Jan 2, 2018

Northern Michigan winery closes its doors

One of the oldest commercial wineries in northern Michigan, a small family operation known for its unusual varietals and quirky owner, closed on Christmas Eve, slipping into winter as quietly as the snow falling amid the rolling hills of vineyards and orchards on the Leelanau Peninsula.

According to a report by the Detroit News, around Christmas, the weathered Boskydel Vineyard sign was simply removed from its long-standing post at the corner of Otto and Lake Leelanau roads; the embers doused in the wood-burning stove that heated the barn tasting room for years; and the sloping driveway left unplowed.

“This winery has served its purpose,” said Bernie Rink, whose vineyards of French-American hybrids began with experiments on the farm he purchased in the 1950s. “I wanted to figure out which grapes would grow well in this climate and to make good, affordable wines. And I wanted to keep my boys busy.”

According to the Detroit News story:

“Forty-two years after Boskydel Vineyard became the first bonded winery on Leelanau County, Rink is regarded as a pioneer, a man who paved the way for other aspiring winemakers and who helped create a flourishing industry that draws tens of thousands of tourists a year to the Leelanau and Old Mission peninsulas framing Traverse City.

His modest operations — producing about 3,000 to 4,000 cases a year — remained unchanged over the years. The tasting room was homespun, a simple wooden bar supported by six wine barrels, and quotes and signs, many of them hand-written, hung on the walls. There were no T-shirts, gifts or souvenirs.

The 91-year-old former librarian also became a well-known character in these parts.

“I can’t tell you how many people have come in here saying they just got chased out of a winery,” recalled Dan Matthies, owner of Chateau Fontaine, a 30-acre winery and vineyard west of South Lake Leelanau. “I would ask ‘Boskydel?’ And they’d say, ‘How’d you know?’ When I asked if they’d go back, they’d always say yes. Bernie is a character, a brilliant character. He has lot of followers.”

For more on the story, visit here.