The Story
of a Michigan Winery
The Story
of a Michigan Winery
Our story began thousands of years ago – when glaciers deposited their cargo of stones, rocks, minerals, clay, sand and gravel creating a hilly moraine in Baroda, Michigan. In 2009, we began our portion of the story when we purchased 44 acres of land. Our vineyard started with 4 acres of Chardonnay and Pinot Noir, with new vines planted each year. Once home to vineyards of concord grapes, the soils are ideal and the climate conditions are similar to Burgundy and Bordeaux, France, creating a perfect growing area for our viniferous vines. With our location being atop one of the highest points in Baroda and benefiting from the moderating influence of Lake Michigan, our vines are protected from frosts and enjoy a long growing season.
Unique to our hilly location, our terraced vineyard blocks are a beautiful sight to be seen. The stone lined terraces ensure proper drainage and prevent erosion while providing a picturesque setting.
Exceptional wine comes from exceptional grapes. We hand-plant each vine and hand-nurture the grapes on our estate vineyard. Our wine makers combine traditional wine making methods with the latest technological wine making equipment, crafting & bottling wines that are rich, vibrant, complex, elegant, and full of flavor.
2009
Established
A Nod To
Claude Dablon
Claude Dablon, French explorer and Jesuit priest, was one of the first Europeans to arrive in Michigan when it was still a part of New France in the 1600s. Father Dablon was known for making wine from grapes he found in the New World. It’s our goal to marry European varietals with our unique terroir in Southwest Michigan to make a variety of extraordinary wines.
Our
Wines
Dablon wines are estate grown, produced, and bottled. We also produce and bottle Music Box Wine, named after our sister company, Music Box Theatre of Chicago, which owns and operates one of the world’s most beautiful cinemas and distributes some of the world’s best films.
Looking ahead
In 2011, we acquired an additional 13 acres of beautiful, rolling hills in Baroda on Singer Lake Road. The Tasting Room and production facility overlooking the vineyards was opened in 2015, followed by the addition of another 10 acres to our estate at the Singer Lake Vineyard in 2016, and an additional 7 acres in 2017. We look forward to continuing our story and welcome you to share in writing your history with us. With 50 acres of estate-grown grapes planted on our 75-acre farm, we are proud to be a Michigan winery!
Meet the team
William Schopf
Owner
Brody Sheldon
Co-Owner
Rudy Shafer
Head Wine Maker
April Bredy
General Manager
Allison Snyder
Tasting Room Manager
