Traversing Wine In Northern Michigan By Kurt Wieneke It had been several years since I visited Traverse City and the Leelanau wine region in northern Michigan. My daughter and I revisited this area last fall and discovered some beautiful scenery and wines in two days of touring and tasting. There have been a lot of new wineries pop up in this area over the past 10 years. The Leelanau Peninsula AVA (American Viticultural Area) was established in 1982 and the Old Mission Peninsula AVA in 1987. These northerly grape-growing regions in Michigan benefit from their ‘great’ lake effect in important ways. In general, lakes retain heat and thus warm the surrounding land. But, unlike southern Michigan, the Leelanau and Old Mission areas are buffered by both Lake Superior and Lake Michigan when the extreme -20 F to -40 F freezes of the Canadian polar vortex dip to the southeast. This double-lake buffering prevents severe trunk damage and death of the vines. A combination of both white and red vinifera grapes are planted throughout the Traverse City area, leaving consumers with several great choices. White wines, like Riesling and Auxerrois, shine best up here due to the amount of bright acidity, which is retained. Michigan Golf Journal
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