MU - Spring 2022

michigan Uncorked VOL. 4 NO. 1 SPRING 2022 • SIP — SUSTAINABILITY IN PRACTICE • DAVE BOS

CONTENTS www.michiganuncorked.com 4 SIP — SUSTAINABILITY IN PRACTICE As of 2017, Michigan was the only state outside of California to have a SIP-certified winery. Now there are two, as sustainability in practice becomes paramount in the age of climate change. 8 DAVE BOS 4 The Dave Bos biodynamic approach to grape growing is in keeping with a transition to more holistic and ecological approaches to farming and food worldwide. 11 COOL CLIMATE TEMPRANILLO The same exact grape grown in different climates can produce a wildly different wine. And, with climate change affecting growing conditions in Michigan and elsewhere, winegrowers may soon be planting new grapes. 11 13 WINE YEAST 101 It’s not just about the alcohol. Wine yeast has chemical compounds that add different kinds of flavor profiles depending on the type of yeast. 16 THE EFFICIENT VINEYARD A nationwide program funded by the USDA-NIFA-Specialty Crop Research Initiative will help grape growers better manage their vineyards. 16 19 BETWEEN THE VINES Sommelier Ellen Landis, CS, CSW shares her latest tasting notes on some of her favorite Michigan wines. Cover: Andy Fles, vineyard manager of Shady Lane Cellars. 2 | MICHIGAN UNCORKED

MESSAGE www.michiganuncorked.com FROM THE EDITOR More wine, less whine — Anon. W aterFire Vineyards in Kewadin, Mich. holds the distinction of being the state’s rst SIP-certi ed vineyard. A designation originated in California, it stands for Sustainability in Practice, and ensures that the vineyard meets high standards for economic viability, environmental stewardship and social equity. Madeleine Vedel explores the SIP scene here and explains the bene ts to our climate. Sharon Flesher brings to light another form of biodynamic grape growing practiced by Dave Bos, a native Michiganian based in Elk Rapids who has mad respect from his winemaking days in Cali. In Napa, Bos helped convert Grgich Hills Estate to biodynamic. Anna Maria Giambanco DiPietro talks about cool climate wines and the advantages that climate change may o er for states like Michigan. In particular, she gives a shout out to Tempranillo. Tempranillo is already in a few spots in Michigan. How will it fare? Jack Costa, who is a big fan of yeast, explains that this amazing single-celled fungus does more than just help wine ferment. It can produce a wide array of bene cial in uences and e ects. Yours truly delves into the mysteries of the E cient Vineyard. Scientists have discovered a way to collect a wide variety of data, map it and archive it in real time for winegrowers, all available on a free web-based tool. And last, but never least, our very own in- house sommelier Ellen Landis, CS, CSW provides her tasting notes on some of her favorite Michigan wines. Cheers, Editor-in-Chief Jim Rink • Associate Editor Kim Schneider • Associate Editor Greg Tasker Executive Secretary Karen Koenig-Rink • Contributing Writers Jack Costa, Anna Maria Giambanco DiPietro, Sharon Flesher, Ellen Landis, CS, CSW, Madeleine Vedel, Jim Rink michiganUncorked Vol. 4 No.1 Spring 2022 Copyright © 2022 by michiganUncorked, LLC Reproduction or use of the editorial or pictorial content without written permission is prohibited. Editorial Office, Jim Rink P.O. Box 121, Lake Leelanau, MI 49653, editor@michiganuncorked.com Unsolicited manuscripts or other information will not be returned unless accompanied by return postage. Website: www.michiganuncorked.com 3 | MICHIGAN UNCORKED iff fflfifffififif

Kasey Wierzba, winemaker at Shady Lane Cellars SIP by Madeleine Vedel N estled between Torch Lake and Lake Michigan, in the township Continued on next page of Kewadin, Michigan, WaterFire Vineyards is a destination for wine lovers, and the ecology minded. Outside of the three nearest wine trails and two nearby AVAs, Chantal Lefebvre, winery owner, manager and chief wino, has carved out a niche of her own where she grows nine acres of white vinifera for her estate-grown wines. Passionate in her convictions, she has combined her education in environmental science and her love of all things wine. 4 | MICHIGAN UNCORKED

