Eleanor & Ray Heald (ERH): What are the differences among Blocks I, II and III?

Spencer Stegenga (SS): Originally, Bowers Harbor Vineyards estate was a horse farm. Blocks I and II were southwest-sloping horse pastures. Actually, Ed O'Keefe [proprietor of Chateau Grand Traverse] offered to buy the grapes if we planted the fields. Before we did that, we began to rip apart existing barns and started larger wine production on our property because we were only making 500 cases per year until estate plantings came on line.

In general, the estate soils are light and sandy with some gravel. Block I is a 1.1-acre parcel planted in 1991 to Chardonnay Clone 96 vines. Today, these early-ripening grapes go into the Bowers Harbor Unwooded Chardonnay. Beginning with vintage 2007, however, these grapes will serve to launch a limited Reserve Chardonnay program. Additionally, Clone 239 Riesling, that goes into the Semi-dry Riesling, was suited to planting in the block. To continue the Unwooded Chardonnay program, grapes will be sourced off the estate from other growers.

Also in 1991, a little over two acres were designated Block II with more Clone 239 Riesling. Until 2006, that went into the late harvest bottling, which has now transitioned to a dryer style. Yet, we're more committed to the style a particular vintage gives us, rather than stating that we make, dry, semi-dry and late-harvest bottlings each year.

For a varietal bottling, Block III, a small 0.30-acre parcel, was planted to Gewurztraminer, (but the) identification and source of this aromatic and spicy clone are unknown.

ERH: In addition to blocks, Bowers Harbor has some single vineyards that it designates to special bottlings. What makes these special?

SS: Langley Vineyard has a lot of everything - clay, denser soils with a good covering of top soil and high-quality gravel patches. Erica Vineyard, which was formerly a 25-acre sweet cherry block(purchased in 1994), has abundant soil nutrients.

Langley was dedicated in 1998 by me to my grandfather Harold Langley. In 1999, this parcel witnessed plantings of Merlot, Riesling (more Clone 239) and a test block of 75 Cabernet Franc vines. In 2000, the first 1,000 vines of UCD Clone 4 Cabernet Franc and 1,000 vines of Pinot Noir were planted in equal number of Clones 115, 113 and 667 on different rootstocks, depending on soil composition. The year 2001 saw more Riesling Clone 239 planted.

ERH: Which bottlings use Langley Vineyard grapes?

SS: Merlot and Cabernet Franc compose the blend for the 2896 Langley bottling, named for the winery address on Bowers Harbor Road. Langley Pinot Noir is blended with Pinot Noir from the neighboring Old Mission Peninsula Montaña Rusa vineyard to make a varietal bottling. Some Langley Riesling makes a small batch of single vineyard Riesling and the remainder goes into the semi-dry Riesling.

In the late 1990s, wine writer Tom Stevenson got us excited about Cabernet Franc. He believed that it would be a good red grape for Old Mission Peninsula and Michigan in general. As a test, I planted only 75 Cabernet Franc vines and 1,000 Merlot. I was so impressed by the Cabernet Franc that we decided to plant another 1,000 vines in 2000. In my mind, with Merlot and Cab Franc, we were headed to a Bordeaux Right Bank wine style.

ERH: And then there's Erica Vineyard, dedicated to your wife. How do grapes from this vineyard impact bottlings?

SS: Erica Vineyard was first planted in 2001 to Cabernet Franc and Pinot Grigio. More of the latter was planted each year through 2006.

Cabernet Franc from Erica Vineyard constitutes a single-vineyard bottling launched from the 2004 vintage. Pinot Grigio from Erica makes up the majority of Bowers Harbor flagship wine, blended with Pinot Grigio from a neighboring Old Mission Peninsula vineyard and wherever we can find it. Target for 2007 harvest is crushing 40 tons of the variety.

Cabernet Franc from Langley is night and day from that planted in Erica Vineyard. Erica tends to have more green flavors with more methoxypyrazine in years where we pick with less maturity. Erica soils may be too heavy for the best Cabernet Franc. Yet, each year, we're learning and trying different canopy management and cluster thinning techniques to improve quality.

ERH: With respect to growing Pinot Grigio in Michigan, are there any specific vine needs required to make a Grigio style?

