Northern Sun Winery

BARK RIVER — Northern Sun Winery wrapped up the second half of 2019 with a bounty of gold and silver awards for five of its estate-grown wines. Honors for these wines came from the 2019 Michigan Wine Competition and the 2019 Harvest Challenge, a competition held in Sonoma, Calif.

Northern Sun white wines taking gold recognition were the 2017 LaCrescent (at both competitions) and the 2017 Ragazza Di Sole (Michigan competition).

Silver awards went to the 2017 Marquette red (Michigan competition) and the 2018 Marquette (Sonoma competition) ; a Brianna white harvested in 2017 (also at Sonoma event); and an oak-casked white Sur-lie Frog from 2017 (Michigan contest).

All five award-winning wines were grown, fermented and bottled as “Grown UP” vintages at the Northern Sun Winery in Bark River.

“Our wines have consistently brought home top awards from state, national and international competitions for more than eight years,” said co-owner and vintner Dave Anthony, who, with his wife, Susie, operate the 5.5-acre vineyard, wine tasting cottage and wine cellar in western Delta County.

“They are produced using cool- and cold-climate grapes specifically selected to thrive in the conditions of the Upper Peninsula,” Anthony said. “The fact that they compete well with wines from other locales is a testament to the selection of the right grapes for this area, something the French call terrior.

“Terrior is one of the most important traditional concepts in wine growing,” he explained. “It refers to matching the best grape to their best location. Terrior includes all factors that affect the wine such as climate, soil, latitude, altitude, etc.”

2020 holds promise for more awards for Northern Sun wines from the 2019 harvest, too.

“This past year’s vintage and this coming year’s wines promise to be our best yet,” Anthony said. “Every year is more exciting than the last for us at Northern Sun Winery. As we learn more about the personality of each grape variety we grow in our vineyard, we adjust our nurturing methods to grow them so to best express their finest qualities. “Great wines are grown…and only time spent in the vineyard can produce such wines.”

For more information about Northern Sun’s award-winning wines, visit www.northernsunwinery.com