Shady Lane Chantal and her husband Michael Newman purchased this former 26-acre cherry farm in 2008, already convinced – after only a year in the wine industry – that she wanted to farm and make her own wine, and to do so in a sustainable manner, respectful of the environment, doing her part to improve this corner of the world, and perhaps more widely. After much research, she landed on SIP, Sustainability in Practice certi cation based out of Atascadero, California. At the time, SIP was a California-based and California-focused program with members located within the Western state’s borders. Chantal changed that. She reviewed the focus of this viticulture speci c program, its three Es: economic viability, environmental stewardship and social equity, all of which aligned with her personal values. She then investigated the numerous requirements for certi cation: fourteen chapters with over 200 elements that include both absolutes, and a point system that allows for measurable improvement over time. These include: Vineyard Conservation and Enhancement of Biological Diversity, Vineyard Acquisition, Establishment and Management, Winery Facility Establishment and Management, Vineyard Soil Conservation and Surface Water Quality, Water Conservation and Quality, Energy Conservation and E ciency, Pollution and Waste Purchasing, Recycling and Waste Reduction, Social Equity, Pest Management, Grape Sourcing and Fruit Quality, Continuing Education, Business Management, Year End Water and Nitrogen Use Reports. Chantal dove in, relishing her conversations with Beth Vukmanic, Executive Director at SIP. They discussed the terroir of Northern Michigan’s fresh coast, that Chantal would not be irrigating (as her California colleagues must do), that her worries tended to focus more on invasive insects such as the rose chafers, not on forest res and droughts, and much more: “I wanted to focus on nature friendly practices, to consider air quality, water conservation and bio-diversity. We are a no-till operation. We don’t stir up the soil in any way (which would release carbon into the atmosphere). We maintain plant cover. We sequester carbon. Our little tiny farm plays its role in reversing climate change. If we could get enough farms to do this, we could have a big impact as farmers in reversing climate change.” 5 | MICHIGAN UNCORKED Continued on next page if iff ifif if

Leaving elds fallow, planting native species to create corridors for local insects, birds and more (though hoping the deer will opt to detour around the property); waiting to mow till the ground nesting birds have edged and departed; measuring energy use (and the quantity of diesel expended each time the tractor and/or sprayer takes a pass through the rows) and investing in alternative energy sources such as solar and wind; o ering competitive wages and continued education opportunities to her employees. These are all either happening or in the works at WaterFire. FIRST SIP-CERTIFIED IN MICHIGAN In 2017, WaterFire became the rst SIP-certi ed winery outside of California, and de facto, the only one in Michigan. Five years into it, Chantal is content with her choice of SIP certi cation over USDA Organic or Certi ed Naturally Grown. As of 2020, her colleagues at Shady Lane Cellars in Leelanau County have followed suit. Andy Fles, vineyard manager and Kasey Wierzba, vintner, learned of SIP through a conversation with Chantal and found it t their values, providing a path towards improved vineyard management, as well as a testament to beliefs and actions they could stamp on their wine label. Andy and Kasey, both graduates of Michigan State University Agricultural and Viticulture studies, with stints on the University’s sustainable farm, arrived at Shady Lane in 2013. She spent the intervening years honing her wine making skills in California, he on Old Mission Peninsula. Upon their meeting they immediately felt an a nity in their values and goals: “One huge thing we had in common as we began to work together and collaborate, with him [Andy] stewarding the vines and my making the wine, was a parallel desire for organics, for working for the natural world around us, borrowing from and collaborating with Mother Nature.” Kasey says. With 65, and soon 70 acres planted in vineyards on the 150 acre farm, they had a relatively large (for Michigan) property to manage. A rst step was compost teas, using compost to build and enrich the soil beneath the vines as a foundation to growing healthier plants and better fruit. Spraying this microbe rich tea on the vines supports the plants’ defense mechanisms, and encourages them to develop their own tolerance of and ability to ght disease. Kasey Wierzba As Chantal does at WaterFire, so too is Andy working to enrich the habitat for local vertebrates, tending insectary plots of native grasses and owers to provide shelter and homes for bees, other pollinators and bene cial insects such as dragon ies, lace wings, and butter ies. “When you create such an open space with native plants and diversity, they show up.” says Kasey. Caring for the people who work at the winery falls squarely inside the SIP directives as well. Though many wineries nd it di cult to employ their vineyard sta all year long, they can communicate with neighboring fruit farms, cherry growers and apple orchards, where skilled agricultural workers to prune and harvest are needed. With a handful of farms joining forces to employ them, there is su cient work to permit living locally and enrolling kids in the local schools. 6 | MICHIGAN UNCORKED iffffiffif lflfiflf ifif iff ififififif fflfif

