A Note from our Winemaker - Blake Lougheed

TEROLDEGO LOT 1722
This newly released wine is not new to us; it has been in production for over 9 years. We’ve been patient, and it was worth the wait. We are excited to offer a truly unique wine.

Teroldego is an Italian grape that is not commonly grown in the United States. In Italy, there are around 1000 acres planted, primarily in the northern regions. The grape is well-suited to grow in Michigan because of its ability to survive our harsh winters. The fruit produces structured reds that tend to be complex, even in less than ideal vintages. 

What makes this a “one-of-a-kind” wine is the production process. The fruit is grown on the Leelanau Peninsula by Ray Kuhn of Drumlin Vineyards. The vineyard only produces enough wine to fill 1-2 barrels per year. That isn’t enough to justify bottling it each year, so we began collecting each vintage. The wine is a blend of six vintages, 2017-2022, and the 2017 was aged for nearly six years in barrels. We bottled the wine without filtration and without any sugar added. 

The resulting wine captures the complexity and depth of a well-aged wine, while still retaining the bright fruit character of a young wine. The predominant flavors include blueberry, plum, and black licorice. The wine is piquant with smooth, rounded tannins. This wine showcases Michigan’s unique terroir and climate over six years.