A Frozen Harvest?

Aug. 31, 2014

Despite a winter that killed off acres of some wineries’ vines, vintners still see their glass as half full.

TRAVERSE CITY – After planting a cold-tolerant breed of grapes in the fall of 2010, Benjamin Dark is a happy man.

The winery manager and brewer at Harbor Springs Vineyard at Pond Hill Farms has a good crop of Marquette, a red wine grape developed by the University of Minnesota specifically for cooler climates.

He plans to use the grapes in Schoolhouse Red, a semi-sweet wine that should be ready in May. He’ll also barrel-age some to make cabernet franc or pinot, he said.

Many grape-growers in Michigan won’t harvest any red wine grapes because of extremely cold winter temperatures, said Duke Elsner, small fruit educator for Michigan State University.

"In January and February, there were four or five nights that were below minus-20 degrees," Elsner said.

Buds have "pretty good cold tolerance" up to minus-15; this winter’s polar vortex took temperatures beyond what the buds, stems, and trunks could tolerate, Elsner said.

Other grapes that suffered were chardonnay and Riesling.

"The hybrids did pretty well, but that’s not what we stake our reputation on," Elsner said. He thinks chardonnay and Riesling growers may only have a third of what they usually harvest.

Getting Creative

Meanwhile, vintners are getting creative with what they have to ensure they have wine to sell next year and beyond. For Pond Hill’s Dark, that also means dealing with nibbling raccoons.

"We use vertical shoot positions, which puts the fruiting wire about [30 inches] off the ground," Dark said. "A little raccoon can stand up and have a smorgasbord."

This year, fencing will thwart the masked invaders.

Dark expects to be able to make 600 cases of wine, compared to around 1,400 last year. The harvest also will be later, Dark said, probably at the end of October, instead of the middle of the month. The vineyard has about four acres of mature plants; another five acres of five different types of grapes have just been planted.

Harbor Springs Vineyard has a variety of what Dark calls "hybrid-type vintages," and he is becoming skilled at working with the grapes he can find in Michigan – something the vineyard is committed to using.

"Some [wineries] are sourcing outside the state, but we’re not," he said.

For instance, he’s coming up short trying to find chardonnay, pinot gris and Riesling grapes this year.

But chardonnay drinkers shouldn’t despair, he said.

"By going to some of these small boutique wineries like ourselves, people behind the tasting bar should know what tastes like an unoaked chardonnay," Dark said.

Other Options

And if the earth isn’t giving you grapes, there are other options. Some of Harbor Springs Vineyard’s most popular wines are cherry-based, including Cherry Finale, a port-like dessert wine.

Other wines, which Dark said should last until the crop recovers in 2015, are a pinot gris 2013, the Schoolhouse Red and Regatta Red, a "cabernet blend, Bordeauxtype" wine.

Silver Leaf Winery near Suttons Bay has some grapes, but many were lost, said coowner Patti Carlson.

"The chardonnay and pinot noir will be very delayed," she said.

But there’s still plenty of wine, including a 2013 chardonnay that has been in oak barrels for a year.

"It’s buttery, vanilla, with a creamy finish," Carlson said.

There’s also a 2012 pinot noir that has been in oak barrels for two years. Carlson hasn’t tasted it yet, but expects it to be released in October. That extra year in oak makes for a variety of flavors, she said. The vineyard has three acres of chardonnay and pinot noir grapes.

In Manistee County, Douglas Valley Vineyard had no problem with the polar-vortex winter, said tasting room manager Kendra Remai.

"Our grapes are actually great," she said.

The vineyard, about 20 minutes north of Manistee, has 13 acres of chardonnay, Riesling and pinot grigio grapes.

While their Bunkhouse Cherry wine is the best seller, Remai recommends the Lakeview White, made with Douglas Valley’s own grapes.

It’s a blend of chardonnay with a little Riesling that’s "on the sweeter side," she said, and would go well with chicken or salads. There’s also a chardonnay that’s been lightly oaked (oak chips added to the fermentation process near the end) that has butterscotch and vanilla flavors.

Douglas Valley is also planning on producing more of its hard cider, made with 80 percent apples and 20 percent tart cherries, all grown on the farm’s 640 acres.

A New Winery This Month

Bonobo Winery on the Old Mission Peninsula expects to start holding soft openings in September, said co-owner Todd Oosterhouse. Todd and brother Carter started planting grapes in 2010 and harvested close to 30 tons last year.

Todd Oosterhouse said he thinks the yield will be 30 to 50 percent less than last year as the damage was spread evenly over all varieties of grapes.

Now they’re trying to find grapes elsewhere to complement what will be able to harvest.

"We’re looking in Michigan but of course everyone has the same issues," he said, adding that California or Washington grapes may be used to augment Bonobo’s harvest.

"That’s the deal; you roll with the punches, right?" he said.

Last year’s harvest provided the winery with chardonnay and pinot blanc; Todd Oosterhouse said he is also happy with the pinot noir and cabernet blanc from 2013.

The reduced harvest hasn’t stopped the Oosterhouse brothers from getting creative with marketing. They launched a Founder’s Club limited to 125 members, which is now halfway sold out. For $1,000, members get perks that include a case of new-release wine, discounts on room and facility rentals, naming rights and a plaque on a section of vines, jackets, and a holiday party.

The winery’s grand opening is scheduled to be announced on Bonobo’s Facebook page with plans for a new website soon, he said. There will be soft openings prior to the grand opening, on the heels of the harvest in October or November.

"It seems like the harvest is going to be later," he said. "We need those heat-degree days."