A last element that rendered this choice more feasible, was connecting with former Leelanau Peninsula organic winery owner Stan Silverman (based in Northport). Already a USDA Organic certi er, he got SIP certi ed to review their practices, documentation , and to walk the property, observing and testifying to their adherence to the SIP standards. Stan getting on board has saved both wineries the cost of ying out a specialist from California. And the wines? Does it really make a di erence in the quality of the wines? Is it worth all the e ort? All the paper work and the third party certi cation? Make that an a rmative. I am not alone in being impressed with the quality of WaterFire’s Estate wines (made by noted wine maker Bryan Ulrich of Left Foot Charley, mentor and former boss of Chantal from 2008-2011). Proudly served in the best local establishments including Traverse City’s The Cooks’ House and Trattoria Stella, Chantal’s Grüner Veltliner shines with bright notes of tart green apples, Meyer lemon, honeydew melon and a surprisingly creamy mouth feel; as you savor the glass, second notes of peach and vanilla emerge in this Austrian inspired wine. Though there was some frost damage last spring, her yield in 2021 was higher than in 2020, due to the longer growing season. So do come to taste her Grüner, Dry Riesling (a favorite in a crowded eld) and her Michigan grown, bubbly Brut Cuvée Blanc. And do make the trek to her beautiful tasting room, opened in 2017. While there, take a walk around the property and take in the beauty and fresh scents of land well-managed. FYI, your dog is welcome too. At Shady Lane Cellars, where Kasey makes one of my favorite Cabernet Francs in all of Leelanau Peninsula (though not every year), judge for yourself how healthy and rich soil comes through in the fruit, before or after a ski amidst the vines. Discussing the Cellars’ wines’ evolution since putting these practices into place, Kasey says she nds: “There’s a good balance where the vine puts energy into the fruit maturation and into the canopy. Creating a diverse, sustainable soil as the foundation helps to set that path. We see a lot more consistency in quality, even year to year, even with the variability of weather from season to season. It’s showing up in the quality of the avors that come through. We had a lot of rain this past year, and I was surprised by the avors that came out of the vineyard, even with all that water. Sure some of our fruit is noticeably lower in brix, but we’re seeing such great aromatics coming from the fruit – I attribute that to our farming practices.” Michigan Organic and SIP Certi er Stan Silverman summarizes, “SIP covers broader issues than organic: farm, community, systems, water management, workforce training, insurance for your workforce. It has a communal interest focus rather than just crop growing.” Now that these two award-winning wineries have tested the waters, may others follow behind. ABOUT THE AUTHOR Madeleine Vedel was introduced to the world of wine by her parents, who had a small, but prized wine cellar. While married to a French chef in Provence, she ran food and wine tours for nearly 20 years. She is currently based in Mancelona, honing her cheese, chocolate and pastry skills and happily consuming both local and international wines within her budget. 7 | MICHIGAN UNCORKED if lflf if if iffifffff lfifif

