Appellation Article
Old Mission Peninsula
Last edited on 9/5/2017 by sweetstuff
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a note from John Trombley, in part borrowed from a comment on Left Foot Charley Pinot Gris:
The general central region of the Old Mission Peninsula was earliest farmed (late 1970s) and is now intensely farmed for grapes since the first V. Vinifera plantation in this quite contoured area, perhaps the most contoured on the peninsula. Nearby are Tale Feathers vineyard, the home vineyards of Chateau Grand Traverse, the Shangri La, Too vineyard, the Prairie School vineyard, the Manigold vineyard of Gewurztraminer fame, and so forth; this is not exhaustive. For the whites, Riesling and the Pinots are predominant, in the region; for the reds, Pinot Noir, Gamay, and Dornfelder are found. We may guess the soils: reef and mostly igneous sands from the Canadian Shield in the form of glacial till; various clays, mostly alkaline; and some humus from Recent forestation and human use. These are almost universal in varying amounts here. The vineyards here are mostly West-facing, flowing down from Center Road M-37 and the scenic outlook at the top of the center ridge down to the water line, with secondary elevations and depressions. (Early on it was somewhat recontoured to change ground-water issues that might have been problematic just west of the outlook.)
In general, this means the regional vineyards are very fine for ripening grapes but are prone to weather-related accidents: spring frosts and hail, and as elsewhere, requite strict attention to vineyard hygiene and canopy management in the intense summer sun and fog/rain that tend to alternate here. The wines are bright, energetic in the citruc range, somewhat rustic, and resinous, with best Pekoe and Pu'er tea notes that remind one of opening a ream of pine wood -based Kraft paper. This may be the signature nose and palate (terroir) of the Up-North (northern Lower Peninsula) white wines.
The general central region of the Old Mission Peninsula was earliest farmed (late 1970s) and is now intensely farmed for grapes since the first V. Vinifera plantation in this quite contoured area, perhaps the most contoured on the peninsula. Nearby are Tale Feathers vineyard, the home vineyards of Chateau Grand Traverse, the Shangri La, Too vineyard, the Prairie School vineyard, the Manigold vineyard of Gewurztraminer fame, and so forth; this is not exhaustive. For the whites, Riesling and the Pinots are predominant, in the region; for the reds, Pinot Noir, Gamay, and Dornfelder are found. We may guess the soils: reef and mostly igneous sands from the Canadian Shield in the form of glacial till; various clays, mostly alkaline; and some humus from Recent forestation and human use. These are almost universal in varying amounts here. The vineyards here are mostly West-facing, flowing down from Center Road M-37 and the scenic outlook at the top of the center ridge down to the water line, with secondary elevations and depressions. (Early on it was somewhat recontoured to change ground-water issues that might have been problematic just west of the outlook.)
In general, this means the regional vineyards are very fine for ripening grapes but are prone to weather-related accidents: spring frosts and hail, and as elsewhere, requite strict attention to vineyard hygiene and canopy management in the intense summer sun and fog/rain that tend to alternate here. The wines are bright, energetic in the citruc range, somewhat rustic, and resinous, with best Pekoe and Pu'er tea notes that remind one of opening a ream of pine wood -based Kraft paper. This may be the signature nose and palate (terroir) of the Up-North (northern Lower Peninsula) white wines.