The Best Michigan Wines Hang with the Best in the Country

All over America, regional wines are growing in popularity, while the sales of California wines remain static. Are they really that good, or is this a craze fueled by local loyalties?

If you’re in the wine business, you know it isn’t local loyalty. Many people just can’t believe that Michigan wines are as good as their more famous cousins from California or Europe. Some of us remember a mere 25 years ago, when California wines were similarly dismissed by nearly everyone as being noticeably less fine than French wines.

Then in 1976, the Californians bested the French in the historic Stephen Spurrier wine tasting in Paris. Overnight, California wines were believable. Despite the fact that the winners were a few expensive, low-production wines, Americans went out in droves to buy whatever was on the shelves.

What few people realize is that in national and international competitions, wines from Michigan, Virginia, Texas, Connecticut, Missouri and New York regularly beat out wines from California and Europe.

Maybe we need one really big shootout amongst the best of the best to generate the respect that regional wines deserve. In the meantime, medals are quietly being awarded to home-grown Michigan wines at prestigious competitions around the country.

At the Tasters Guild International Wine Competition in March, more than 3,000 wines were evaluated over a four-day period. Michigan wines won 25 Gold Medals plus two Double Gold Medals. A Double Gold is awarded when two separate panels of judges unanimously agree on the Gold Medal status of a wine.

Not prestigious enough? The oldest and largest wine competition is the Los Angeles County Fair “Wines of the Americas” Competition. Here, on California’s home turf, the 2002 Tabor Hill Traminette was named Best of Class. In addition, Gold Medals went to the 2002 Tabor Hill Semi-Dry Riesling and the 2002 Chateau Grand Traverse Late Harvest Riesling.

An even more significant award recently came out of the International Eastern Wine Competition, sponsored by the prestigious Vineyard and Winery Management magazine. The 2002 Peninsula Cellars Semi-Dry Riesling was named Best White Wine of the competition, and Chateau Grand Traverse received a Double Gold for the 2002 Late Harvest Riesling.

Then, another shoe dropped. The San Francisco International Competition, perhaps the most prestigious of all the competitions, voted its Sweepstakes Award to Peninsula Cellars Semi-Dry Riesling. That wine and the Chateau Grand Traverse Semi-Dry Riesling both were awarded Double Gold Medals. This competition truly is international; these medals were awarded in head-to-head competition with the best of Germany, France, Italy, California and more.

Such awards have allowed Michigan wines to attract top wine professionals to judge at the Michigan State Fair Wine and Spirits Competition. Wines of the Americas competition organizer Bob Small was a judge in 2001, as was noted wine author Bob Thompson. In 2002, respected wine columnist Dan Berger and America’s only Master of Wine and Master Sommelier Doug Frost were easily persuaded to join the competition. This year, Berger will again be judging and will be joined by Maitre Sommelier René Chazottes from the exclusive Pacific Club in Los Angeles.

These judges join talent from within the state, including Master Sommelier Madeline Triffon, well-known retailer and auction commenter Dick Scheer, Tapawingo Wine Manager Ron Edwards, Master Sommelier Rick Rubel, and Detroit News Wine Report author Sandra Silfven. The superintendent of the competition is wine columnist and national judge Christopher Cook.