But then, with Rink, something went horribly wrong. In 1975, construction began on Boskydel Vineyard, the first bonded winecellar in Leelanau County. Soleil Blanc, Seyval Blanc, deChaunac and Rose de Chaunac-are decidedly French in character. They are crisp, clear wines with a touch of oak and plenty of time in the bottle. The winery bottles approximately 6,500 gallons per year.
Emphasis is placed on intensive viticulture.
Early experiments at Boskydel Vineyard with Riesling and Chardonnay ended in, well, indifference. Although the vines did grow and a fairly good wine could be produced, it was felt that the results were not consistent enough to merit the additional time and expense of maintaining larger tracts. None of the wineries disputed the fact that vinifera could be grown, and many of them currently offer one or more vinifera varietals for sale. The difference is, the Leelanau Peninsula wineries waited until their hybrid vineyards were established before pursuing the more tender vinifera, which requires greater care and treatment. In 1977, Leelanau Wine Cellars, Ltd. debuted.