by Sharon Flesher Dave Bos About 20 years ago, Dave Bos was fresh out of college and curious about wine, so he moved to Traverse City, where he worked for a couple of years harvesting grapes and bartending. Then, like many a pioneer, Dave Bos heeded the call to go west, a journey that gained him a wife and two children in addition to honing his skills in viticulture and wine-making at some of the most prestigious estates in Napa Valley. He started his own wine label there in 2010, purchasing grapes from growers in his consulting business and releasing a small portfolio of wines that garnered glowing reviews in the crowded Napa scene. When the young family wanted to expand and plant their own deep roots, it was California girl Jackie who suggested Dave’s native Michigan, where Bos is now pioneering biodynamic farming and transitioning his Napa-born BOS wine label to a Michigan-centric brand based in Elk Rapids. Despite producing fewer than 1,000 cases of wine in Michigan, having none of his own vineyards in production, and opening a tasting room not on any wine tour trail, Bos is creating a big buzz. With his a able personality and talent for networking, he's spread tendrils to vineyards, wineries and retailers in the region, where his in uence may be growing faster than his own label. “He has done so much for our wine community up here, everything from consulting on vineyards on both peninsulas and sharing his biodynamic farming experience and passion, to connecting people for local collaborations, and bringing together people for fun experiences,” says Alaina Leech, co-owner of Traverse City Lake District Wine Co., which held a sold- out tasting event for BOS wines in November, the rst (and as of January, only) winemaker to get a solo event at the shop since the pandemic began. “He’s one of the most charismatic people I’ve ever met. We’re all so lucky that he and Jackie have landed here.” 8 | MICHIGAN UNCORKED Continued on next page if lfff

His ambition? Simple. “I want to make world class wine and change farming,” he says. “I want people to come up here and say this is the greenest spot in the midwest.” Bos is an advocate of biodynamic agriculture, a holistic and ecological approach to farming and food inspired by the work of early 20th-century Austrian philosopher and scientist Rudolf Steiner. Biodynamic vineyards have been increasing in popularity worldwide, particularly in France, where some well-known estates employ its methods. In Napa, Bos helped convert Grgich Hills Estate to biodynamic, which led to consulting gigs at other California wineries interested in doing the same. In Michigan, he’s bringing biodynamic methods to Mari Vineyards on Old Mission Peninsula, where he serves as vineyard manager. Bos says he’s seeing increased interest in organic and biodynamic methods of farming, with many vineyards starting small, usually with composting. “Everyone is transitioning in that direction,” he says. “Farmers need to be innovating at all times, even more so now because of climate change.” Like organic agriculture, biodynamic farming eschews chemicals, but it includes esoteric practices related to astrological and lunar cycles. While it certainly has its detractors, those who favor the methods point to the results. Rudolf Steiner “It brings health, quality, and vitality to the farm system,” says Bos. “I’ve seen sick vineyards become healthier, going from sickly vines to making world class wines.” 9 | MICHIGAN UNCORKED Continued on next page

Bos is making his Michigan wines at Mari Vineyards. The pandemic and wild res impacted his ability to make wine in California for the past two vintages, but the Napa operation will continue to be a focus of the brand. He has plans for his own vineyards near Elk Rapids, but in the meantime, he’s working with local farmers who grow grapes to his speci cations. Mike and Darlene Heuser have been farming exclusively for Bos on their 1.5 acres near Interlochen. They are excited about his results from their vines of valvin muscat, a disease-resistant white grape hybrid developed at Cornell University and released in 2006. Bos is using it in a blend he calls Peridot, a refreshing dry wine that tastes like summer in northern Michigan, with a palate of owers and peaches. BOS HELPED CONVERT GRGICH HILLS TO BIODYNAMIC “Dave thinks it may turn out to be a bigger seller than his Riesling,” enthused Mike Heuser while sampling a glass at the Bos Wine Garden tasting room in Elk Rapids on a chilly December evening. “He makes really good wine and we’re happy to have our own little stock of it.” Bos opened his tasting room, the rst for his label, in the summer of 2021 on Ames Street in Elk Rapids. It has a comfortable farmhouse vibe and a garden out back, which will eventually provide culinary inputs for the tasting room experience. Curating his wine with food is a key practice Bos began in California, pairing with charcuterie made by a friend in Napa. At the Elk Rapids tasting room, the curated pairing is o ered by reservation. Many tasting rooms discontinued walk-up bar service during the pandemic, and Bos elected to never start it. “The idea here is for people to come in and sit down and have an experience,” Bos said. “We were going to a sit down experience before the pandemic. I’m so thankful that the pandemic taught people what a good tasting experience can be like.” Where to nd: BOS Wine is available from select wine shops in northern Michigan, at the Elk Rapids tasting room (limited hours) and at boswine.com. Two clubs are o ered: a MiCa club of four bottles each quarter, and a Wine and Swine Club of six bottles paired with artisan charcuterie. ABOUT THE AUTHOR Previously a journalist for United Press International (UPI), the News and Observer (Raleigh, N.C.) and Congressional Quarterly, Sharon Flesher now writes independently from Traverse City, Mich. She is an enthusiastic student of wine and she reads too much. Find her on the web at http://twofemmes.com/ 10 | MICHIGAN UNCORKED ff if ffif lf ifif

