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Brys Estate Vineyard & Winery
- Price Range:
-
$$
- Accepts Credit Cards:
- Yes
- Parking:
- Private Lot
- Good for Kids:
- No
- Wheelchair Accessible:
- Yes
11 reviews for Brys Estate Vineyard & Winery
11 reviews in English
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Review from Bryn R.
Cleveland, OH
11/1/2010
A nurse asked me once before some minor surgery what my blood type was. I told her it was "55% cabernet, 40% merlot, and 2% petit verdot." (I know that doesn't add up to 100%. I was drunk!) So, yeah, I drink a fair bit of wine, therefore you need to trust me on this one: Brys Winery is the holy f'ing grail. Great red wines produced in the Midwest? Yes, it's possible. I know that I'm prone to ridiculous hyperbole, but hear me out...
I'm a sad veteran of the upper Midwest's attempts at wine making. I've had my share of Michican, Indiana, Ohio and New York wines that "linger with hints of pear and crisp apple," along with less-advertised hints of Deep Woods Off and roasted skunk. You can find some quality Rieslings and some tasty ice or late harvest wines around here, but when it comes to red, the expectations are miserably low. They're either too sweet or you get a peppery, unbalanced and green Cab Franc. And even if someone does manage to make a balanced red, it's usually as thin and translucent as Betty White's pubic hair. (And that doesn't even begin to cover the Amish, who will make wine out of practically anything....strawberries, dandelions, wooden armoires.)
That's why what I found instead at Brys Estate was so shocking...
It started with their basic Pinot Noir. It was not the expected light-bodied, Burgundian style, but actually a ripe, medium-bodied California-style Pinot. I immediately suspected imported California grapes, but no, they assured me that everything here was estate grown. It continued with their Merlot. Again, it had a nice weight and even some nuanced darker berry and caramel flavors. Finally, their red meritage blend (Cab Franc, Merlot, and Pinot) also managed some wonderful balance (although, the evil Cab Franc was clearly present.) The whole experience was disorienting. These were really good red wines by any standard. The staff told me that the winemaker Coenraad learned his chops in South Africa, and was used to creating bold reds in a colder climate, before he brought his talents to northern Michigan. Coenraad is a very bad man.
....BUT WAIT, THERE'S MORE!
After the tasting we decided to linger on the patio and buy a few glasses, while we pondered to what financial degree we were going to be totally irresponsible with our final purchase. That's when we learned that they have EVEN BETTER reds to offer...their unfiltered "Artisan Series"....from the banner year of 2007. Big bucks. Yes, gimme some of that, please.
At this point I almost passed out. The undistilled Pinot ($70/bottle) and Merlot ($50/bottle) were among the best of each respective varietal I've ever tasted...Napa, Sonoma, Oregon, anywhere. You might think it takes incredible balls to sell Michigan red wines at such prices, but compared to others I've had at those price points, these were definitely comparable, if not a good value. They were thick and opaque as motor oil. Rocket juice. Full of sediment. I just sat on the outdoor patio shaking my head in disbelief at how good it all was, and how strange that I was finding this quality in goddamn Meeeeeeechigan. (Too bad for the rest of you that I probably wiped out most of their remaining 2007 inventory.) These bottles are now the pride of my tiny cellar collection (....which also functions as an after-hours gymnasium for itinerant mice.)
If you're tooling around Traverse Bay looking for a cheap buzz, Brys Estate may not be for you, but if you're a serious seeker of the good stuff, this winery is as miraculous as the image of the Virgin Mary appearing on a grain silo, so you better steal a church van and bring your lawn chair. -
Review from Joe B.
11/30/2011
I'll preface this review by noting that I'm not a refined connoisseur of wine although I truly do appreciate the methodology, care and beauty that goes into creating it. I'll also add that this review has little or nothing to do with the actual wine vinted on site. From what I did taste it was very good.
The vineyard and the tasting room had a very elegant air to them. On a cool November afternoon Brys was a nice sanctuary to spend some time drinking a bit of wine. The tasting room was done in dark wood with bottles shelved around the room and a couple love seats at the center.
What I thought was exceptionally cool was the private tasting room off to the right of the room. French doors, a long slender table all surrounded by a wall of light colored wine barrels. I would've really enjoyed spending some time in this room learning about the finer aspects of wine. I would guess you could do so by appointment or if you happen to know the owners. Which brings me to Cheryl, our sommelier. A little too condescending for my taste and seemed more interested in the other group of tasters (who she announced were friends of the Brys owners and that the owners just called to make sure she was taking proper care of them). I'm all for preferential treatment for VIP's just don't let the other people know that they're playing second fiddle, that's just bad manners Cheryl. We bought our wine and left wishing that the experience hadn't been as awkward as it was. -
Review from Anna S.
