The Great Lakes State Grape Debate

Think Napa Valley and wine, and what springs to mind? Cabernet Sauvignon. What about Oregon? Pinot Noir. And Michigan?

So far, Michigan boasts no “state” wine grape, though there has been considerable debate over the years. Should it be Riesling, the state’s most planted grape? Or Cabernet Franc, one of the most planted reds? Or some other varietal? Or what about a wine style, such as sparkling or rosé?

We asked several people in Michigan’s wine industry and found varying answers.

“If you have to pick one singular grape, that choice becomes challenging, … but I would choose Riesling,” says Doug Olson, winemaker at Boathouse Vineyards in Lake Leelanau. “Riesling has yet to reach its potential up here. … It has this tremendous range to allow [winemakers] to achieve their goals and styles. It has flexibility: … You can adjust your style if the weather goes sideways.”

His choice for a red grape would be Cabernet Franc, which, he says, “really delivers” and can grow well in Michigan and offers winemakers plenty of flexibility. (By the way, Boathouse Vineyards’ 2022 Cabernet Franc was a big winner last year in the TEXSOM International Wine Awards.)

“Pinot Blanc is a great variety for Michigan to focus on,” says Emily Dockery, executive director of the Michigan Wine Collaborative, a nonprofit that advocates for the state’s wine industry. “Pinot Blanc is less understood than Riesling, but it has a ton of potential and [is] something we can run away with.” 

If she had to choose a style for the state to adopt as an identity, Dockery would pick rosé: “There are so many producers in Michigan making beautiful rosés.”

“Instead of a signature grape, I think Michigan should focus on a distinct style: fresh, unmanipulated wines with good acidity and lower alcohol content than their West Coast counterparts,” says Andrew Backlin, winemaker at Modales Wines in Fennville in southwestern Michigan. “This style leans more towards European than New World.”

“The fact that no single variety overwhelmingly dominates suggests that Michigan’s strength lies in its diversity rather than in the identity of a single grape,” says Paolo Sabbatini, a professor in Michigan State University’s horticulture department. His research centers on vine physiology, viticulture, and cultivar evaluation. “Riesling may be the most prominent, but the industry does not depend on it as a defining characteristic in the way that Pinot Noir defines Oregon or Cabernet Sauvignon defines Napa Valley.”

A more effective strategy, he adds, “might be to promote Michigan’s unique terroir and its ability to produce high-quality, cool-climate wines across multiple varietals.”

Brian Lillie, vice president of hospitality operations and distribution at Chateau Chantal on the Old Mission Peninsula, has a similar opinion: “Our state is so diverse in terroir that there is no single wine grape that we can claim. … Maybe a better question would be ‘Which style?’ Most of Michigan is considered a cool climate. In that case, I would add sparkling wine or rosé to the debate. … Other states decided 30 years ago to name a state grape, and some of them are starting to regret that because they can do other things well, too.”

What DoYou Think?

Want to weigh in on The Great Lakes State Grape Debate? Email us at michiganwinecountry@hour-media.com and let us know what you think! We may publish your response in our email newsletter and/or a future publication.