Menu
Menu
Menu
Boutique wineries produce less than 10,000 cases of their wines annually. They are usually hand-crafted and artisanal. Aurora Cellars is a boutique winery. We are proud of our output. We put the same degree of care into every bottle that passes from our winery to distribution points.
We do not require our guests to dress in shirts and ties or ball gowns. Instead, we keep it casual, enabling our guests to have fun in a low-stress environment. We will provide food that pairs together with the wines we will present to you. However, we highly recommend that you eat a proper meal before you come to the tasting to avoid the wine having a particularly noticeable impact on you. You can expect the wine tasting to last from 30 to 45 minutes.
You can ask any question you want. For instance, if you are curious about where we produce our wines, you can ask us! Our employees understand every aspect of winemaking, and they are well-versed in the history of our facility. Some of the most common questions we hear are about the wines themselves, such as what foods pair well with a white or red wine or how we make or age the wines.
To fully enjoy the wine tasting experience, you’ll want to perform the five s’s – see, swirl, sniff, sip, and savor. These actions are how you will not only learn more about wines but how you will gain a deeper understanding and appreciation for them:
See: Pay close attention to the color of the wine. Is it clear and brilliant, or is it cloudy and dull? Pro tip: place your wine glass against a white background to properly judge the color. Why do we do this? To give ourselves clues about the grape variety and whether it was aged. Typically, oak-aged wines have a darker color.
Swirl: We do this to give the wine some air. By twirling it a few times, we open the wine up, so to speak, which makes the smelling process easier. Sweeter wines will leave thick streaks – called legs – down the inside of the glass when you swirl it – a telltale sign!
Sniff: Smell is the main sense used in wine tasting. Pay close attention to what you smell when you sniff the wine. Do you smell fruits or vegetables? What about spices? The quality of a wine is all in the senses, and we are confident that you will detect a delight or scent when you smell our wines.
Sip: Take a sip and hold the wine in your mouth for three to five seconds. This process allows you to really experience the complex nature of a finely made wine. Sometimes you’ll taste sweetness or fruitiness, and sometimes you will experience acidity, bitterness, and alcohol.
Savor: Does the taste linger? This is called the finish. Often, it presents a different taste profile than what you experienced during the sipping phase. Some wines can linger for as long as a minute!
There are four types of wine. Within each category are nearly endless possibilities. Most people know about white and red wines. If you have had a white wine, you might have tasted a Riesling or chardonnay. Those who prefer red wines might enjoy a cabernet sauvignon or merlot. The two other types of wine are sparkling wines and rosés. We have all four on hand for you to taste!
Every person is different. If you do not want to become inebriated, we recommend eating beforehand and drinking plenty of water throughout the proceedings. Also, one member of your party should remain sober and act as the designated driver.
We hope you have gained a piece of good foundational knowledge about wines and wine tasting from this page. However, we pride ourselves on being accommodating and friendly. Feel free to contact us anytime with any further questions, and we will answer them.
Aurora’s collections of white, red, and sparkling wines are all exquisite examples of the quality of wine that is being produced from fruit grown on the Leelanau Peninsula. We offer an assortment of wine from dry to sweet and white to red in hopes of having a wine to please a wide variety of palates. We strive to produce wines that have a true sense of place.
OPEN from 12 PM – 5:00 PM Mon, Thu, Fri, & Sun
OPEN from 12 PM – 6:00 PM Saturday
CLOSED Tue & Wed
OPEN from 12 PM – 6:00 PM Sun-Fri
OPEN from 12 PM – 7:00 PM Sat
