Stranger Wine Company

Stranger Wine Co. is a family-owned micro-winery in Buchanan, Michigan, rooted in the Lake Michigan Shore AVA. Founded in 2021 by husband-and-wife team Maxx Eichberg and Sidney Finan, the winery sprang from their shared passion for wine and agriculture and a desire to "find meaning in an otherwise meaningless world" through winemaking. They purchased the historic 15-acre Avonlea Estate vineyard in 2021 after working a harvest in southwest Michigan changed their original plan to launch a winery in Oregon.

History

The Avonlea Estate includes some of Michigan’s oldest vinifera vines, dating back to the late 1980s. The winery earned MAEAP environmental verification in its first year, reflecting their commitment to responsible agriculture. Their 2021 Pinot Noir received 91 points and early acclaim, affirming their belief in southwest Michigan’s terroir.

Viticulture

Avonlea is located in Buchanan, MI, and sits within the Lake Michigan Shore AVA. It features 15 acres of mature vinifera vines including Cabernet Franc, Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot, Petit Verdot, Chardonnay, Pinot Noir, and Riesling. The site’s diverse glacial soils include iron-rich clay and sand, gravel loam with chert and granite, and a band of blue clay ideal for Riesling.

The vineyard is farmed organically and regeneratively. The team avoids herbicides and synthetic pesticides, instead using biological fungicides, hand labor for all major vineyard tasks, and even grazing sheep to mow and fertilize. Wild plantings and pollinator habitats are maintained between rows.

They also farm other Berrien County sites including Old Shore Vineyard and source from partners like Tom’s Vineyard and Outcross Vineyard. All grapes are 100% Michigan-grown.

Winemaking

In the cellar, Stranger follows a low-intervention philosophy. Fermentations use native yeast, and wines are unfined and unfiltered. Sulfur is used sparingly, often only at bottling and under 30 ppm. Most wines are aged on lees in neutral vessels, helping reduce intervention and build texture.

They work with a variety of fermentation styles, such as carbonic maceration for Pinot Noir and brief skin contact for Viognier. Whites like Grüner Veltliner and Chardonnay are fermented in neutral oak with long lees aging. All wines are 100% vinifera and typically single-varietal, single-vineyard bottlings.