevines is one visitors always remark upon.
That’s fitting for winery that celebrates not only the region’s grapes but its blueberries and cherries and more by giving them beverages of their own. The newest winery to enter the market is making the most of the region’s bountiful fruit and the micro-climate that helps it grow near the shore of Lake Michigan.
12 Corners Vineyard, 1201 N. Benton Center Road, will mark its grand opening Friday, June 21 and through the weekend. When the wines are uncorked in the 2,500-square-foot tasting room complete with a 70-foot bar, estate wines, those made only of fruit grown on land owned or controlled by the winery, will be served. The wine features grapes harvested in 2012.
The grand opening brings to fruition work that was five years in the planning. Three principal partners, plus several friends and business associates are behind the venture. Those involved have longtime backgrounds in agriculture and decided to invest in a winery as they saw agri-tourism booming in the region.
Douglas Oberst, one of the three principal partners in the business, acknowledges he sounds like a proud parent as he invites people to see the results of their hard work and planning.
“There was nothing going on in this economy (in Michigan), no one making this kind of investment and taking this kind of risk to get something going,” says Oberst. “Now we are.”
And as a result 30 people who formerly were not employed now have jobs. They include not only servers in the tasting room but administrative staff as well.
12 Corners Vineyards features 115 acres, including 20 acres of cherry trees in addition to rows of grapes. Riesling, Cabernet Franc, Merlot, Pinot Noir are a few of its grape variety selections. Other offerings in the near future will include blueberry, peach, cranberry and cherry wines. (One of the partners is a blueberry farmer.)
Named for the nearby hamlet of 12 Corners, the location of the vineyards, just 90 minutes from Chicago, was a selling point for the group of friends who went into business together.
In addition to its wine tasting area, the winery offers a conference room available for rent to accommodate business meetings or special event. It is wired with a state of the art audio visual system. Larger events and weddings are welcome in the winery’s outdoor venue.
For those who live in South Haven, the 12 Corners name will sound familiar. To gain experience in the business, the winery opened a tasting room first in South Haven in the fall of 2012, selling wines from other vineyards. The tasting room at 511 Phoenix Street was well-accepted there. It also helped get the name of the winery established at it prepared for the grand opening of its primary location as construction was being completed.
Writer: Kathy Jennings, Second Wave Media
Source, Douglas Oberst, 12 Corners Vineyards
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