Petoskey Farms Vineyard & Winery
by
Kathy Sullivan
Summary: A visit to Petoskey Farms Vineyard & Winery begins with a bright, cheerful welcome. From the winery tasting room patio, enjoy a view of the northern Lower Peninsula of Michigan countryside and thriving vineyard. In addition to wine, Petoskey Farms Vineyard & Winery also produces hard cider.
As soon as travelers see the sign for the Petoskey Farms Vineyard and Winery, they will see the meticulously planted vineyard. Petoskey Farms Vineyard & Winery is owned by Tracie and Andy Roush. The brown-sided winery and tasting room has a porch and a patio, all facing the vineyard acreage. The countryside with rolling hills and a vineyard are picturesque. The facility was planned and built with Tracie as the General Contractor. Petoskey Farms Vineyard & Winery opened in June 2014.
Earlier Life
Both Tracie and Andy are from Corporate America and were seeking a different lifestyle. The idea of owning a vineyard and winery was the result of celebrating and enjoying anniversaries by visiting wineries and staying at winery lodging sites. The couple yearned to own a farm, plant grapevines and establish a winery. They also wanted to create something that people could enjoy together. Tracie “wants people to feel at home” while in the tasting room. Future plans include adding a guest house to the property.
Upon reaching Petoskey Farms Vineyard & Winery, we quickly met Tracie who enthusiastically explained that a few years ago “on her birthday” she received a 22-acre vacant hayfield from her husband, Andy. She went on to say that they had previously been looking for property. Tracie pointed to a large tree where they opened a bottle of wine to celebrate the occasion.
Vineyard
Andy and Tracie began planting the vineyard while continuing to allow the farmer, who previously used the property, to continue to graze his cows. While preparing the soil for planting the grapevines, Tracie and Andy paid their young daughters $1 a bucket to retrieve the stones in the vineyard area. In the vineyard, cedar posts are used for trellising the grapes. Tracie remembers the hard work of stripping the bark from the cedar. Every year they continue to plant grapevines.
In 2019, the vineyard consists of 11 acres. The vineyards are planted with Frontenac Gris (pictured right), Frontenac, Marquette, Frontenac Blanc, Petite Pearl, Itasca and La Crescent.
The Winery
The capacity of the winery is 6,400 gallons. Josh Morgan, is the winemaker at Petoskey Farms Vineyard & Winery. Josh’s story evolved from studying Parks and Recreation Management to working in food service management. He spent time working in restaurants, attending a fire academy and working in a tasting room at another Michigan winery. These experiences led to working in the winery. Eventually Josh was hired as winemaker at Petoskey Farms Vineyard & Winery. At the time of our visit, Josh was punching down recently harvested Marquette grapes. In his spare time, Josh is a Petoskey Department of Public Safety firefighter.
Tracie commented on the wine bottles. “All these bottles are a work of art - appreciate them for what they really are.” Tracie has chosen to add a Bible verse to the back labels of the wine bottles. She chooses the verse which reflects on the wine in the bottle. For example, the 2018 Estate Frontenac verse is, “May God give you heaven’s dew and earth’s richness - an abundance of grain and new wine.” Gen. 27:28.
The winery also has special wine labels for special occasions. Two of the special wine labels are “Love” and “Joy.” The wine for the “Love” label is a Sangria. “Joy” is a semi-sweet red wine.
The Wines
The 2018 La Crescent Tip of the Mitt AVA, with 12.2% alcohol, had 20 g/L residual sugar. The wine was a light straw color. The aroma and taste included floral, citrus, pineapple and yellow stone fruit notes. The finish had a very fruity aftertaste. This is a delightful 3 P wine - good for patio, porch or pool.
The 2018 Frontenac Blanc Tip of the Mitt AVA, with 12.3% alcohol, offered 30 g/L of residual sugar. The wine was a light straw color with tropical fruit aromas. The taste was reminiscent of pineapple, yellow stone fruit and mango. The finish was crisp and fruity. Pair this wine with spicy foods.
The 2018 Marquette Rosé Old Mission Peninsula AVA had 12.6% alcohol with 5 g/L of residual sugar. The wine was a red color with a pink hue. Red cherries were on the aroma. The smooth mouthfeel was accompanied by red cherries with a hint of strawberries. The finish was fruity with cherry notes and some strawberry on the aftertaste.
The 2018 Marquette Tip of the Mitt AVA had 12.9% alcohol. The residual sugar was
0 g/L. The color was a translucent red. The wine offered an aroma of red fruits. The taste was of cherries with a bit of baking spices. The wine had a medium/full body with medium tannins. The finish was fruity with baking spices. Bible verse: “On this mountain the Lord Almighty will prepare a feast of rich food for all peoples, a banquet of aged wines—the best of meats and the finest of wines.” Isaiah 25:6
The 2018 First Crush Tip of the Mitt AVA was a blend of Frontenac Gris and Frontenac. The residual sugar was 20 g/L. The wine was a red color with a pink hue. The aroma was of red berry fruit. The taste had red raspberries with some strawberries. The finish was fruity. Consider using this wine as a 3 P wine - patio, porch or pool, or enjoy in front of a fireplace.
The 2018 Frontenac, Estate Tip of the Mitt AVA, had 11.2% alcohol. The wine had 90 g/L residual sugar. The wine was a translucent dark red color with a dark pink hue. The aroma was of red berry fruit. The taste included red raspberries and strawberries. The finish was fruity and sweet. Use this wine as a stand-alone dessert.
While visiting the Petoskey wine region in northern Lower Peninsula of Michigan, consider stopping at the Petoskey Farms Vineyard & Winery tasting room to receive a friendly welcome and taste several wines produced with cold weather grape varieties.
Petoskey Farms Vineyard & Winery
3720 Atkins Road
Petoskey, Michigan 49770
GPS: N45º 21.7579’ W84º 53.5812’
Article written October 2019.
