Thistlevale Wines

08/27/2026

🍇 Meet Pinot Gris.

Or, as you may know it: Pinot Grigio.

Yep. Same grape. 😂 Pinot Gris is the French name and Pinot Grigio is the Italian name, with the different names usually associated with different styles of wine.

It’s one of the nine varieties we planted here at Thistlevale, and in our cooler West Michigan climate, we’re hoping it will eventually give us a fresh, aromatic white wine with flavors like pear, apple and citrus.

Fun fact: Pinot Gris is actually a color mutation of Pinot Noir. Despite being used to make white wine, its grapes can ripen to a beautiful grayish-pink color—which is where the gris (“gray” in French) part of the name comes from.

For now, ours is still just a young green vine, but someday, we hope there will be plenty of those little pinkish-gray clusters hanging from it. 🌿

Did you know Pinot Gris and Pinot Grigio were the same grape?
   

08/12/2026

🍇 Meet Pinot Noir.

Next up in our little introduction to the nine grape varieties growing at Thistlevale: Pinot Noir.

Pinot Noir has a bit of a reputation for being particular. It has thin skins, prefers cooler growing regions, and can require a little more attention in the vineyard.

So naturally, when we decided to plant a vineyard in West Michigan, we planted it. 😂

But there’s a reason people keep growing Pinot Noir despite its quirks. In the right place, it can make beautifully delicate, expressive wines, and our cooler Michigan climate gives us the kind of growing conditions this grape tends to appreciate.

Right now, our Pinot Noir is still young and finding its footing. Some vines are doing beautifully. Others have already introduced us to the realities of winter damage, Japanese beetles, and, most recently, a few very hungry deer. 🫠

That’s farming. And we’re learning right alongside them.

For now, we’re just happy to see new leaves reaching toward the Michigan summer sun and imagining what these little vines might become.

Are you a Pinot Noir person? 🍷

07/30/2026

🍇 Growing at Thistlevale: Chardonnay.

Over the next few weeks, we thought it would be fun to introduce you to each of the nine grape varieties growing here at Thistlevale.

We’re starting with one you’ve almost certainly heard of: Chardonnay.

It’s one of the best-known wine grapes in the world, but one of the things we love most about it is that it reflects where it’s grown. Chardonnay from California won’t taste the same as Chardonnay from France… and it won’t taste the same as Chardonnay grown here in West Michigan, either.

That’s part of what makes growing grapes so fascinating. The same variety can tell a completely different story depending on the land, the weather, and the season.

For now, though, it’s still just a young vine with a lot of growing left to do.

That’s one of our favorite parts of this journey. We aren’t just waiting for the first bottle of wine—we’re getting to watch these vines grow up, one season at a time.

Question for our wine lovers: Is Chardonnay already a favorite of yours, or is there another variety you always reach for first?

07/17/2026

One of the less glamorous parts of growing grapes?

These little guys.

Every July, the Japanese beetles show up like they got an invitation. And apparently, grape leaves are on the menu.

It’s called “skeletonizing” because they’ll eat everything except the veins of the leaf. Pretty fitting name, if you ask us.

Since our vineyard is still in its second growing season, we pay close attention when they arrive. Right now, every leaf matters as these vines continue putting energy into establishing strong roots and growing healthy trunks for the years ahead.

It’s all part of farming. You celebrate the new growth, keep an eye on the things trying to eat it, and remind yourself that every season comes with its own challenges.

We’re learning something new every time we walk these rows.

What garden or farm pest gives you the biggest headache every summer?

P.S. We’ve realized it’s been a while since we’ve talked about the vineyard itself. Over the next few weeks, we’d love to introduce you to each of the nine grape varieties growing here at Thistlevale.

07/09/2026

I realize trying to make friends with the local crows isn’t on everyone’s summer bucket list.

But here we are.

When we brought home chickens, I somehow ended up down an internet rabbit hole about crows.

I learned they recognize faces.
They remember kindness.
They teach their young who they can trust.

