Wyncroft
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Country of Origin: USA
Location: Pullman, Southwest Michigan
People: Jim Lester & Daun Page, Owners & Winemakers
Viticulture: Practicing Organic
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Jim Lester and Daun Page have earned a reputation for crafting some of the Midwest’s most compelling wines. With a focus on European grape varieties and classical winemaking techniques, they’ve set a new benchmark for what Michigan wine can be. To call their wines “impressive for Michigan” misses the point—they are simply impressive, full stop. For too long, conversations about the world’s great wine regions have overlooked Michigan, but the proof is in the glass. Wyncroft’s elegant, terroir-driven wines demonstrate the extraordinary—and still largely untapped—potential of Southwest Michigan. With a distinctly French sensibility, this husband-and-wife team is reshaping the narrative. Michigan isn’t just part of the conversation—it’s a region to watch.
Jim and Daun operate Wyncroft in the spirit of a French garagiste—small-scale, hands-on, and uncompromising in quality. In 2013, they purchased a picturesque 100-acre estate in Pullman, within the Fennville AVA, and planted 5.5 acres of vines now known as LePage Estate. Varieties include Sauvignon Blanc, Sémillon, Cabernet Sauvignon, Cabernet Franc, Merlot, and Pinot Noir. They have since sold their other vineyards, which Jim planted with his late wife Rae Lee in the 1980s. (Yes, Jim has been making wine in Michigan since 1983!)
Wyncroft’s wine labels are modeled after the Arts and Crafts movement and embody the winery’s ethos of beauty, craftsmanship, and intentionality. Vineyard and cellar work are done entirely by hand. While not certified organic, farming practices lean strongly in that direction: no irrigation, no fertilization, and an emphasis on maintaining a healthy, balanced ecosystem. Partner growers follow similar principles, farming sustainably without irrigation or chemical fertilizers, and leaning heavily toward organic methods.
All wines are estate bottled, with labels applied by hand at the winery. Production remains small, at fewer than 2,000 cases per year, ensuring meticulous attention to every bottle.
Michigan Terroir
Michigan’s agricultural legacy—famous for peaches, cherries, apples, and Concord grapes—has long hinted at its suitability for vinifera. The Lake Michigan Shore AVA in Southwest Michigan consists of glacial moraine hills, where stony, mineral-rich clay soils left behind by the last Ice Age are similar to some of the best sites in Europe.
The vineyards sit on elevated ridges 5–10 miles from the lakeshore, providing excellent sun exposure and natural air drainage—crucial for avoiding spring frost damage. The lake itself creates a unique "lake effect" microclimate that moderates winter lows and summer highs. The abundant lake effect snow insulates the vines against the extremes of Michigan winters.
Unlike the cooler regions of northern Michigan, which produce wines reminiscent of Germany, Southwest Michigan benefits from a warmer climate. Wyncroft’s vineyards lie along the 42nd parallel—the same latitude as Rome, the Pyrenees of northern Spain, and the Oregon–California border. With an average of 3,000 heat units per growing season, the region enjoys a longer and warmer season than Burgundy (2,400) or Bordeaux (2,700), making it a more reliable zone for achieving full phenolic ripeness. And because it sits farther north than California, grapes maintain excellent acidity throughout the extended growing season.
Media Links
Sipology: A Visit to Wyncroft/Marland Winery
Edible Michiana: Wyncroft Crafts World-Class, European-Style Wines in SW Michigan
Edible Michiana: Getting to Know Winemaker James Lester
The Herald Palladium: Wishes of a Winemaker: Small Winery Keeps Producing Quality Vintage without Matriarch