From Winery Disaster to Top Prize Winner,
The Behind-the-Scenes Saga of Longview's Cab Franc Reserve

by Joel Goldberg

Winemaker Shawn Walters and owner Alan Eaker hold their Best of Class trophy

Only Herculean efforts by winery owner Alan Eaker and winemaker Shawn Walters salvaged Longview's 2005 Cabernet Franc Vintner Reserve from the defective wine scrap heap and turned it into a Double Gold medal winner and Best of Class Dry Red at the Michigan Wine Competition.

Backpedal to early 2006. Eaker recognized his 2005 Cabernet Franc as an outstanding wine that would improve with lengthy oak barrel aging. But practical concerns intervened; the brand-new Longview Winery needed wines to sell and the cash flow that accompanies them. So he and Walters bottled most of the wine after just four months in oak, leaving three barrels to continue aging for a Reserve bottling.

Eaker proved prescient about the wine's quality. Longview's 2005 Cabernet Franc went on to take a Gold medal and win the Judges' Special Award at last year's Michigan Wine Competition, and quickly sold out at the winery.

Back in the cellar, the three remaining barrels continued to improve. Eaker and Walters finally bottled the 65 cases of wine they contained as a Vintner Reserve this Spring, after a total of 18 months in oak. Trying to retain as much natural character as possible, they decided to bottle the wine with no filtration and a very low preservative dose of sulfur. 

Then disaster struck. Longview's tasting room staff opened the first bottles in late May to find them "gassing off", with noxious aromas emanating from the bottle and a light carbonation in the wine.

by Joel Goldberg
Last updated: 8/9/07 7:30 AM

Variety was Michigan's biggest winner this year.

Six different wineries from three wine regions took home "Best of Class" awards at the 2007 Michigan Wine & Spirits Competiton, held August 7 at MSU's Kellogg Center in East Lansing.

Best of Class winners at the Michigan Wine Competition

• Best Sparkling Wine: Tabor Hill Grand Mark Brut
• Best Dry White: 2006 Left Foot Charley Pinot Blanc, "Island View Vineyard"
• Best Semi-Dry White: 2006 Gills Pier Riesling
• Best Dry Red: 2005 Longview Cabernet Franc Vintner Reserve
  
• Best Semi-Dry/ Sweet Red: Leelanau Cellars Great Lakes Red
  
• Best Dessert: 2005 Chateau Grand Traverse Riesling Ice Wine

Judges awarded 10 Double Gold and 29 Gold medals from 365 entries, a competition record. Double Gold medals require a unanimous Gold vote by the four judges who evaluate each wine.

GO TO the complete list of medal winners (printable or downloadable)
GO TO Joel Goldberg's Wine Competition blog entries

This marked the first top award for Left Foot Charley, whose owner / winemaker Bryan Ulbrich previously earned numerous accolades making wine for Peninsula Cellars. Left Foot Charley's winery and tasting room opened in Traverse City just last month.

"We're obviously very honored to be recognized," Ulbrich told MichWine. "Werner [Island View Vineyard owner Werner Kuehnis] has been working for this recognition for a long time. He's a model for vineyard care."

Winemakers Shawn Walters and Bryan Ulbrich: Two Best of Class wines apiece

Ulbrich also made the Best Semi-Dry Riesling for Gills Pier. "That's the first wine from their young estate vineyard and a neighboring vineyard, so we're very pleased," he said of the wine.

Winemaker Shawn Walters matched Ulbrich's two Best of Class awards. Walters crafted the Great Lakes Red for Leelanau Cellars, which he recently left for the new Forty-Five North Winery, as well as Longview's 2005 Vintner Reserve Cabernet Franc.

Alan Eaker, owner of Longview, was jubilant about his tiny winery's three Gold and Double Gold medals and, especially, the showing of his Reserve Cabernet Franc (65 cases made). The non-reserve version of the same wine earned a Gold medal and won the Judge's Special Award at last year's competition.

"We've got a reputation to uphold now," said Eaker, reached on his cell phone while tying vines and pulling leaves in Longview's vineyard.  "The first thing I did when I found out was to talk with Shawn about our wines. It's revitalized my commitment for the future."

by Sally Goldberg

Never mind culture shock. The first major crisis facing young winemaker Cornel Olivier in January, 1999, was the 80-degree temperature drop from South Africa to north Michigan.

Cornel Olivier: One of the Lads

How did he adjust? "After a week I switched from short to long-sleeved shirts," he recalls.

Four years later, in 2003, Coenraad Stassen arrived at Old Mission's Chateau Chantal from Elsenburg via the same program.

Today, both are rising stars in Michigan's wine constellation. Cornel jokes that people sometimes call him "the Flying Winemaker" in reference to his rapid ascent: consultant with Brys Estate in 2003, winemaker at Brys in 2004, and, since March of this year, partner and winemaker in the newly-founded Two Lads Winery. Coenraad (pronounced coon-rod) follows one short step behind; he recently left Chateau Chantal and signed on to take Cornel's place as winemaker at Brys.

Related Article: CHENIN BLANC: Coming to Michigan, Courtesy of South Africa

From the first-ever "Riesling Rendezvous" -- a gathering of worldwide Riesling producers organized by Chateau Ste. Michelle in Washington State on June 26 to 28  -- Wine & Vines magazine had this to say:

Perhaps the biggest discovery at the conference for most attendees was the excellence of the Michigan wines-and that Chateau Grand Traverse produces about 65,000 cases.

For the full conferenc report, go to the Wines & Vines article. And stop back here for MichWine's comprehensive Riesling reviews, online in late July.