Top 100 wines of Michigan

Discover the top 100 best wines of Michigan as well as the best winemakers in the region. Explore the varietals of the wines that are popular of Michigan and the best vintages to taste in this region.

Discovering the wine region of Michigan

Michigan is a state in the Midwestern United States, located between Great Lakes Huron and Michigan, along the northern border of the United States with Canada. Grape wine production in the state focuses on cool Climate vinifera varieties, while fruit wine production is also significant. The state is also known for its craft breweries and a growing spirits industry. Riesling has quickly become the most important noble grape, supported by varieties such as Pinot blanc, pinot grigio and Gewurztraminer.

The Bordeaux varieties, Gamay and Pinot Noir are among the most important red varieties. In regions further inland from the Great Lakes, cold-hardy Hybrid grapes are more common. Examples include Marquette, Frontenac and Vidal. Michigan is one of the few wine regions in the world that can produce natural ice wines.

Discover the grape variety: Cabernet franc

Cabernet Franc is one of the oldest red grape varieties in Bordeaux. The Libourne region is its terroir where it develops best. The terroirs of Saint-Emilion and Fronsac allow it to mature and develop its best range of aromas. It is also the majority in many blends. The very famous Château Cheval Blanc, for example, uses 60% Cabernet Franc. The wines produced with Cabernet Franc are medium in colour with fine tannins and subtle aromas of small red fruits and spices. When blended with Merlot and Cabernet Sauvignon, it brings complexity and a bouquet of aromas to the wine. It produces fruity wines that can be drunk quite quickly, but whose great vintages can be kept for a long time. It is an earlier grape variety than Cabernet Sauvignon, which means that it is planted as far north as the Loire Valley. In Anjou, it is also used to make sweet rosé wines. Cabernet Franc is now used in some twenty countries in Europe and throughout the world.

Food and wine pairing with a wine of Michigan

wines from the region of Michigan go well with generally quite well with dishes of veal, pork or game (deer, venison) such as recipes of pork shank stew, soft and inexpensive pasta gratin or forest rabbit.

Organoleptic analysis of wine of Michigan

On the nose in the region of Michigan often reveals types of flavors of non oak, earth or oak and sometimes also flavors of spices, red fruit or black fruit. In the mouth in the region of Michigan is a with a nice freshness.

News from the vineyard of Michigan

Study reveals glimpse of ancient Roman winemaking

Jars recovered from the seabed and dating back to the Roman period have offered more clues about winemaking and storage in this era, according to a study that used a mixture of analysis techniques. A combination of chemical markers, plant tissue residue and pollen analysis helped researchers to build a picture about the possible contents of three amphorae ‘wine jars’ discovered near the coastal town of San Felice Circeo, around 90km south-east of Rome. ‘The evidence suggests the amphorae were us ...

Château Climens gets new majority owner after stake sale

Château Climens owner Lurton has sold a majority stake in the prestigious, Barsac-based estate to Jean-Hubert Moitry and his family, via the family’s Patrimonia Développement group, it was announced this week. It marks the Moitry family’s first investment in the wine sector, and represents a major deal in the Bordeaux wine world. Financial details weren’t disclosed. Nicknamed ‘Lord of Barsac’, Climens is one of the Premier Grand Cru Classé estates of Sauternes and Barsac listed in Bordeaux ...

Investment start-up Vint offers shares in Napa 2018 ‘collection’

Vint said yesterday (17 November) that it has launched a $142,000 collection of Napa Valley 2018 wines, offering a ‘$50-a-share buy-in’ for prospective investors. It’s the latest offering from the US-based start-up, which specialises in offering US Securities & Exchange Commission-qualified (SEC) shares in collections of leading wine names. Vint said the Napa collection includes Screaming Eagle Cabernet Sauvignon 2018 and Kapscandy’s Grand Vin State Lane Vineyard Cabernet Sauvignon 2018, amo ...