Our Story

Finding a piece of Leland Bluestone on the shore of Lake Michigan is finding a rare treasure of nature. Blustone wines are inspired by these unanticipated moments in life.

Our story started over 30 years ago visiting the Leelanau Peninsula as a family for the first time. The simplicity and beaty of the "tucked away" secret of this part of Michigan has always been what we trasure most. There is a connection to the land found only here amongst the lakes, dunes, hills and sunlit fields and our dream to start Blustone was born out of that. Our namesake is reflective of that connection and the celebration of life which we hope to inspire with every sip of wine.

Winemaking

Our winemaking process starts with a principle: let the wine express itself.

It takes a lot of time and patience to make a stand-out bottle of wine and while it's tempting to make wines that answer to deadlines and constraints, we're constantly refocusing to make it all about a product that reflects the labor of the vines and the joy of tasting a piece of Leelanau.

You might taste the slope of the hillside in the rich flavors that develop only with constant sunlight exposure or the minerality in our soil that yeild complexity often missed in Michigan wines. These are just a few examples of things we take into account during each growing season.

Our fermentation, barrel selection, aging method and release date for each wine changes each year. Each year, you'll get the truest taste of each wine.

Leland Blue

A way of life in Northern Michigan.

A product of a local iron smelting operation in the 1800's, Leland Blue is the natural calcification of impurities that were discarded from the operation and thrown into Lake Michigan. This beautiful blue stone can only be found walking the beaches of Leland and is our namesake. It's uniquely made and undeniably Leelanau.