Laurentide: history in a bottle
By Linda Beaty
Sun contributor
Fall is here, and Susan Braymer, who along with her husband Bill, owns and operates Laurentide, a Lake Leelanau winery that opened its tasting room in the summer of 2012, finds that this is a season at the end of which she breathes a sigh of relief. “It’s a rushed and stressful time,” she said, “but after the harvest, you get relief. The grapes are off, and they’re on their way to the next point of their journey.”
The Braymers themselves have had quite a journey to realizing their dream of owning a vineyard and winery. They met as engineering students in Ann Arbor and have traveled all over the world, including stays in France and Italy, and they lived for a time in California. But they always returned “up north” to visit family and friends. No matter where they went, said Braymer, “We always appreciated the match of food and wine.”
While living in California, they tried their hand at making wine from grapes in their back yard, and eventually, they decided to turn their garage hobby into a bona fide business. Susan pursued a certificate in wine production from UC Davis, and they began exploring potential vineyard acreage in California. But as they continued to make visits to Leelanau County, tasting wines in the area, they began to think about a vineyard in the beautiful northern area, carved out by glaciers many years ago.
One of the most compelling draws for the Braymers was the unique terroir in the Leelanau American Viticultural Area (AVA), the conditions of geography, geology, and climate that impart a characteristic taste to the wines here. An important part of this, said Braymer, was the end of the ice age 10,000 years ago, when the last great ice sheet, called Laurentide, receded from the upper tier of the North American continent, exposing fossils and mineral-rich rocks from an ancient Devonian sea floor. “These things were only exposed in this area,” said Braymer, “and they helped to create the soil that makes up the terroir of Leelanau peninsula.”
As the couple increasingly came to see that the potential for growing quality grapes for quality wine in the Leelanau area rivaled that of California, a 50 acre cherry farm on French Road became available in 2006, so they bought it and began planting grapes, eventually ending up with ten acres planted in Reisling, Chardonnay, Pinot Gris, Pinot Noir, and Sauvignon Blanc. By 2012, they were ready to open the doors of their new business, which they’d aptly named Laurentide.
Today, Laurentide, “a boutique winery,” said Braymer, produces 1,000 cases of wine each year, many of which wines have garnered awards in both national and international competitions. What you’ll see in the tasting room? The most popular wine, according to Braymer, is the gold medal winning Sauvignon Blanc. With notes of lime and a long mineral finish, “it’s a huge draw,” she said. “Sauvignon Blanc is rarely grown in Michigan, and this wine is always sold out first.”
Other palate pleasers are an un-oaked Chardonnay, dry and semi-sweet Rieslings, Pinot Gris, a Pinot Noir rose and a Pinot Noir, oak-aged and made in traditional Burgundian style. On the sweeter side is Emergence, a white blend, and a sweet-tart cherry wine.
You’ll also see local products in the tasting room, as the Braymers strongly believe in the “buy local, support local” concept. You may even learn about a date or two to mark on your calendar, events where local artisans are invited to the winery to spotlight their products, such as the recent “Wine, Women and Wool” Trunk Show, featuring baabaazuzu original wool creations.
And on most days, you’ll be able to meet Susan Braymer herself, who spends much of her time as tasting room manager, pouring wine and chatting to people about grapes and wine making – which is her favorite part of being in the wine business. “It’s the people,” she said. “Talking to people who come in and want to learn about wine makes me feel satisfied — like I’m making a contribution.”
