Modales
VISIT THIS PRODUCER'S WEBSITE
LOCATE ON GOOGLE MAPS
Country of Origin: USA
Location: Fennville, Southwest Michigan
People: Jim & Carol Gonzalez, Owners | Andrew Backlin, Winemaker | Ben Guerrin, Vineyard Manager
Viticulture: Certified Organic
Items
A New Chapter for Michigan Wine
As of October 2024, 40 acres spanning the La Esperanza and La Gracia vineyards at Modales have officially achieved organic certification. This milestone not only affirms the team’s commitment to green viticulture but also demonstrates what’s possible for Michigan wine. With a portfolio rooted in estate-grown, organically farmed fruit and a clear focus on purity, balance, and site expression, Modales proves that the Fennville AVA, and Michigan as a whole, is capable of producing world-class wines.
From Grape Growers to Estate Trailblazers
The Modales story began in 2014, when Jim and Carol Gonzales purchased La Esperanza Vineyard (“Hope”), located just over a mile from Lake Michigan’s eastern shore in the Fennville AVA. Initially focused on farming and selling high-quality grapes, they soon realized the exceptional potential of their land when local wineries began winning awards with their fruit. Inspired, the Gonzaleses made the leap into winemaking.
In 2016, they acquired a second site, 75 acres of neglected farmland, which they renamed La Gracia (“Grace”). From there, they began the long process of restoring the soil and building an estate winery. They hired Andrew Backlin, a Northern California winemaker with experience at Steele Wines and Duckhorn, and officially opened Modales to the public in 2019.
Though both vineyards share the same cool-climate, lake-effect growing conditions, their soils yield distinctly different wines. La Esperanza, with its heavy clay, produces structured, mineral-driven wines with gravitas and depth. La Gracia, located further inland on sandier soils, yields lively, fruit-forward expressions with energy and lift.
The estate is planted to a compelling mix of traditional and experimental varieties. Riesling, Chardonnay, Pinot Noir, Merlot, Cabernet Franc, and newly added Gamay form the core of the program. Smaller blocks of Rkatsiteli, Semillon, Alicante Bouschet, Teroldego, Lagrein, Tannat, and Petit Manseng allow Andrew and team to test the limits of what Michigan can do, especially when it comes to serious, ageworthy red wines.
Organic Farming
At Modales, the philosophy is simple. Healthy soils produce healthy vines, which make better wine. Decades of agricultural experience, both in Michigan and globally, support the idea that organic viticulture fosters resilience to disease, pests, and climate stress. Vineyard Manager Ben Guerrin embraced this philosophy wholeheartedly when he set the goal of achieving organic certification by 2024. Transitioning conventionally farmed land was no small task, but Ben and the Modales team approached it with care, precision, and purpose.
Today, the estate employs a holistic range of organic and regenerative practices:
• Cover cropping, composting, and green manures to build and maintain soil health
• Interplanting and animal integration, including the vineyard’s beloved “woolly eaters”—a flock of sheep that graze between the rows
• Installation of beneficial insect habitats, bluebird boxes, and raptor perches to encourage ecological balance and biodiversity
The result is healthier soils, hardier vines, and a living ecosystem that reduces the need for intervention both in the vineyard and in the cellar. Native yeast populations flourish, enabling spontaneous fermentation that deepen the sense of terroir. With each passing vintage, the vineyard’s voice grows louder, clearer, and more distinct.
In the winery, the approach mirrors the vineyard: minimal intervention, maximum expression. Wines are fermented with native yeasts, aged on their lees, and bottled unfined and unfiltered when possible. Rather than following fixed timelines, Andrew bottles only when the wine is ready. Each release is a snapshot of vintage, place, and intention.
Media Links
Vinepair: Michigan Winemakers Are Making High-Quality Wines With Locally Grown Vinifera Grapes
Red Wine Cats: Michigan Wine