Our Estate Wines
Representing Time and Place
As a boutique winery, we take pride in our attention to detail and our commitment to small-batch production. This allows us to carefully oversee every step of the winemaking process, from grape to glass, ensuring that each bottle embodies our vision of elegance and finesse. Whether you're a seasoned wine connoisseur or a casual enthusiast, our diverse portfolio of varietals and blends offers something to please every palate.
We strive to cultivate an expression of time and place in each of our wines. Seeking to capture the true nature of our cool climate, our wines are expressively vibrant, refreshing and pair well with a range of foods. Winemaker, Kasey Wierzba creates our wine with a philosophy focused on expressing the natural flavors and aromas of the fruit balanced with a precision that is ushered through science and technique. We produce 7,000 cases of wine in a single year, making each bottle special, unique and limited.
2023 Pathfinder
60% Muscat 40% Vignoles | Leelanau Peninsula | Dry | 88 cases
This refreshing sparkling wine is the perfect late summer sipper. With the light spritz and lees aging from the bottle fermentation, this wine is both creamy yet refreshing. Giving all of the tropical vibes you want to allow you to hold on to the Northern Michigan summer. Enjoy this wine chilled on it’s own, with light charcuterie, or even a creamy dessert.
2022 Sparkling Riesling
100% Riesling | Leelanau Peninsula | Off-Dry | 600 cases
Sparkling Riesling is one of the original Shady Lane Cellars wines. To this day it stands out with balanced fruit, spice, toast and mouthfeel. Our Sparkling Riesling is produced from blocks M, I and N which collectively consists of three different clones; 49, 198 and 239. The fruit was hand harvested and the primary fermentation was managed to express the fullest potential of fruit and floral aromas and flavors. The second fermentation was conducted as cuvée close to respect the fresh aromas and flavors. This lively wine radiates flavors and aromas of stone fruit, green pear and limoncello. A wonderful wine for everyday occasions!
2024 Grüner Veltliner
100% Grüner Veltliner | Leelanau Peninsula | Dry | 530 Cases
Gruner Veltliner and Leelanau Peninsula are quite the match! This lively Austrian white grape is well suited for our cool climate. Our estate fruit is processed directly after harvest extracting aromatics and flavors from the skins. The cool month-long fermentation in stainless steel contributes to the enhanced aromas of ripe citrus, orange blossom, and white pepper. Fine lees aging develops the mouth feel, creating a wine with great expression.
2024 Pinot Gris - Hennessy Vineyard
100% Pinot Gris | Leelanau Peninsula | Dry | 510 cases
Warmth and sunshine is conveyed in this wine coming from the hillside of our Hennessy Vineyard. The south facing slope receives all day sun, enhancing the aromas and flavors of ripe guava and fresh grapefruit. The round acidity lends itself to an almond finish. This Alsatian style Pinot Gris is a single vineyard designate representing time and place of this beautiful vineyard site.
2022 Riesling
100% Riesling | Leelanau Peninsula | Semi-Dry |350
Our careful hands-on farming, along with gravel and sandy loam soils bring expression to a higher level in our Estate Riesling. Multiple fermentation lots create layers of character while cool and slow fermentations capture the highest expression of aroma and flavor. After aging on fine lees for eight months we begin to blend and bottle, creating a wine with notes of guava, ginger, and white pineapple.
2023 Select Harvest Riesling
100% Riesling | Leelanau Peninsula | Sweet | 410 Cases
In the cold of late November, weeks after the last red grapes are harvested, we turn to the honey-colored Riesling hanging lonely on the vines. The clusters are fragile from the first freeze of winter and must be hand harvested with extra care. Concentrated aromas and flavors of baked apple, candied ginger, and tropical bouquet make this wine a rich and beautiful expression of Riesling.
2024 Pinot Noir Rosé
100% Pinot Noir | Leelanau Peninsula | Dry | 345 Cases
Our beautiful Pinot Noir clusters were hand harvested and immediately loaded into the press for a 15-hour cold soak. After gently pressing the grapes, the brightly colored juice was then fermented in 100% stainless steel to capture the freshest aromas and flavors. Resting on fine lees for several months provides creaminess and texture. This wine brings freshstrawberry, mandarine, and creme brulee.
