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Our one acre block of Riesling was planted in 2008 on two different soil types. The southern part of the block has a deep loam soil while the more northern section of the block has a gravel/clay mix. These different soil types offer diverse flavor profiles to the grapes, and create a nice balace when blended together. Our 2L vineyard Riesling is produced in a drier fashion, holding true to our style of wines.

Our Cab Franc Reserve is derived from meticulous vineyard work throughout the year coupled with a truly spectacular vintage for red fruit - If you can remember back to the time when the term 'Reserve' or 'winemaker's reserve' actually meant something - you'll appreciate this. 2Lads hand-sorting fruit, employing gravity flow techniques and unique winemaking practices ensure a complex, bold, and unforgettable wine. We pride ourselves on our small batch Cabernet Franc production and will always strive to deliver exceptional quality.

The 2011 growing season offered up a great vintage for both red and white wines, and our bold style of rosé benefited as well. All the rhubarb, strawberry, and vanilla aromas that you've come to expect, with a rich mouthfeel that can only be described as sexy. The grapes for this rosé came from a designated section of our Cabernet Franc block. The grapes were hand picked and gently crushed, followed by short skin contact to create our intensely-colored and fruit-forward signature style.

Our Chardonnay grapes are planted on a reshaped hillside with both an eastern and western facing slope. The vines on the eastern slope receive gentle early morning sun while the western slope receives the more direct afternoon sun, both aspects influencing the flavor development differently in the grapes. We hand harvest the fruit and ferment the juice in one of our 630 gallon French oak tanks, which are the first of their kind in Michigan. By fermenting in a large oak tank we achieve a harmonious blend of ripe tropical fruit flavors balanced with delicate oak nuances, a creamy mouthfeel and an extended finish to the wine.

There is a time and a place for oak. With the warmth of the 2010 growing season a small block of our Chardonnay vines were left to hang a little longer which provided fuller ripeness of the fruit. We allowed this fruit to undergo a long, cool fermentation in steel but transitioned half the batch to 2 brand new French oak barrels. It finished fermentation and aged for an additional 9 months on the lees. We blended this "oaked" lot with the more fruit forward fraternal twin that stayed in stainless steel. The resulting wine is rich with caramel, vanilla, and tropical fruit aromatics and a creamy mouthfeel supported by just the right amount of acidity on the finish.

The grapes for this wine come from a vineyard two miles down Smokey Hollow Road on a neighbor's farm, owned by Dan Fouch and his wife, Mary Ann. They are growing about 5 acres of Riesling grapes exclusively for Two Lads. The grapes are grown on clayish soils which contributes to the wines floral aromas and exotic fruit flavors when vinified. The flavors and aromatics differ so much so from the small acerage of Riesling grown on our estate that we prefer to keep them separate and create two different styles of Riesling, both to our high standards.

Merlot is one of the two Bordeaux varieties estate-grown at 2 Lads. Northern Michigan’s early bud break, warm summer, and late fall heat contributed to creating a vintage with tremendous concentration and intensity. These grapes were the first we ever brought into the building here at 2Lads (sigh). The berries had just started to slightly dehydrate (and therefore concentrate the juice inside) and the resulting wine offers everything that you would expect from this process.

Pinot Grigio is the white grape of which we have the most acreage here at 2 Lads Winery. In fact, at 5.8 acres it is approximately one quarter of our vineyard and very well suited to our site. Our separate blocks were planted in 1999 (4 acres) and 2001 (1.8 ac) and have interestingly different soil types for being 600 ft from each other. The South block is sandy-loam and the North block is a clay-loam. Both sites show very different flavors with which we make our still and Sparkling Pinot Grigio.

Bam! 'Nuff said. Only tasting notes should be "hide the women and children - this one is trouble!" Need we say more?!? Nope. Not gonna do it. Okay maybe a little more....Aromas of sweet red plums and smoky cherries - lively on the palate with concentrated strawberry, lightly roasted coffee and delicate tannins.... ohhhh the tannins. Although youthful, this wine already shows a long, elegant finish and will continue to improve for the next 5 years or so. Our grapes are 100% Old Mission Peninsula grown and come from three different farms: 3 Little Bears Vineyard, Harbor Downs and the 2Lads Estate Vineyard. By blending from different age vines, clones, and soil types from around the peninsula, we achieve a more complex and balanced style of Pinot Noir.