9/26/2011
Lovely winery. Went this last weekend for our yearly wine weekend up north - our fifth trip up.
The wine here is very good - they know what they're doing, but it's also priced accordingly. The ambiance is a tad snooty for me, but the service is friendly and warm. This year they had the nice touch of the ability to buy a glass and enjoy it on the patio, rather than a flight of tastings. Very nice!
We rarely buy anything but we always enjoy the tastings. -
Review from Lisa A.
7/22/2011 1 Check-in Here
There were tons of wineries to choose from around the area - so we were kinda just do the eeny-meeny-miny-moe. Up we went to Brys Estate. Little that we know we were in for a real treat.
We sat on the patio, enjoying the sun and our sandwiches we bought from the General Store.
Greenery from the grape vines. Blue horizon from the lake. A glass of Gewurztraminer in my hand. My most fave person next to me. Perfection. -
Review from Hymae W.
12/3/2011 1 Check-in Here
This was the third stop on our wine tour. When we got here there was a line out the door but it was nice outside. The building was very nice with a rich traditional look.We ended up buying two bottles here (the cab merlot and pinot noir).
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Review from Chris C.
Allegan, MI
12/17/2011
I'm no wine snob but I enjoyed my tasting. 5 dollars for five tastes and you keep the glass. The server was knowledgeable and friendly. A beautiful cold December day, and the ice wine grapes were still on the vine waiting to be squeezed into there "nectar." I learned today that the ice wine grapes are picked at night to insure that the grapes don't have a chance to thaw. In general I like dry wines, but the Riesling was really amazing.
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Review from Jodi W.
Grand Rapids, MI
4/3/2010
Great location off the beaten path, and a South African winemaker, who knows what the heck he's doing here. The best of the wines are the whites (I particularly liked the non-sweet Gewurtztramiener, but the non-oakey Chard was great, too. I had the '07 Merlot at Trattoria Stella the night before, and while I'm not a big Merlot lover, it was quite tasty here - not as "big" as a CA Merlot, and therefore, more interesting and tasty.
There was no one here on a Saturday, which made it a little extra special and chill. The atmosphere was laid back and not pretentious, and for $5, you get 6 tastings (good for a year), some snacks, and a glass. Definitely worth a stop.Listed in: Foodies in Wine Country…
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Review from Erin D.
New Albany, OH
12/12/2010 1 Check-in Here
A line out the door when we arrived...and yes, despite having a near ankle decapitation with a stoller run-in (you have a baby in a bar) we waited it out.
Worth the wait, got quite a bit of education and enjoyed our experience. Liked the their blends-pinot noir riesling...i was skeptical, but really liked it. Also have some great discounts for buying. They allowed our group of 6 to combine our purchases for a nice discount. No tasting fee with purchase. Wide variety to taste from. -
Review from Jeremy P.
Grand Rapids, MI
8/30/2011 1 Check-in Here
Lovin' the Iced Wine!
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Review from Liz K.
1/1/2010
My family and I had the opportunity to try some wines in Brys' lovely tasting room the other day. For five bucks you can taste 6 wines, get a box of crackers, and a chocolate truffle. Oh, and the glass. Not a bad deal!
While their wines weren't my favorite of the day, I'm basing this review on how much I enjoyed the experience - our friendly server knew some of the friends we were with, so she gave us extra on our pours and made nice conversation with us while we drank. The interior of Brys is beautiful - rich dark wood-paneled ceiling, exposed brick walls, nicely displayed retail section. The smell in there was great too - smelled like old wood and wine.
Overall a good experience - check them out! -
Review from Michelle E.
Burbank, CA
9/19/2010
Love it! Out of all the Mission Peninsula wineries, this one was my favorite! The location was great, the view was incredible, the tasting room was adore able and they had a small patio you could drink wine and enjoy food on. The staff was very friendly and accomodating, explaining each wine perfectly. The highlight however would definitely be the tasting of ice wine they offered, paired with a slice of cheesecake! My mom tried ice wine for the first time and the pairing was impeccable. This is a first class winery and DEFINITELY worth a stop if you are out tasting!