A by Anna Maria Giambanco DiPietro sk any wine aficionado where wine grapes typically grow and tshoeu yt!hll o rfe sthoeu nedqiunagtlyo r.s”hare:\" #30 –  50° latitude, north and Within these areas, certain varieties have historically thrived in very particular regions. Take, for example, Pinot Noir in Santa Barbara County and Oregon’s Willamette AVA, Cabernet Sauvignon in Napa, and Riesling in New York’s Finger Lakes and Michigan. Vincent Anter, certi ed sommelier and founder of V is for Vino, shares: \"Cool climate vs. warm climate really is one of the most telling attributes of what a wine will taste like; even more than the grape used. The same exact grape grown in di erent climates can produce wildly di erent wines. Do you like your wines lean, crisp, lower in alcohol, and higher in acid? Or rich, ripe, and robust, with more pronounced fruit notes? All of this is determined not by the grape, but by the climate. ” 11 | MICHIGAN UNCORKED Continued on next page f ffff i











sensor data into valuable viticulture knowledge for vineyard managers, and developing variable rate vineyard prescription maps to improve yield and quality, lower production costs, and conserve labor and environmental resources.\" As part of the E cient Vineyard approach, growers utilize a free MyEV tool. The web-based tool is ideal for small to medium sized grape growers to easily visualize spatial data and plan ahead. According to the E cient Vineyard website (https://www.e cientvineyard.com) timeline, the program began in 2005, with traditional vineyard soil and vine measurements such as soil moisture and vine pruning weight, and geo-referenced and mapped them with developing GPS technology. \"growers utilize a free myEV tool\" Between 2006 and 2010, following global e orts in precision viticulture, Dr. Terry Bates, senior research associate at Cornell AgriTech, began investigating o -the-shelf sensors, grape yield monitor technology, and spatial data mapping in New York Concord vineyards. Spatial variation in commercial vineyards proved to be high, supporting the future potential in using sensor- GPS technology to map and manage vineyard productivity. In 2011, Cornell Viticulture worked with Carnegie Mellon Engineering to develop a prototype imaging system to count fruit and map yield in Cornell research vineyards. The following year, the National Grape and Wine Initiative (precursor to NGRA — National Grape Research Alliance) funded a pilot study on spatial vineyard crop load mapping. Precision Agriculture scientist, James Taylor, joined the Cornell Lake Erie Research team and elevated the level of spatial data processing and interpretation. In 2013, vine balance was adopted as an integrated relationship between soil properties, canopy growth, and crop size. Soil (DualEM), Canopy (CropCircle NDVI), Crop (CMU image unit), and yield (ATV yield monitor) sensors are used to demonstrate the complexity within and between spatial vineyard layers. REAL VINEYARDS, REAL APPLICATIONS In 2014, As part of the NGRA pilot study, soil, canopy, and crop sensors were deployed in juice, wine, and table grape vineyards to understand the degree and pattern of spatial variation under commercial conditions. The following year, the USDA funded the E cient Vineyard SCRI Project. 2016 was devoted to improving measurement tools. Soil, canopy, and crop sensors were validated against manual in- eld measurements to translate spatial sensor data into vineyard information, such as canopy ll and vine pruning weight. The CMU vineyard image system was further developed to non-destructively detect berry number and berry diameter. This was turned into a visible berry count and spatially mapped to visualize crop distribution and improve vineyard crop estimation. Raw data from all the sensors are processed by a technique which allows comparison between information layers (much like peeling 17 | MICHIGAN UNCORKED Continued on next page ifif iff ffff iffiff iff