Folklor Wine & Cider
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Country of Origin: USA
Location: Charlevoix, Northern Michigan
People: Izabela Babinska & Derrick Vogel, Owners & Winemakers
Viticulture: Certified Organic
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Folklor Wine & Cider is wild and wonderful—in the best possible way. At their Home Farm in Charlevoix, grasses, wildflowers, and native plants blanket the vineyard rows, creating a living ecosystem where nature is encouraged to take the lead. This is farming with intention, patience, and deep respect for place.
At Folklor, husband and wife Derrick Vogel and Izabela Babinska see themselves as fruit growers first and wine and cider makers second. Their philosophy is simple but demanding: healthy soils, well-cared-for plants, and a thriving farm ecosystem are the foundation of truly expressive wines and ciders. In the cellar, that same mindset prevails. They intervene as little as possible, allowing the fruit to speak clearly on its journey from field to bottle.
The Home Farm & Farming Philosophy
Purchased in 2021, Folklor’s Home Farm sits on 52 rolling acres just four miles from the shores of Lake Michigan on the south side of Charlevoix. A small valley funnels cooling breezes in from the lake, while protection from Grand Traverse Bay helps moderate the extremes of Northern Michigan’s climate. The property was formerly a family-owned u-pick apple and cherry farm, and Folklor has taken on the long-term work of restoring its neglected orchards and re-imagining the land as a diversified, organic farm.
Today, roughly 12 acres are planted to vines, with plans to add another 5 to 6 acres in the coming years. The estate includes cold-hardy and hybrid grape varieties alongside an extraordinary orchard of approximately 400 apple trees and a couple hundred pear trees. Many are heirloom, culinary, and crab varieties that are being carefully pruned and rehabilitated after years of growing wild. In total, Folklor farms 16 apple varieties and 4 to 5 pear varieties.
All farming is organic, with no herbicides or insecticides used, and an emphasis on soil health, biodiversity, and microbial life. As of the 2025 vintage, Folklor’s estate grapes, apples, and pears are officially USDA certified organic through the Midwest Organic Services Association (MOSA). For Derrick and Iza, certification isn’t the finish line—it’s the baseline. Building soil, increasing biodiversity, listening to the land, and encouraging deeper relationships between plants and soil microbes remain central to everything they do.
Until the estate vineyards are fully online, Folklor also sources some fruit from a carefully farmed vineyards on the east side of Torch Lake, with the long-term goal of becoming 100% estate grown.
In the cellar, fermentations are carried out with native yeast. Minimal sulfites are added, if any. Production is currently small—around 500 cases annually—with an eye toward thoughtful growth to roughly 2,500 cases. Every bottle reflects what Derrick and Iza like to call the “liquid landscape” of Northern Michigan: bright acidity, texture, and an unmistakable sense of place shaped by lake influence and northern latitude.
Folklor is still very much at the beginning of its story. The foundation, however, is firmly set. Thoughtful farming, honest wines and ciders, and a deep commitment to Northern Michigan define this exciting and deeply rooted project.
Meet the Team
Derrick Vogel and Izabela Babinska did not begin their careers in wine. More than a decade ago, both were on parallel paths in healthcare, Derrick in laboratory science and Izabela in grant development. A formative trip to New Zealand to study the healthcare system brought them through Hawke’s Bay wine country, planting an early seed that would only become clear with time.
Back in Michigan, curiosity turned into commitment. They immersed themselves in the wine scene: working time in tasting rooms in the Petoskey and volunteering in local vineyards. That hands-on experience led Derrick to formal training in viticulture and enology, a winemaking apprenticeship, and ultimately a full-time vineyard management role.
In 2019, Derrick and Iza founded Phenology Vine Care, providing vineyard management for private and commercial sites across Michigan’s Tip of the Mitt AVA. That work deepened their understanding of Northern Michigan’s vineyards and clarified a shared vision for terroir-driven wines. Folklor Wine & Cider grew naturally from that foundation, shaped by years in the vineyard and a belief that great wines and ciders begin with the land.