Chateau de Leelanau isn't the oldest winery in Northwest Michigan, or even the oldest winery on the Leelanau Peninsula. It is, however one of the most revered and established wineries in our neck of the woods.
Founded in 1990 by Dr. Roberta Kurtz, this familiar landmark at the corner of Hilltop Road and M22 is now owned by the Gregory family, Mark Miezio, and Roger Veliquette. The big brown barn has been remodeled, updated and modernized. Their new eye-catching logo features the barn and a wine bottle.
You may know these second-generation fruit growers from their well known
Cherry Bay Orchards business. They have revitalized and renewed the vineyards and winery since 2010 when they bought the property from Dr. Kurtz.
The Gregory family has been growing fruit, mostly cherries, in Leelanau County since 1968. Bob Gregory, father of Matt and Andrew Gregory, together with his brother Don, has been in the fruit business for many years. Mark Miezo, Roger Veliquette and the younger pair of brothers, Andrew and Matt, have been friends since high school. Matt is the full-time manger of Chateau de Leelanau while the other guys have kept their day jobs.
Matt Gregory says, "We're all about making the best fruit-forward wines possible. We've learned so much from cherry farming. Grapes and cherries share similar challenges in production: frost, mildew, pests and the million-dollar question, when should we harvest the fruit?"
This is the issue for all fruit farmers. If they pick too early, the sugar hasn't reached the level it needs to mature. If they wait too long, rain, hail or critters can destroy an entire season's worth of work.
More than ten different and delicious wines are produced from the 27 acres of vineyards farmed by these local guys. Just one of the special features of this winery is the range of wines offered at the tasting room. From a classic Chardonnay to cherry wine to hard cider, all the wines are made on site.
Matt Gregory is, naturally, enthusiastic about all of his wines, but has a soft spot for the 2011 Bianca. This unusual wine is made from the Bianca grape, originally developed in 1963 in Hungary, in eastern Europe. The grape is hardy, mildew resistant, and turns orange as it ripens.
"The wine is really soft, and tastes of grapefruit and pears," Matt says.
Only 400 or so cases of this fascinating beverage are available in striking blue bottles, and the flagship wine of Chateau de Leelanau is truly a treat.
Classic white wines pinot gris and pinot grigio are produced from grapes grown in their vineyards. While the pinot gris is quite dry and light, the pinot grigio has flavors of ripe golden apples.
The Chardonnay is un-oaked. This elegant wine is part of a trend to age Chardonnay in only stainless steel. Many oaky Chardonnays are so woody, the flavor of the fruit is lost to all the wood aromas and flavors. These "naked" wines are getting more popular.
A selection of reds complements the white wine offerings. From the gold medal winning pinot noir to the Solem Farm Red, the range is impressive. Matt's favorite red is the cabernet franc.
"Big berry flavors with chocolate and coffee aromas make this a delicious wine. It's a perfect wine to enjoy with a juicy steak," he says of the cabernet.
Most popular of the red wines is the Hawkins Red. This unique, light-bodied, somewhat spicy red is made from the Regent grape, yet another unusual grape variety grown by the cherry farmers.
It's really no surprise that their best-selling wine is made from the fruit that the gentlemen have many years of experience farming. Did you guess cherry wine? Yes, cherry wine from a variety grown in their own orchards is the biggest hit in the wine lineup.
Initially, they weren't going to make a cherry wine. "Everyone around here makes a cherry wine and we're different," says Matt. Not so fast, was the response from Don Gregory, Matt's uncle.
As he puts it, "We have to make cherry wine, it's who we are, where we're from and what we do."
Fortunately for us, Uncle Don prevailed and makes every effort not to say "I told you so" when the guys get together.
Rounding up the wine selections is the Riesling harvest select wine. Rich, sweet and unctuous, this dessert-like golden nectar makes a wonderful ending to your summer dinner.
Locally grown Northern Spy, Zestar and Honeycrisp apples combine to create a refreshing, zesty hard cider. Slightly fizzy, sweet with the essence of apples, this is a pleasant counterpoint to all the grape-based beverages produced at the winery.
The team at Chateau de Leelanau has, in just two years, renewed and revitalized this landmark establishment. From the updated tasting room to the focus on fruit-forward wines, the cherry farmers have given us a great spot to visit and tasty, local products to enjoy. Cheers!
Michael Schafer, Esq. Sommelier aka The Wine Counselor is a writer, educator and consultant whose trademark phrase, "I taste bad wine so you don't have to" embodies his humorous approach to wine. You can reach him by email.