SS: We have four-foot vine spacing and I'd move to a five-foot with eight-foot tractor rows. With that, we'd realize the same yields and quality but reduce planting cost. One foot spacing difference would also reduce the number of tractor passes.

Pinot Grigio is our work horse as is Riesling. In 10 years, we've not had to worry about ripening Pinot Grigio. For our style from our site, we pick between 21.5 and 22 degrees Brix. This yields a wine with 11.5 to 12 percent alcohol.

ERH: In warmer years such as 2005 and 2007, how are you maintaining acid levels in Pinot Grigio?

SS: With 2005, we added five percent Sauvignon Blanc and five percent Riesling to bump the acidity. What caught us off guard is that in 2005 we picked a month earlier than the 2004 that dragged on forever. We're better prepared now for warmer years. We have a following for a crisper style of Pinot Grigio and Michigan restaurants expect that since it's a great complement to Michigan's fresh water fish.

ERH: It's obvious from an overview of Bowers Harbor vineyard plantings that Pinot Grigio has become the largest production and winery flagship. What is there about Pinot Grigio grown on the Old Mission Peninsula (OMP) that prompted this direction?

SS: My university educational background is a degree in marketing but I also have a passion for wine. In 1995, we looked at Pinot Grigio's promise as a fresh, crisp-styled wine, rather than a style that echoed Chardonnay. We also came to understand that the promise of a great Pinot Gris style from OMP was limited.

However, we felt quite confident about where a Pinot Grigio style was going and (that it) would escalate in the marketplace. We also believed that the Riesling flag was being carried well by other OMP producers and we wanted to be recognized for another varietal wine. In the early years, starting with our inaugural vintage of 1996, it was easy to market because we were the first winery in Michigan to produce it.

ERH: Can you talk about some plans for the future?

SS: We plan to build a custom crush facility with underground barrel storage that will be operative for the 2008 harvest and is modeled after several that are in California and the newest on Long Island. It facilitates cost sharing but additionally, you get the cooperative status and grant money from the State of Michigan because you are continuing to sustain agriculture.

ERH: What's the capacity of the facility?

SS: 100,000 to 120,000 cases maximum.

ERH: What have you done to carry the flag of your Pinot Grigio style outside Michigan?

SS: This year, I participated in the Sarasota Wine Festival, carrying the Grigio flag. My table was between Stuart Bryan of Pride Mountain Vineyards [St. Helena, Calif.] and David Ramey of Ramey Wine Cellars [Healdsburg, Calif.]. There I was, this Michigan guy, between these two hot-stuffs in the wine world and it was awesome. They were bringing participants to my table, left, right and center. Stuart [Bryan] is originally from Muskegon, Mich., and he could not have been happier to have a winery from his native state participating.

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Tasting Notes

2006 Bowers Harbor Pinot Grigio, Old Mission Peninsula $14. One of the most well-known grape varieties cultivated in Italy is Pinot Grigio. Wine styles vary widely from a light wine to one that's fuller and rounder. Bowers Harbor strikes a happy medium with Pinot Grigio. Ripe apples and hints of honey dominate the aroma profile. On the palate, there's adequate breadth and good length in a fruity wine, crafted with balance and harmony. Great on its own as an apéritif pour, it pairs well with white-fleshed fish accompanied by a creamy lemon butter-caper sauce.

2006 Bowers Harbor Riesling Block II, Old Mission Peninsula $16. Although not its flagship wine, Bowers Harbor has a Riesling focus, believing that Riesling has a vibrant litheness to express Old Mission Peninsula, especially from the estate's oldest Riesling, harvested from Block II. The wine has a unique orange blossom dimension, not often found in other Michigan Rieslings. Spice notes mingle nicely on the palate with apple, grapefruit and a minerally aspect. Riesling is the most versatile white varietal and this wine exhibits that from an aperitif serving to an accompaniment to that other white meat - roast pork.

2006 Bowers Harbor Montaña Rusa Vineyard Riesling, Old Mission Peninsula $16. This wine makes a great comparison with Bowers Harbor Riesling Block II and answers the question, "why bother with single-vineyard bottlings?" Floral and apricot, complemented by apple and a citrus fruit melange dominate aromas. Although the mouthfeel is rich and lingering, crisp acidity is evident in the finish. Try it with Asian-style seared scallops for a real taste treat.

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Photos by Ray Heald.