“The fruit may have come from the Leelanau Peninsula,
but the winemaking is pure Jim Lester.”

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We haven’t seen our old buddy, winemaker Jim Lester, since before the pandemic. We were big advocates for his Wyncroft wines back in the Gang of Pour years; they demonstrated that world class wines can and are being made in Michigan, in this case, from his estate vineyards in the southwestern corner of the state, in the Lake Michigan Shore appellation. His reds, in particular, showed a depth and intensity rarely, if ever, produced in the mitten previously.

Wyncroft’s 2nd label, Marland (meaning “land near the lake” in Old English), was inaugurated in 2013, sourcing grapes from other LMS vineyards, and grown to Jim’s specifications, with the intent of providing high quality Michigan wines that don’t require cellaring and can be enjoyed every day. We’ve had several of these over the years, and all have been impressive, but this is the first one we’ve tried in quite a while. I found this at Plum Market, and was particularly interested because the grapes were sourced in the Leelanau Peninsula, rather than LMS.
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