When Wyncroft owner James Lester first started planting grapes in 1984, he was a trailblazer in insisting on growing grapes that few others in Michigan’s fledgling wine industry had tried.
“I sought out the very finest grape varieties and learned how to grow those in an effort to make wines here in Michigan that would be recognized as comparable to the finest wines in the world,” says Lester, who continues to operate the Pullman-based winery. “When I started, nobody was growing Pinot Noir, for example. Nobody was growing Cabernet Sauvignon.
“There was Riesling planted, thanks to Ed O’Keefe [the late founder of Chateau Grand Traverse]; he had planted Riesling on the Old Mission Peninsula several years before I got started. But I was interested in making quality red wine. … I decided to try to learn to make the wines similarly to what they were doing in [the Bordeaux and Burgundy regions of] France.”
Fast-forward 36 years. According to the 2020 Small Fruit and Hops Inventory from the National Agricultural Statistics Service, the statistical agency for the U.S. Department of Agriculture, Pinot Noir is one of the top four vinifera plantings in Michigan with 250 acres. Cabernet Sauvignon, meanwhile, grows on 56 acres.
Like Lester four decades ago, today’s viticulturists are branching out and growing grapes that aren’t common — yet — in Michigan. The role of such varietals is “becoming increasingly important,” says Paolo Sabbatini, a professor in Michigan State University’s horticulture department who specializes in viticulture.
“As climate change alters Michigan’s growing conditions, some lesser-known vinifera cultivars could become more viable,” he explains. “Grüner Veltliner and Teroldego have shown potential in cool-climate regions and may offer Michigan growers new options that adapt well to shifting temperature patterns.”
Sabbatini says many uncommon-to-Michigan grapes — particularly hybrids — demonstrate superior disease resistance and reduce the need for chemical fungicides and pesticides. “This is particularly beneficial in Michigan, where humidity and rainfall can contribute to fungal pressures,” he says.
Amy Birk, winemaker and operations manager at Domaine Berrien Cellars in Berrien Springs, says the winery grows 21 grape varieties, including Syrah, which was first planted in 1999. The winery is well known for growing varieties such as this that are associated with a particular area of France, she says: “The original founders of the vineyard, Tom and Abigail Fricke, … saw very similar climatic conditions in the northern Rhône as here in Michigan. Their thought was, ‘We love these grapes — why don’t we plant them?’”
Today, Syrah is one of Domaine Berrien’s flagship wines, and Marsanne and Viognier are two of the winery’s bestsellers. In 2024, Domaine Berrien planted more Viognier and Roussanne, and Birk says the winery team is now looking at introducing Grenache, another Rhône variety.
“It’s really important to do nontraditional varieties in Michigan because we are up against kind of a global standard when it comes to more traditional varieties,” she says. “When people say ‘Cab Sauvignon’ or ‘Chardonnay,’ most people think of Napa. If they see Cabernet Sauvignon [in Michigan], they expect it to taste exactly the same.” There’s an opportunity there, she adds, to educate consumers about how wine tastes different depending on where the grapes are grown. “Terroir is why we make wine. We don’t want everything to taste the same. That’s boring.”
Bill Braymer, who owns Laurentide Winery in Lake Leelanau with his wife, Susan, says that when they planted Sauvignon Blanc, none of the experts thought it would thrive. Now they’re on their 14th vintage of Sauvignon Blanc, which has won them multiple awards along the way.
“Given the success of that dry white, 10 years ago when we were traveling in Spain, we noted the performance of Tempranillo,” he says. “We said to ourselves, ‘We should grow this.’”
While they’ve been blending Tempranillo with other varieties for a few years, 2025 brings their first all-Tempranillo wine. They now have under 2 acres of Tempranillo; Sauvignon Blanc occupies 4-plus acres.
As Sabbatini puts it, “These lesser-known grapes offer unique opportunities for growers and winemakers, particularly in the context of climate resilience, market differentiation, and sustainability.”
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