2023 Golden Hour Pinot Gris
100% Pinot Gris | Leelanau Peninsula | Dry | 155 Cases
Deeper, rounder, and richer tones are the vibes we get from our cold soak Pinot Gris. What's a cold soak? Well, we let the grapes sit in the press for about 12 hours so that the skins have an extended contact with the juice before we press it.. This allows all the lovely tannin and aromatic characteristics to contribute to the wine. We love this expression of Pinot Gris because it shows off the flavor and mouthfeel imparted from the grape skins. The flavors and aromas of wild strawberries, field flowers, and melon are a true reminder of that magical moment before sunset; Golden Hour. Pair with brown sugar glazed salmon, lemon herb chicken, or Indian curry.
2021 Pomeranz - Skin ferment Riesling
100% Riesling | Leelanau Peninsula | Dry | 100 Cases
Orange, amber and esoteric. Discover Pomeranz, our skin fermented Riesling. This limited project pulls its name from the old Germanic word for importer of bitter Seville oranges. Skin fermented white wines are fermented much like a red wine, extracting color and tannin from the skins. These wines are also known as Orange Wines or Amber Wines. Today skin fermented whites are rare and unique, but they have a deeply rooted history going back 5000+ years to the country of Georgia. A wine for bold palates with aromas and flavors rooted in dried apricot, orange peel, raw honey, white tea and earthy notes. A lift of acid and texture carry to the dry, rich finish.
2022 Pinot Noir
100% Pinot Noir | Leelanau Peninsula | Dry | 200 Cases
During the warm year and the rush of 2021 harvest we took a Our winemaker likens Pinot Noir to the greatest of divas. A hard grape to grow, tricky to ferment, but treat this little grape right and it will sing!These grapes were hand harvested on October 4th from our Hennessy and Estate vineyards. In the small lot fermentations, we used four different yeast strains to increase layers and complexity. Malolactic fermentation and aging took place in 40% new French oak and 60% neutral for 20 months. Our Pinot Noir delivers flavors and aromas of dark cherry, raspberry, cola, black tea and spice.
2022 Cabernet Franc
100% Cabernet Franc | Leelanau Peninsula | Dry | 276 Cases
The long fall of 2022 provided extended maturation for our Cabernet Franc which was harvested the first week of November. The vintage brought fruit with elegant tannins and fresh dark berry flavors with a balance of cool climate acidity. The fermentation took place over 13 days in open-top fermentation bins. The use of seven different yeast strains added to nuance and complexity in the finished wine. After the secondary fermentation done in tank, the wine was put into barrel for aging to begin. This Cabernet Franc brings a pop of violets and cranberry that meld into flavors of red plums and a hint of vanilla bean. Sweet tannins and baking spice are compliments of 18 months in 100% French oak barrels.
2022 Franc ‘n’ Franc
45% Cabernet Franc 45% Blaufränkisch 10% Merlot | Leelanau Peninsula | Dry | 270 Cases
Estate grown Cabernet Franc, Blaufränkisch and Merlot were blended together creating our proprietary blend Franc ‘n’ Franc. After harvest these red grapes are destemmed and cold soaked for three days. Small fermentation lots are then inoculated with different yeast, adding complexity to the blend. Secondary fermentation and cellar aging takes place in French oak, where tannins soften and a round mouthfeel develops. Red and blue fruits of fresh plum, raspberry, mulberry, vanilla, cocoa, lavender and spice layer together with lush, full tannins bringing richness and structure to the finish. This red wine is a true reflection of cool climate perfection.
2023 Blaufränkisch
100% Blaufränkisch | Leelanau Peninsula | Dry | 270 Cases
Blaufränkisch happens to be one of Austria’s flagship red varieties, with over 8,000 acres planted.
Here at Shady Lane Cellars, we have a modest 3-acre plot of Blaufränkisch, otherwise known as Lemberger in Germany, and although our plot may be small, it produces wine with big personality. The Shady Lane Cellars Blaufränkisch is a dark red wine with layers of blueberry, blackberry, and mulberry fruit. A hint of black pepper and cedar spice finish this wine with aged, lush tannins and big mouthfeel.
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