From Vine to Wine: Great wine begins long before the first bottle is opened. It starts in the vineyard—with the soil, the weather, the vines, and a whole lot of hands-on care.

Our Broken Oak Vineyard was first planted in 2014 and today encompasses more than three acres of vines, with approximately 600 vines per acre and more than 1,800 vines in total. We grow 12 different grape varieties—six red and six white—all carefully selected to withstand the unique challenges of Northern Michigan’s inland climate.

Unlike vineyards closer to Lake Michigan, where the lake helps moderate temperatures, our vines experience much greater extremes. Winters can be bitterly cold and summers hot, so we grow cold-hardy varieties capable of surviving temperatures as low as 30 degrees below zero.

It All Starts With the Soil: Even within our vineyard, growing conditions can vary considerably. The vines planted higher on the property grow in gravelly, sandy soil with excellent drainage. Surprisingly, vines don’t necessarily produce their best fruit when life is easy. Well-drained soil forces their roots to work harder and grow deeper in search of water and nutrients. That little bit of struggle can help produce stronger vines and more concentrated fruit.

Lower areas of the vineyard contain richer, loamier soil. While fertile soil may sound ideal, grapevines can actually become too comfortable, putting more energy into growing lush leaves and shoots rather than concentrating their energy in the grapes.

Wind Is Our Friend and Location matters, too. Good airflow through the vineyard helps protect the vines naturally. Wind can reduce insect pressure, discourage mold and fungal diseases, and help move cold air away from the vines during frost events. That’s why vineyard placement and keeping nearby tree lines from blocking airflow can make such a difference.

Growing Grapes Is a Year-Round Labor of Love: Every growing season begins with spring pruning, before bud break. By carefully limiting the number of buds left on each vine, we help concentrate the plant’s energy and nutrients into the fruit that remains.

During mid- and late summer, we return to the vines for canopy management—trimming growth and thinning leaves around the grape clusters. This improves airflow, allows more sunlight to reach the fruit, and once again encourages the vine to put its energy where we want it most: into the grapes.

By late July, one of our favorite stages begins: veraison. This is when red grapes begin changing color and the fruit starts accumulating sugar. It’s one of the first visible signs that harvest season is on its way.

Protecting the Vineyard: Of course, we’re not the only ones interested in those vines. Rose chafer beetles, Japanese beetles, aphids, powdery and downy mildew, and black rot are just a few of the challenges that can threaten a crop. Insects can strip leaves and damage young grape clusters, while fungal diseases can quickly take hold when weather conditions are right.

Throughout the season, we carefully manage weeds, pests, disease, and vine nutrition. Whenever practical, weeds are controlled by mowing or trimming, while vineyard treatments are used when needed to protect the vines and crop. Spring fertilization provides additional nutrients as the vines begin another growing season.

When Mother Nature Gets It Just Right: Some years, everything simply comes together. Our best harvest produced approximately 12 tons of grapes. With a ton of grapes yielding roughly 150 gallons of wine, that’s the potential for around 1,800 gallons of wine from a single harvest.

What made that year so special? A relatively dry spring helped keep mold and mildew pressure low. There was enough rainfall to keep the vines healthy, but not too much. Temperatures stayed warm without becoming so hot that the vineyard dried out. In other words, Mother Nature gave us one of those rare seasons when everything was just right. And that’s part of what makes wine so fascinating: every vintage tells the story of the year that produced it.

From more than 1,800 vines growing in Northern Michigan soil to the bottle poured into your glass, every Rose Valley wine begins with patience, persistence, a little science—and a whole lot of work in the vineyard.