Blog

Browse our deepest winemaking thoughts, delicious recipes, and recent news about the happenings at Shady Lane Cellars.


What to Expect When Buying Wine Online

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At a time where we’re all staying home and staying safe, home delivery has become more useful than ever. While groceries, paper products and medicine are the most-sought items, it is also possible to add your favorite wines to your delivery list. According to Forbes.com, online wine sales have increased 66 percent over the same period last year.

Racking Video

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Winemaker Kasey Wierzba is racking our 2017 Estate Cabernet Franc today!

Only Slightly Sassy Orange Wine

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Popping up on nearly every enthusiastic sommeliers wine list these days, “orange wine” seems to be the next exciting new style the world of wine, leaving you with the question: “So what is orange wine?” Like so much of the wine world, orange wine is both new and old, often leaving us with a lengthy discourse on ancient methods using clay aging vessels in Caucusus (Georgia!) earth for up to a year. This is very interesting information, and you should read up on it when given the opportunity.

Roasted Fennel and Gorgonzola Flatbread

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A delicious start to any evening, or make it the main event. Pair with Shady Lane Cellars Dry Riesling for a delightful treat sure to please any palate!

Dichotomous Farmers: Enjoying Warm Sunshine but Hoping for More Winter

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Many Michiganders are rejoicing at the sight of the sun in February and the unseasonably warm temperatures that have accompanied it as of late. It has indeed been an unusually warm winter overall in Northwest Michigan. I love downhill and cross-country skiing and if you enjoy winter sports like me, this has been quite frustrating. If your outdoor activities cease at shoveling a path to your car so you can warm it up for your drive to work, you may be singing and dancing in the now snowless streets. At least we can all agree that the sunshine has been glorious.

Wine Tasting Party! How to Make Winter Fun Indoors.

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It’s cold; it’s dark, and the snow is a sloppy mess. Down and out, you might also be experiencing the post-holiday blues, or a simple lack of vitamin D has you hunkered down binge watching all seven seasons of Mad Men or worse, Friends. There is a cure. It’s simple, it’s fun, and it will boost your popularity with minimal effort. Host a wine tasting! OK, before you dismiss this fantastic idea please know that the hardest part about hosting a wine tasting is you will have to do a little house cleaning. Besides that, it’s simple.

Late Harvest Riesling: A Tale of Winter Wine

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It is that time of year again- holiday parties, gift buying and giving, mistletoe smooches with your special someone, crackling fires, bad sweater parties, and strange desserts that have no business being made- put down that fruitcake recipe! It is also the time of year to think about and drink about a bottle or four, of your favorite Late Harvest wine or Icewine.

2016 Handcrafted From The Ground Up

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It is hard to put this season in perspective without framing it with the hardships and challenges of 2014 and 2015. It was as if nature herself knew it was time to ease up, and push on. We emerged out of what had been two of the most challenging, and lowest yielding harvests in 25 years at Shady Lane Cellars to what may have been the largest ever for our winery. Led by owner Richard Fortune, 2016 was about making connections with our guests, to this place, to our people, and with our wine. Everything handcrafted and cultivated, from the ground up.

Pomegranate Gravy

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Looking for a fun and interesting take on a holiday classic? Check out this great recipe for pomegranate gravy and take your holiday plate to the next level!

Toast the Season 2016 - Coconut Ginger Soup

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Served for Toast the Season 2016, this soup was a big hit! A warm and comforting creation, let this rich dish full of bright flavors enhance your holiday plate.

Choosing The Perfect Holiday Wine Is Done Together

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We are fast approaching that time of year…yes folks, family, food, fun…and oh yeah, opinions about everything…it’s the holidays! We love the holidays because it’s the time of year that brings people together, friends and family in particular. We laugh, drink and eat. We host parties, we go to parties and spend meaningful time together…and this is no reason to let our wine suffer!

Introducing Our Sister In Wine: Hennessy Harbor Vineyard

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Established by Mr. Richard Fortune in 2012, Hennessy Harbor Vineyard is the sister vineyard to Shady Lane Cellars Estate Vineyard. The site, which is named for Mr. Fortune’s Mother, Jane Hennessy Fortune and pays homage to her deep roots in the region. Mrs. Fortune first experienced Northern Michigan’s Leelanau Peninsula in 1937, and it became a fixture of her family’s summers ever since.