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Unusual Winery Names Series: Michigan
Names are a unique way to identify people. In the same way winery names are important to the owners and choosing the “right name” may help with marketing the winery’s wines. While many wineries use the owner’s surname, others have created others names for a variety of reasons. While traveling to more than 900 wineries we have encountered a array of names. Below is a list of 5 unique winery names we have come across in our travels.
Cheers!
Kathy
The winery was named for the large black compass rose in the center of the lodging site at the winery. Some thought it was a star but in reality it was a compass rose. The owners of Black Star Farms favored the use of the term black star. Black Star Farms is located on Michigan’s beautiful Leelanau Peninsula.
While the name Round Barn is not quite so unusual, the fact that the winery’s tasting room is located in an original round barn is unique. Tasting counters are located on the first and second floors of the structure. The Round Barn Winery, Brewery and Distillery in Baroda, Michigan was originally built in Indiana. Two weeks before it was scheduled to be demolished, it was purchased and moved to Michigan. Amish workers moved and rebuilt the structure piece by piece.
Longitudinal lines are frequently sited when winegrowers talk about the location of their vineyards. Frequently they like to compare their region with grape growing areas of France. 45th North Winery took it a step farther by locating the spot of the 45th parallel. A short distance from the tasting room the sign with a stone anchor proudly displays “Wine on the Line” at the exact point of the 45th parallel line, or within inches depending on one’s GPS device.
4. Cody Kresta Vineyard and Winery
Cody Kresta Vineyard and Winery in Mattawan, Michigan is a boutique winery owned by David and Mary Lou Butkovich, The owner’s grandfather was from Croatia and Kresta is Croatian for ridge or crest. Cody was the name of their beloved dog who visited the vineyards with David.
Why Left Foot Charlie Winery, Tasting Room and Wine Bar? Left Foot Charlie was the nickname the owner’s mother bestowed upon him. As a child he would stumble quite often. In addition his mother thought he resembled Charlie Brown. After a difficult time searching for a good winery name, Left Foot Charley was chosen.
There Are Vineyards in Quebec
“Quebec doesn’t have any vineyards. The wineries source their grapes and juice from wine regions around the world. Why would you want to travel there?” At a recent wine conference this statement was made to me by a wine writer. The reason Wine Trail Traveler’s Terry and Kathy want to travel to Quebec’s wineries is to dispel misconceptions such as the one above. There are many vineyards in the provence. Wine is made from the grapes harvested in those vineyards. Of course Quebec has its challenges growing grapes. But those challenges have been met.
Not only are there vineyards in Quebec, there a a variety of grapes grown. Some vineyards are tackling the vitis vinifera grapes such as Cabernet Franc, Gewürtztraminer and Riesling. I expect that we are more likely to find hybrid grape varieties such as Chancellor, De Chaunac, Marechal Foch, Seyval and Vidal. We should also see some of the grapes that have been developed for cold climates. We should discover Frontenac, St Croix and St. Pepin.
Wine travel affords opportunities to learn about wine regions world-wide. Walking through vineyards is perhaps a better way of knowing what is growing in the vineyards than a blog by a writer who never visited the region.
Over the next week, we will write about the vineyards and wineries we encounter in Quebec. Today we made our way on I-87 to northern New York. We visited two wineries that are growing hybrid grapes. We discovered that a new wine trail is developing. This new trail will include wineries along New York’s Adirondack Coast, Quebec and Vermont. This new trail will be unique. Not only will it include wineries from two states, but also wineries in two countries. We like this concept. It helps to create a wine region for tourism. In addition to a number of wineries, there are vineyards to stroll past.
Cheers,
Terry