North America

Life of a Vineyard in Traverse City, Michigan

This year, I had the honor of helping my friend Barry O’Brien in his vineyard in Grand Traverse County’s Old Mission Peninsula. We worked our way through the growing season of 2021, bearing unpredictable elements, wildlife, and the demanding needs of the grapes themselves. As a beginning vine worker, I documented the changes, hardships, and peculiarities of the grapes and the land they grow on while learning about the hard work that goes into farming a vineyard. For seven months, I got to dive deep into the life of a vineyard. 

The Old Mission Peninsula in Grand Traverse County is Northern Michigan’s most celebrated AVA (American Viticultural Area). Sandwiched between two halves of the Grand Traverse Bay, the peninsula’s climate is moderated by the waters that surround it. The bay also plays a crucial role in producing lake effect snow, which accumulates several feet above the vine’s rootstock. This insulates the delicate roots and prevents damage from the deep freezes that plague other inland areas nearby. Another factor in the peninsula’s grape growing expertise is its soil composition. Michigan’s northern lower peninsula was formed from ancient glacial deposits which left sandy loam soils that drain well, ideal for preventing root rot and regulating the plant’s water intake. But, like every grape growing region, there are challenges that threaten the health of entire harvests or worse. 

March – April

Barry’s vineyard takes up 1.25  acres in the center of the peninsula, on a gradual west facing slope. The vines covering the small piece of land were barren and brittle in early spring. I started my tenure in early March, after the snowpack melted and well before bud break. My first job was to help trim back last year’s growth and help choose the style of pruning we would like to use for this year’s new growth. Pruning is one of the most important tasks in growing grapes. There are several options: cane pruning or spur pruning.  Each has their pros and cons and depends on the climate, nature of the grape, and many other factors. For most of our plants, we chose to use cane pruning. This is where the one-year-old growth from the previous year, known as canes, are chosen to bear new shoots. From here, we selected the strongest canes, with 2-3 inch spaces between the internodes. These healthy canes are just below the fruiting wire — the knee-waist high wire where the fruiting clusters will be trained to grow. We also spared one at the base of the trunk as a renewal cane, in case the chosen ones succumb to nature’s cruelty. Once these canes were selected, we removed the others and the large old growth cordon, which was the previous year’s fruiting cane. Cordons begin taking on an appearance of the trunk and develop a thick bark and rigid structure. With a large lopper we chopped off these hearty cordons, which made the perfect dog toys for Barry’s Short-Haired Pointers. 

May – June

After we tied the canes to the wires, it was time to wait and monitor the plant for bud-break. In Michigan, this usually begins in mid-May, after the plant starts distributing water and nutrients to its extremities. “Grapes are apically dominant, meaning the shoot stems grow at the outer end, taking control of the plant’s resources and growing aggressively,” explained Barry as we finished cutting away the last remnants of last year’s unwanted canes. Barry demonstrated how the plants begin preparing for bud break by analyzing a freshly cut bull cane. “You can think of canes as water hoses,” he said, as we watched water droplets form at the end of the cutting. 

Excitement filled the peninsula when the warm spring led to an early bud break. These tiny green growths contain all the genetic information and structures needed for the new leaves, branches, and fruit clusters to form. The primary bud and its smaller, less productive and dormant secondary bud neighbors start out only the size of a small pea. However, within a few weeks, these growths will swell and begin forming the various parts of the plant needed for fruitfulness. 

Not all the new shoot growth are wanted and so we set off vine-by-vine, row-by-row to remove the small basal shoots known as kickers and secondary shoots. These can sometimes get out of control and are easy to pull off while young. If left to grow, they will divert the plant’s water and nutrients into vegetative growth away from the fruiting zone, which is less than ideal for grape production. While meticulously plucking the suckers, we also tucked the young shoots situated in the fruiting zone within the wires. In the end, after many hours and liters of water later, we finished, and the plants looked as pretty as manicured bonsais. 

By early summer, the plant’s shoots are growing vigorously and the once empty wires are now covered in green shoots and small leaves, mostly spreading within the fruiting zone thanks to our previous time-consuming pluck and tuck work. However, as the plants grow, occasionally a few thick canes start to form the new cordons. These thick virile growths are known as bull canes, and if left unpruned, climb vigorously onto everything, taking the nutrients and water needed for producing tasty grapes with them. With a few snips from our pruning shears they were removed, allowing the smaller canes in the fruiting zone better access to growth-inducing nutrients and water. 

