A Leelanau Wine Trail Family Announces New Ownership of Good Harbor Vineyards

LAKE LEELANAU, Mich., May 22, 2019 /PRNewswire/ -- Third generation winemakers, Taylor Simpson and her brother, Sam Simpson, are celebrating their new roles as owner and operators of Good Harbor Vineyards as well as a rebrand that captures their rich family heritage, the beauty of Leelanau Peninsula wine country and the quality of their wines. "Taylor and I are proud of our family's legacy and are excited to oversee the next chapter in Good Harbor's story," Sam says. "Our hope is to one day pass it down to my two daughters and Taylor's two sons."

As Sam and Taylor take the reins, their mother, Debbie Simpson, is retiring to spend more time with her four grandchildren. Her husband, Bruce Simpson, the founder and proprietor of Good Harbor Vineyards for 30 years, passed away in 2009.

Good Harbor Vineyards is set in the heart of the Leelanau Peninsula and its acclaimed wine country, recently named third best wine region in the country by USA Today readers. Taylor and Sam grew up on the 15 acres of verdant ridges surrounded on three sides by Lake Michigan—prime wine-growing terroir—where their father and grandfather planted the first vineyards in 1978. Good Harbor was one of the earliest vineyards on the Leelanau Peninsula Wine Trail which today boasts 25 wineries that regularly produce award-winning wines. 

With a new design and logo, inspired by the Simpson family crest and Good Harbor's Leelanau location, featured on the website and labels, Good Harbor Vineyard's rebranding reveals the rich story of the Simpson family's progression from wine-growing pioneers to the owners of a successful winery known for quality wines and the warm, close-knit family who produces them.

Good Harbor's rebranding extends to Aurora Cellars, a destination vineyard in nearby Suttons Bay also owned by the Simpson Family, and to Harbor Hill, the family's burgeoning winery and vineyard services operation that is equipped with the first mobile bottling line in the Midwest and handles custom crush winemaking and custom label clients. 

Under Sam and Taylor's ownership, Good Harbor Vineyards will continue its focus on European Vinifera. The Simpsons' vineyards include some of the Leelanau Peninsula's highest elevations along Lake Michigan, where the climate and terrain produce crisp, fruit-forward white wines, including Chardonnay, Sauvignon Blanc, Riesling and the vineyards' signature Pinot Grigio. "Pinots can be relatively fragile in the winter," says Taylor. "But temperatures in our vineyards are moderated by the warming effect of Lake Michigan."

Pinots, including Pinot Noir, will be a continued emphasis at Good Harbor. While producing red wines in Northern Michigan's cool climate is often difficult, the Simpsons grow Pinot Noir that ripen early and are planted on their vineyards' hottest sites. "The grapes develop a rich cherry concentrated flavor," Sam says, adding that Good Harbor-produced reds are Old World European in style—lighter in body, fruit forward and lower in alcohol, making them an excellent choice to pair with food. 

"Our wines are timeless and meant to be shared between generations—wines that young adults can enjoy with their parents and grandparents," Sam says. "They are family-produced and meant to be family shared."

Media Contact: Taylor Simpson

[email protected]

(231) 944-2943

Related Images

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Good Harbor Logo

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Good Harbor New Brand Packaging

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Simpson Family Photo

SOURCE Good Harbor Vineyards