Brys Estate Vineyard

About Winery and Wines

Call it California dreaming. Call it a burning desire to get back to the land. Whatever it was that sparked Walt and Eileen’s imagination that sunny fall day in the Napa Valley in 1975, it was a dream that would span decades, refusing to be ignored. They wanted to be winemakers. Walt and Eileen Brys (sounds like “eyes”) had lived the American dream. Walt enjoyed a successful career while Eileen had stayed home to raise their three children. Once the children were gone, the couple retired to Florida. Retirement soon felt too, well, retiring. Their long-dormant dream came calling. It was time to roll up their sleeves and start on a new adventure. After nearly two years of searching for the ideal location, the Bryses looked north. To the Old Mission Peninsula, just north of Traverse City, Michigan. A place located on the 45th parallel; that magical line that runs halfway between the equator and the North Pole. An address that is home to some of the world’s most famous winemaking regions. At the 45th parallel, sunlight hits the earth at just the right angle and for the right amount of time for optimal grape growing. This rich gift of sunlight, when combined with verdant soil, a temperate climate, and soft bay breezes, makes the Old Mission Peninsula incredibly unique and ideally suited for vineyards. The Bryses settled on an 1890s homestead on the Old Mission Peninsula. The site included 80 acres of old cherry orchard, four barns, and migrant quarters – all of which needed a great deal of attention.