Old Mission Peninsula AVA
Old Mission Peninsula is an American Viticultural Area located in Grand Traverse County on the Old Mission Peninsula landform extending into Grand Traverse Bay of Lake Michigan in Northern Michigan. The peninsula is approximately long and no more than wide at any point bracketed by Traverse City at the southern end and Old Mission Point on its northern end. The wine appellation was established as the nation's 92nd and Michigan's fourth AVA on June 8, 1987, by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco and Firearms after reviewing the petition submitted by Edward O'Keefe, President of the Chateau Grand Traverse Winery, proposing a viticultural area named "Old Mission Peninsula".
The total size is approximately with of vinifera vineyards for wine production in the Old Mission Peninsula.
Chateau Grand Traverse Winery was the only winery located within the boundary of the viticultural area. As of 2023, the Peninsula wine industry includes 11 wineries and a thriving enotourism industry. The climate on the peninsula is moderated by the surrounding waters, helping to prevent frost during the growing season. Grape varietals suitable to cool climates, such as Riesling, Chardonnay, Gewürztraminer, Pinot gris, Pinot noir, Cabernet Franc, and Merlot do best in the Old Mission Peninsula AVA.
The peninsula has extensive cherry orchards and vineyards. There are ten wineries offering tasting rooms, each located within of each other. Of Traverse City's two wine-growing peninsulas, Old Mission is smaller and more easily accessible in a single day. The hardiness zones are 5b and 6a.
History
The Old Mission Peninsula was settled in 1842 by a Presbyterian minister. During the Civil War period, the area saw an influx in population with many families today able to trace their ties to the area back to this period. Located along the 45th parallel north, and moderated by Lake Michigan and the deep Grand Traverse Bay, the region soon showed that it had macroclimate to produce a wide range of fruits and vegetables. Early agriculture in the area subsisted on apples, cherries and potatoes. In 1870, George Parmalee, of the Michigan State Horticultural Society, encouraged farmers of Old Mission Peninsula to branch out to different plantings but it would be another 100 years before wine grape varieties really took hold in the area.In 1974, Edward O'Keefe Jr. of Chateau Grand Traverse began planting Vitis vinifera varieties including Chardonnay, Pinot noir and Riesling near Traverse City. The following year he expanded to of grapevines, which was the first large-scale planting of Vitis vinifera.
In the 1980s, the Michigan wine industry flourished with its initial AVA Fennville established followed by the neighboring Leelanau Peninsula and Lake Michigan Shore.