July – September

As the daily high temperatures and humidity rise, it’s not just the grapes that start to grow uncontrollably. Weeds, grasses, and other small broadleaf plants spread underneath the trellised vines, competing for sun and soil nutrients. If left unchecked, these plants can drain vital nutrients from the soil and crowd the fruiting zone. For Barry’s small vineyard, management of the weeds was done mostly by hand. “We’ve got a whole row of mint below these plants, and a lot of annoying Spotted Knapweed too,” pointed out Barry as he pulled a few strait from the root. A few days later, it was time to bust out the mower to clean up the unwanted growth. “When summer arrives, that’s when you really start to see how much work goes into maintaining a vineyard.” 

As we walked down a row of pinot noir one morning, we noticed several enlarged galls at the base of a few shoots. Before I could even ask, Barry said,  “Tumid Gallmaker.” These galls did not cause any significant damage to the vines, but made their presence known at times. Many pests, both new and old, give grape growers continuous problems. Global warming may play a huge part in the unpredictable nature of managing these unwanted organisms. Warmer winters and earlier spring temperatures may allow pests — fungus and insects from warmer climates — to migrate north. This allows longer feeding times, creating a constantly developing battle with the grape’s predators. “Look at these clusters!” said Barry as he crushed a few grapes in his hand. “These tiny holes were dug by Grape Berry Moths. They burrow into the fruit and move around to different clusters. You can see one here!” The larvae of Grape Berry Moths burrow inside the young grapes to feed on their sweet flesh and, for some reason, one or two rows in Barry’s vineyard were suffering from them, most likely coming from wild vines nearby. 

This year, rain events were unpredictable, and some rows began showing major differences in veraison. In some sections of the vineyard, the foliage of more vigorous vines was out of control and managing their growth was a daily chore; walking an entire row holding the heavy hedger overhead to remove overhanging canes was not uncommon. Yet, in others, possibly due to the soil’s composition and porosity, and a 3 week long drought, the plants remain stunted and less productive. This may not always be a bad thing, as grape vines benefit from some environmental challenges. When nature threatens them, they may put extra effort into making their fruit irresistibly sweet in order to get it eaten and spread their DNA. 

As the perfect weather of late summer arrived, we needed to protect the now plump grapes from predation by animals. To do this, we attached hundreds of yards of netting to Barry’s RTV and hit the rows, carefully wrapping the netting tightly within the fruiting zone. As I didn’t trust my driving skills, I assisted by setting the netting with my hands as Barry drove around the rows, a process that was a lot more difficult than I first imagined. One by one, we covered the plants and the ripening fruit with the taut material. Once everything was protected, we waited a few more weeks until it was time for the most exciting part of the process: harvest. 

October – November

At Dawn at ŌBrien Vineyards, several workers show up with their coffees and pastries. A warm fall has pushed the harvest date back and allowed the grapes to develop more sugars. Using a refractometer, a device that measures the sugar content in the fruit juice, Barry enthusiastically shows everyone how far the pinot noir and Gwerztraminer have ripened. Within minutes, the harvest began. Throughout the morning, the workers selected the clusters with the healthiest berries, clipping them at the rachis, the small part of the plant that connects the berry cluster to the cane. Within hours, the workers filled their crates. Next, the freshly harvested fruit is taken to the winery a few miles down the road to begin fermentation. Barry decided to let the riesling hang on a little longer, along with the special red Spanish varietals planted at the top of the vineyard. At harvest time, it was clear that the 2021 vintage was a successful year. It provided clean, properly ripened Pinot Noir, Gewurztraminer, Riesling and Tempranillo, all due to the many hours of effort and care put into the vineyard. 

With harvest completed and the icy winds portending the coming Michigan Winter, it was time for the winemakers to do their magic. From here on, the energy of the vineyard’s plants will once again retreat into their roots. For me, learning how to care for a vineyard was a lifelong dream come true. The hard work that it required not only increased my respect for the industry, but most of all, the people who put their lives into it. The long drives and early mornings became a treat for me. And even more memorable were the times spent learning from Barry and his team. Towards the end of the season, Barry hosted a few friends from the industry and me for a Spanish-style asado BBQ on the vineyard. Grilled Lamb, paella, and plenty of other incredible dishes were washed down with ŌBrien Vineyards Riesling and unreleased Tempranillo along with some delicious vintage Riojas. After dinner, we all walked around the vineyard and toured the rows. What struck me at that moment was how many stories I had for each plant. I could go on about why we chose certain canes over others, where the most annoying excess growth or pest damage occurred, which plant or row is our favorite, and which one tasted the best. Few other plants demand this amount of attention and this, along with the beauty of the land itself, makes me yearn to work with them again.

You can find the amazing wines from ŌBrien Vineyards at The Blue Goat Wine & Provisions at 875 E Front St, Traverse City, MI 49686, United States