Champane's Wine Cellars is Michigan's largest wine, liquor and beer store. Over the past 25 years, Champane's has grown both in size and reputation, and is widely recognized as Metro Detroit's premier wine, liquor and beer store.
sweet wines, often made from grape varieties native to North America, such as the Catawba, Concord, and Niagara, or from hybrid grapes partly descended from these varieties. North American native grapes bore (and continue to bear) the advantage of being adapted to local growing conditions, with consequent high fruit yield. In addition, local growers could switch back and forth between the production of sweet wine and grape juice. Of Michigan's 13,500 acres (55 km²) under grape cultivation, only 11%, 1,500 acres (6 km²), were devoted to wine grapes as of 2006.
Michigan's wine industry dates from after the repeal of
Prohibition. With large plantings of Concord in the southwest, mostly for the Welch Grape Juice Company, the state was well positioned to enter wine production. Four large wineries (out of eleven wineries established by 1946) came to produce almost all Michigan wine: La Salle Wine and Champagne Company which was established in Windsor, Ontario and moved to Farmington, Michigan, the Bronte Champagne and Wine Company of Hartford, Michigan Wineries (now Tabor Hill Winery) of Buchanan, and St. Julian Winery, which was also established in Windsor, Ontario on the Canadian shore across from Detroit during Prohibition and moved to Paw Paw after repeal.
Vineyard on the Leelanau peninsula
Michigan law in the mid-20th century placed a tax of 4 cents a gallon on Michigan wine while other wine was taxed at 50 cents a gallon to promote the local industry. Michigan wine of that era was, primarily, fermented to dryness, giving about 9% alcohol, and then fortified with California brandy to 16% alcohol. State laws considered this natural wine and allowed it to be sold in grocery and drug stores while
The wineries of Michigan specialized in sweet wine and fruit wine well into the 1970s. With the growth in demand, starting in the latter half of the 20th century, for locally-grown and locally-labeled U.S. fine wines, several existing Michigan makers of sweet wine experimented with upgrading their production, and new vintners entered the scene. Tabor Hill Winery in southwest Michigan, opened in 1971 as the first Michigan winery specializing in vinifera wines. Only a few years later in 1974, Chateau Grand Traverse opened in the
Traverse Bay region of Northern Michigan. A slow growth in the number of wineries and continued trial of different vinifera varieties continued well into the 2000s.[4]
Michigan contains four American Viticultural Areas (AVAs) known for the production of quality wine: Fennville, Lake Michigan Shore, Leelanau Peninsula, and Old Mission Peninsula. All four of these regions are located in proximity to
Lake Michigan, and almost all of Michigan's wine grapes are grown within 25 miles (40 km) of the lake. The lake effect provides a favorable microclimate compared to interior regions of the state. The northern wine regions have a 145-day growing season while the southern ones have a 160-day season.
The Greater
Traverse City area, which includes the peninsulas of Leelanau and Old Mission, is one of the primary wine regions of Michigan. The soil is sandy, with good drainage, and a lake-dominated climate allows a longer growing season than in most of the U.S. Midwest. 51% of Michigan's wine grapes, including much of the state's vinifera grapes, are grown in this area.
The same advantages exist, to a slightly lesser degree, on the eastern shore of
Lake Michigan south of Grand Rapids in the Fennville and Lake Michigan Shore regions. 45% of Michigan's wine grapes are grown in this area.Speciality winesIce wine
The climate of Greater Traverse City allows for the production of
ice wine, which requires an early hard freeze so the fruit still on the vine can be harvested while frozen. A small number of wineries produce this style; although it is not possible every year. In 2002, for example, 6 Michigan wineries produced over 13,000 half-bottles of ice wine, a record at that time.[5]
Fruit wineMichigan may be the foremost U.S. state in the production of diverse varieties of bottled, fermented
fruit wine. Fruit wine has a long and honorable history in Europe, especially in regions such as Poland and the Baltic states where grapes do not easily grow. In Michigan, apple wine and cherry wine are produced in the highest volume, but almost any fruit juice can be fermented with novel results. Michigan is a North American leader in the production of fortified fruit wines and eau-de-vie (fruit brandy).
Chicken Noodle Soup
would pair well with a Pinot Noir or perhaps a Chenin Blanc.
A Cream of Chicken Soup
on the other hand would likely prefer a Sauvignon Blanc or Viognier.
For French Onion Soup give a French Beaujolais or Beaujolais Nouveau a go or perhaps opt for a White Burgundy.
If you are serving a Seafood Bisque or Stew you will want to grab a Sauvignon Blanc - the earthy tones, mixed with a citrusy spike will complement a myriad of sea creatures.
A hearty Chicken Tortilla Soup will appreciate a staple Spanish wine like a Rioja.
A New England Clam Chowder needs a well oaked Chardonnay. Speaking of chowder, perhaps you are a Corn Chowder fan, if so grab the nearest bottle of German Riesling (dry) and let it knock your socks off!
Finally, if Beef Stew with Vegetables is your gig, then you can't go wrong with a Cab or Shiraz for red wine lovers and if your preferences lean towards white wines, give a Gewurztraminer a go.
Keep in mind that there are no hard and fast rules for pairing wine with foods and specifically soups, stews and the like; however, there are certainly some wines that will enhance a pot of soup infinitely better than others. So experiment with some of these listings and try your own.