So I figured I’d see if they wanted to be friends.

I planted flowers beside the barn.
Added a bird bath.
Started leaving peanuts out.

For several days…

Nothing.

Then this week we spotted two crows circling over the property.

Later, I noticed a few less peanuts.

Sure, that’s hardly groundbreaking. But it reminded me that most worthwhile things don’t happen all at once.

You care for the land long before it gives anything back. You plant vines years before the harvest. You build trust one small act at a time.

Maybe that’s why I keep coming back to this little experiment.

It’s not really about the crows anymore.

It’s about truly becoming the kind of people who care for this place because it’s worth caring for.

Everything else can come in its own time. 🌱🐦‍⬛🥂.

06/23/2026

One thing we’ve learned over the last few years is that our experience isn’t unique.

Abby’s latest piece explores the realities of agritourism and modern farming in Michigan, and highlights stories from farms across the state navigating many of the same questions.

This conversation is much bigger than Thistlevale. Across Michigan, farm families are working to preserve agricultural land while adapting to changing economic realities and finding new ways to connect their communities to the farm.

We’re grateful for reporting that helps people better understand the challenges—and importance—of keeping family farms viable for the next generation.

When Allan Robinette’s grandfather looked around at the farms disappearing across West Michigan in the 1970s, he realized quickly his family’s operation needed to adapt.

They built a cider mill on the farm in 1973. Their storage barn became a bakery, the stable became a winery. A folding table and a cash box became a u-pick apple operation that today accounts for more than half of the apples grown at Robinette’s.

Hundreds of Michigan farms are making the same calculation. But as agritourism has grown into a $1.26 billion national industry, farmers are running into an obstacle their grandfathers never faced: the township zoning board.

When farms open to the public, they open themselves to additional levels of regulation that don’t apply to agricultural business, said Sue Becker, planning director for Alpine Township.

At the same time, agricultural and local government leaders note that without legal definitions, agritourism — which includes a range of activities from winery tasting rooms to hayrides and u-pick apples — creates a gray area for local government regulations.

Read more here: https://www.crainsgrandrapids.com/agriculture/cgr-growing-agritourism-industry-faces-township-regulation-setbacks-20260618/?utm_source=facebook&utm_medium=soc-own

06/17/2026

A little surreal to see our story—and our kids—on the front page of this week.

We never expected to spend two years learning about zoning ordinances, moratoriums, the Michigan Right to Farm Act, local government, and municipal attorneys. We’d have much rather spent that time farming.

But if sharing our experience helps another family, farmer, or small business navigate a challenge of their own, then it’s worth telling.

What struck us most about the cover wasn’t the headline. It was the photo.

Because underneath all of it, this was never just about a winery. It was about building a life for our family on this land.

If you missed the article, we’ve shared it again below.
https://www.crainsgrandrapids.com/agriculture/cgr-thistlevale-winery-on-track-after-bowne-township-setbacks-20260529/?utm_id=gfta-ur-260608&share-code=USWLHX2EXREQNEJZLM76XGHJB4&user_id=4388682&customer_secondary_source=cgr_articleGifting&fbclid=IwY2xjawSfwNxleHRuA2FlbQIxMQBzcnRjBmFwcF9pZBAyMjIwMzkxNzg4MjAwODkyAAEe0eklNgOo9f9Xnqe778y5em_qqYIML1ADMTepNb5XdE2TrYDLtoYlZPWDSio_aem_D35cIRVtrK95_Z10BSh_vw

📸: Daryn Kuipers

06/15/2026

I drove out to the vineyard planning to spray under the vines.

The generator had other ideas.

Three hours later, I still hadn’t sprayed a single w**d, but I had removed a spark plug, learned more about small engines than I ever expected, and accumulated enough random photos to fill an entire camera roll.

Building a vineyard has involved a lot more problem solving than I imagined when we started.

Some days the work gets done.

Some days the work is figuring out why the work can’t get done.

🌱