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10/01/2006
Local vintners excited by this year's harvestHot, dry summer was ideal for growing grapes
This year is expected to be "better than average" for many of the area's vineyards. SUTTONS BAY — A warm breeze gently ruffled the grape vines on the hills just south of Suttons Bay, as a small group of migrant workers wandered to the vineyard. The workers used scissors to cut away clumps of deep purple fruit, and bees buzzed crates filled with ripened grapes. It's a labor-intensive process, said those who do the picking. "You've got to get in there and peel away," said Mike Walters, a foreman for Omena-based Leelanau Cellars. "They don't just fall in the bucket." The agriculture season is winding down in northern Michigan, except for its fastest-growing fruit crop. The grape harvest is just under way at vineyards across the peninsulas of Leelanau and Old Mission, and it's shaping up as another very good season for advancing the reputation of northern Michigan wineries. "We're seeing really nice fruit," said Bob Jacobson, president of Leelanau Cellars. "The levels of any mold are very low, and our sugar levels are right where they should be." Vintners on the Old Mission Peninsula, just across West Grand Traverse Bay, are equally excited about this year's harvest. "What we've brought in so far is very, very good," said Mark Johnson, vice president and winemaker at Chateau Chantal. Most of the season has been ideal for grapes, growers and local agriculture officials said. Another hot, dry summer made for ideal growing conditions to increase the sugar and lower the acid content in grapes. "We're getting ripeness levels we've never experienced before," Johnson said. "It's a year that started out much like '05." That pattern slowed a bit with cooler and damp weather in the latter half of September. "It was going to be fantastic, then it got cold and wet over the past two weeks," said Erwin "Duke" Elsner, extension director for Grand Traverse County. Not to worry, Elsner said. Most of the wine grapes will stay on the vine into October and a few more warm sunny days should finish off grape development. The talents of local winemakers will take over from there. "The quality of the wine is top notch," Elsner said. "The reputation is here for this area. People are doing it right." See related story:
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