Veritas Estate Winery
2024 Wines
Winemakers Notes
We are so excited by the potential of our 2024 wines! The Riesling, Hummingbird Vignoles, and Reserve Blaufränkisch are age-worthy wines that will improve with time in your cellar. Enjoy a bottle now and save one or two for aging! Our fresh and vibrant White Cabernet Franc, Pinot Gris, and Beach Day Rosé are perfect for summer. Read on to find out about harvest conditions in 2024 and the unique wines we created this year.
The summer of 2024 featured warm and dry weather, which lasted into the fall. In early October, when the majority of grapes were harvested, we had unseasonably hot weather and drought conditions, which was causing sugar levels to rise rapidly. As the drought continued, some vines began to shut down due to lack of water and fruit ripening slowed down. Picking the right time to harvest each variety was a little tricky, but overall the quality of the grapes was high. Riesling and Vignoles both had Botrytis as well, which concentrates flavors, sugar, and acid resulting in some excellent wines! I hope you enjoy the diverse wines I have created this year. I look forward to many more opportunities to share wine and food experiences with all of you!
Dr. Sherry Seston
Pinot Gris on the vine one week before harvest. What a beautiful color!
White & Rosé Wines
2024 White Cabernet Franc
Cabernet Franc is a red grape, but the skins are quite thick. If you pick it a little early and press it just right you can make a white wine from a this wonderful red grape. This technique is used to make a Blanc de Noirs sparkling wine as well. This beautiful wine is not sparkling, but it is spectacular. Complex aromas of ripe stone fruit, jasmine flowers, citrus, and a touch of green pepper combine with a great acid structure and underlying minerality to make a serious white wine. It was worth the extra effort of handpicking the grapes and fermenting in small lots to create this beautiful white wine.
Bottle Price: $28 after tax PURCHASE ONLINE
2024 Pinot Gris
This limited production Pinot Gris features grapes sourced from a new vineyard in Coloma, Michigan. The grapes were handpicked and 60 % of the whole clusters were pressed immediately. Forty percent of the fruit was foot tread (lightly crushed) and rested on the skins for 24 hours before pressing. Pressing grapes without crushing reduces the yield of juice, but gives wines with better acid structure and bright, pure flavors. Lightly crushing some of the grapes and allowing the juice to rest on the skins helped give more texture and color to the wine. The combination of the two techniques make for a lovely Pinot Gris with flavors of ripe yellow apples, meyer lemons, and wet stone with a bright mineral finish.
Bottle Price: $28 after tax PURCHASE ONLINE
2023 Wren White Blend
A 40% Gewurzträminer / 60% Riesling Blend with a pronounced aroma of lychee and jasmine that really sings! I love the smell of this wine. The flavors deliver the same exotic sweetness and finish with a zingy note of grapefruit pith. Book a stay and relax while listening to song birds and drinking a glass of Wren!
Bottle Price: $20 after tax PURCHASE ONLINE
2024 Riesling
Our off-dry Riesling has flavors of ripe red apple, honey, and jasmine balanced by excellent acid. With only three percent residual sugar, the sweetness is just enough to balance the total acidity. Perfect for pairing with asian food, strong cheese, or traditional German foods like sauerkraut and bratwurst!
Bottle Price: $24 after tax PURCHASE ONLINE
2023 Beach Day Blaufränkisch Rosé
Nothing is better than a Rosé at the Beach! Especially on the shore of Big Blue in South Haven.
Beach Day Rosé is a dry rosé made from 100% Blaufränkisch, picked in early October to preserve acidity and keep alcohol content on the moderate side. Crisp and refreshing flavors of strawberry and watermelon finish with a bit of mouthwatering spice.
Bottle Price: $18.00 after tax PURCHASE ONLINE
Red Wines
2022 Tannat
Tannat is a grape varietal native to southwestern France near the border of France and Spain where it grows in the foothills of the Pyrenees Mountains. It is known for being an extremely tannic and full bodied wine that improves with both barrel and bottle aging. This particular wine has aged for 1 year in 25% new French Oak and 75% used French Oak. It is drinking very well now with flavors of blackberry, tomato leaf, and graphite all supported by structured firm tannins. It has paired well with rack of lamb, beef tenderloin, and chocolate chip cookies (my personal favorite)! Truly an exceptional wine that I look forward to drinking for years to come.
Bottle Price: $34 after tax PURCHASE ONLINE
2022 Merlot
This wine is is made in the style of a Right Bank Bordeaux. Elegant and complex with refined red and black plum, cedar notes, and silky tannins that create a fully structured and long lasting wine without becoming dry or abrasive. It is hard to believe that is made from 100% Lake Michigan Shore fruit. One year in a mixture of new and used French Oak allowed the wine to develop perfectly. I have released it, but am pouring it only sparingly as it has so much potential to improve with age that I would hate to go through it all before it peaks. Taste it now and put some in the cellar for drinking in 2027 or later!
Bottle Price: $30 after tax PURCHASE ONLINE
