MyNorth News Service

(Press Release Provided by Brys Estate Vineyard & Winery)

Traverse City, MI – Michigan’s premier boutique winery, Brys Estate Vineyard & Winery, has been selected as one of the Top 10 Hot Brands in the U.S. by Wine Business Monthly magazine, and invited to participate at the prestigious “Bottle Bash” event kicking off the 2015 Unified Wine & Grape Symposium, January 27 in Sacramento, California. Just one of ten national wineries invited, Brys Estate family members Walter, Eileen & Patrick Brys and Winemaker Coenraad Stassen attended the event and served the Brys Estate 2013 Dry Riesling to more than 1,200 attendees.

Click here to read the full Wine Business Monthly article. Click here for photos of the Bottle Bash event.

“It’s such an honor to be selected for the Top 10 Hot Brands by industry professionals at Wine Business Monthly, especially as the only winery from the Midwest. With so many wine types and varietals to choose from, this industry leading publication selected our Dry Riesling as one of only ten wines they think all winemakers should taste this year,” commented Patrick Brys, Operations Manager at Brys Estate Vineyard and Winery. “In the history of the Top 10 Hot Brands our Dry Riesling is only the second Michigan wine to receive this peer recognition. It is a tremendous complement to our winemaker, staff and winery. We look forward to attending, proudly representing the Old Mission Peninsula wine region, Traverse City and the State of Michigan.”

Officially kicking off the Unified Wine & Grape Symposium, the largest annual grape and wine industry conference and tradeshow in North America, “Bottle Bash” will showcase the Top 10 Hot Brands of U.S. wines, as identified by Wine Business Monthly. Brys Estate Vineyard & Winery is just one of four wineries to be included in the Top 10 not located in the California wine country, and the only Michigan winery.

The annual list of Top 10 Hot Brands as identified by Wine Business Monthly, the industry publication for wineries and growers, includes brands from small and medium-sized wineries that represent market trends or innovation, take a leadership position in their region, or make unusual varietals or unexpected wines. In other words, the wines selected in the Top 10 Hot Brands are wines that Wine Business Monthly thinks other winemakers should taste.

As noted in the blog, ‘Wine Business Monthly completed a Michigan Riesling tasting in 2014, and we were impressed with the overall quality of the wines. They were uniformly well-made, varietally distinctive and had a good handle on sugar and acid balance. There were recognizable vineyard and winemaking stylistic differences, which is good to see, yet there were enough points in common to give us an idea of the region as a whole. In looking for the state’s best Riesling, we found Brys Estate Vineyard & Winery, located in the heart of the 19-mile-long, three-mile-wide Old Mission Peninsula.’

One of the most widely planted grapes, and sometimes referred to as the state’s signature grape, Riesling is thriving in Michigan. “The moderating effect of Lake Michigan creates a unique microclimate resulting in ideal growing conditions for Riesling. Michigan’s Riesling wines are becoming recognized in national and international circles,” added Coenraad Stassen, Winemaker at Brys Estate Vineyard & Winery. “It’s an honor to be included in the conversation about Riesling, and to have our 2013 Brys Estate Dry Riesling showcased in the Top 10 Hot Brands is an extraordinary endorsement that shows we are producing world-class wine in this breathtaking location that is Northern Michigan.”

Michigan’s wine history is laden with tales of discovery, perseverance and passion for crafting wine from fruits that thrive in the soil. The unique microclimate, and influence of the Great Lakes, has resulted in Michigan becoming the second most diverse agricultural producer behind California. The wine-grape acreage in Michigan has increased more than 500 percent since 1973. Vineyard area within the state has doubled in the past 10 years. Michigan is home to more than 100 wineries that have become a destination for travelers, attracting more than 2 million visitors annually.

Michigan’s Old Mission Peninsula (the ‘pinky’ in northwest lower Michigan), located at the 45th parallel, stretches north 19 miles into Lake Michigan’s Grand Traverse Bay and is only three miles wide at its broadest point. Home to a collection of eight distinct wineries, Old Mission Peninsula’s stunning appellation and proximity to Lake Michigan provide not only an ideal climate for growing varietal wine grapes, but a breathtaking travel destination as well.

Located on Old Mission Peninsula, Brys Estate Vineyard and Winery offers guests a pure Michigan experience as they visit the old-world brick and mahogany tasting room featuring international barrel and cask rooms, where red wines are aged in traditional French oak barrels. Visitors can also immerse themselves into the vineyard with a walk on the one-of-a-kind Bridge Above the Vines. Elevated six feet, the deck allows guests to see above the vines and take in the spectacular views of the vineyard and East Grand Traverse Bay, an experience unlike any other vineyard and winery.

For information on Brys Estate Vineyard and Winery, and the 2013 Dry Riesling, visit www.BrysEstate.com or call 231-223-9303.

# # #

Located on 91 acres on Old Mission Peninsula with breathtaking views of East Grand Traverse Bay, Brys Estate is a boutique winery offering award-winning wines in a beautiful brick and mahogany tasting room, expansive deck and one-of-a-kind Bridge Above the Vines. Brys Estate vineyard consists of Pinot Blanc, Pinot Gris, Riesling, Chardonnay, Gewurztraminer, Pinot Noir, Merlot, and Cabernet Franc.

More Northern Michigan Wine

Photo(s) by Brys Estate Vineyard & Winery