Sandra Silfven: Wine

Cool weather delays harvest; U.P. wine scene warms up

This and that around Michigan wine country:

The vintage: Now, we know why Michigan wineries have built their reputations on white wines, especially Riesling. It's the weather, and the first days of October are shaping up like a typical Michigan fall: cloudy, cool and rainy.

Ed O'Keefe, president of Chateau Grand Traverse on Old Mission Peninsula, commented on the latest blast of rain and cold: "There are a lot of people chewing their fingernails, saying, 'What's going on?' " He predicts this year's harvest will be late and difficult, and might be a reality check for red-wine producers up north. A cold vintage is more often the norm for the state, which is ideal for white wines, but reds need the sun to ripen.

Stirrings in the U.P.: Linda Jones, executive director of the Michigan Grape & Wine Industry Council, is back this week from a meeting in Manistique, where wine talk is fermenting. "There's enough interest in the wine business in the U.P. that we might have a new wine trail in place by the end of 2010," she said.

Representatives of vineyards and wineries in Bark River, Marquette, the Garden Peninsula and DeTour Village got specifics about the economic development possibilities of a wine industry there. And all brought samples of wines made from the promising new cold-hardy "Minnesota hybrids" developed by the University of Minnesota. The vintners met at Mackinaw Trail Winery in Manistique, the first winery in the U.P., which has enjoyed success with wines made from grapes grown in southwest Michigan.

Wineries in the Thumb: Boosting the number of vintners in the 2010 Michigan Wine County magazine to close to 70 are a pair of new growers near Lake Huron: Blue Water Winery in Lexington and Dizzy Daisy in Bad Axe. They join Rose Valley Winery in Rose City.

In the Petoskey area: Mackinaw Trail Winery opened tasting room No. 3, this one in the Gaslight District of Petoskey, at 204 Howard St. This store follows another one at Mackinaw Crossings in Mackinaw City and the home winery in Manistique.

For new winemakers: The 2010 Michigan Grape and Wine Conference (formerly known as the Annual Meeting), running Feb. 24-26 in Grand Rapids, will hold a newcomers workshop. For information, go to www.michiganwines.com.

ssilfven@detnews.com (313) 222-2440