In our latest interview, Tabor Hill winemaker Mike Merchant and assistant general manager Kenny Petersen share with us their vision for Tabor Hill and their outlook on the Michigan wine industry. You can learn more about Tabor Hill at their website.
Tell us about your background and winemaking experience?
MM - I have a bachelors degree in Crop and Soil Science from MSU. I also have a bachelors degree in Horticulture (with a viticulture emphasis) from MSU. Most of my winemaking experience has been 30 years making wine at Tabor Hill.
KP - I got started at the winery at the age of 13 working extremely part time during the summers though-out high school always thinking it was the last thing in the world I wanted to do for a living. Then after college in 2002 I took a sales job that involved traveling all over the country and it just wasn’t for me. Sick of corporate America the following summer I moved home and luckily Tabor Hill had just gone through an expansion so help was needed in alot of different positions. I settled into a sales position to increase our presence in the wholesale market, 6 years later we’ve grown from 35,000 cases in production then to right around 65,000 in production today. I currently hold the position of Assistant General Manager. My family has been involved with Tabor Hill since the mid-80’s and my Uncle is currently the Vice President/General Manager.
My winemaking experience is what I like to call environmental because I’ve learned everything I know in the winemaking environment and nothing from the classroom. This comes from simply being around the business for half of my nature born life. In the next two years if all goes well I plan on taking extensive classes in cold-climate viticulture and maintenance.
What makes Tabor Hill unique?
MM - Not hesitating to be pioneers. (We were making varietal wines out of Traminette, Chardonel, and Valvin Muscat before they had been named and were still numbers.) Making wines and styles how we want, without much regard for what anyone else is doing. Of course, having a full service restaurant is unique and symbiotic
What varietals and wines are you focusing on?
MM - Cool climate varieties such as Riesling ( in a couple different styles), Gewurztraminer, along with many hybrids that make up our bread and butter blends. Growing for sparkling wine production is a natural for our climate.
What makes the Lake Michigan Shore area a good place to grow wine grapes?
MM - The modification of the climate by Lake Michigan ideally makes springs cooler later, thus lessening the chances of loss due to frost, falls warmer later to aid in ripening, and winters relatively milder with more insulating snow cover to help protect the vines from extreme low temperatures. Because of this, we can grow a larger number of varieties, and ripen them successfully/optimally.
What do Michigan wineries need to do better to promote their wines?
MM - The main thing is to get novice and experts alike to appreciate the wines for what they are, from a particular area and style, not from a preconceived notion, or what they’d like them to be.
What is your advice to new wine drinkers who may be intimidated by stopping at a tasting room?
MM - Most Michigan wineries produce a lot more wines in a plethora of styles than their counterparts across the country. It is very likely they will find something to suit their tastes.
How do we engage more 21-30 somethings to try more Michigan wines?
KP - A couple years ago we started doing events with the various Young Professional Groups of Michigan, Kalamazoo, East Lansing, Grand Rapids, and even right here in Berrien County with the Whirlpool Young Professionals. These events give us face to face opportunities with these new potential customers and we’ve seen that translate into getting them familiar with the company and eventually excited about getting out and into Michigan tasting rooms.
What are the effects of the 2009 Harvest and how are you offsetting those effects?
MM - While there were some ripening challenges for some late season varieties, the only thing different for us is that we will not have a 2009 Cabernet Sauvignon. Other varieties came in with acceptable or above levels of ripeness, and the flavors (our main criteria) were outstanding.
How are the Lake Michigan Shore Wine Trail wineries working together to promote the region?
KP - A couple years ago with the birth of several new wineries and tasting rooms here in Berrien County the Wine Trail was created to promote awareness to our rapidly expanding wine region, and promote it did. The Trail events (which were held 4 separate weekends a year) got so popular that they eventually had to be canceled all together because it just got to hard to control that many people and that many stops in only a weekends time. To solve this issue and keep the WineTrail alive an event was created to promote our area and the wineries at their best and that’s the Lake Michigan Shore Wine Festival. This event is once a year the third week of June, down on Weko Beach in Bridgman Michigan. A truly incredible setting where all the wineries set up a booth and you can come and enjoy all the wineries of SW Michigan in one Location for one afternoon. The festival is on one of the area’s nicest beaches with several popular bands performing live music through-out the day/night as well as several area restaurants serving food as well.
What was the last Michigan wine you had, other than yours, and what were your impressions?
MM - The Domaine Berrien Lemberger. This was a wine that is both food friendly and is nice by itself. They have done a fine job with that variety over the years, and we are growing some as well. It works as a somewhat obscure/interesting varietal, and does well as a blending component.
KP - Free Run Cellars- Lake Michigan Shore, Dry Gewürztraminer.
I grew up with the Moersch family and went to school with both of the sons that run this winery so it will always hold a special place in my heart. Following Matthew’s Winemaking career you’d notice a dramatic change in his white wine making style between 2005 to now and it’s been a positive change that I think stems from his travels to Europe and the influence it had on him. This Gewurtz is spot on in my opinion, not bone dry, and barely any detectable sweetness but just enough to let the spicy flavors bleed through, leaving hints of peach and melon. Nice balance leading to a crisp finish. A fantastic wine by itself or I think would be great with Thai or Asian cuisine.
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