Bel Lago Vineyards and Winery

Open: January - April, November - December

Our picturesque vineyards overlook south Lake Leelanau and Lake Michigan, in the heart of the Leelanau Peninsula Appellation. Leelanau County is a wonderful place to grow winegrapes. The climate and soils favor cool climate classics like Pinot Grigio, Riesling, Chardonnay, Gewurztraminer, Pinot noir and other select varieties. The region is also excellent for fine sparkling wines.

We have selected varieties carefully, to match the climate and soils to produce the finest wines possible. We grow over 100 varieties on 37 acres, including rarely grown varieties such as Auxerrois, Siegerrebe and Cayuga White. We also grow several popular vinifera varieties: Pinot Grigio, Chardonnay, Pinot Noir, Cabernet Franc, and Riesling. One of our favorite varieties to grow is Pinot Noir. In our 3 estate vineyards we grow over 30 different clones of Pinot Noir. Several test varieties from the University of Minnesota and Cornell University grape breeding programs round out the mix.

The vineyard is managed by Tomas Moreno Jr. with the assistance of several others including his parents Tomas and Juana, who have been with the company since the beginning.  Sadly Tomas Sr. passed away in early 2013, he will be missed by many.  The majority of the vineyard work is completed by hand, including the pruning, tying, thinning and harvesting. Charlie Edson, PhD oversees the decision making processes in the vineyard, and given his extensive educational background, he employs many of the tools available for maximizing crop potential. We use an Integrated Pest Management (IPM) approach to managing the vineyards, by limiting sprays and monitoring for pests. We must protect our vineyards from predators, such as starlings, deer and raccoons, thru the use of nets and electric fencing.

Harvest begins in mid September and runs through October. Bel Lago processed 135 tons of fruit in 2012 from our vineyards and from neighboring vineyards and orchards.