Women to uncork new Geneva wine-tasting destination

Northern Michigan wines to be featured

Up North Wine Tasting Room, 9 N. Second St., Geneva, will open at noon on Friday. The new business features wines from Northern Michigan.

Up North Wine Tasting Room will open at noon Friday, May 6, at 9 N. Second St., Geneva, featuring the wines of Northern Michigan, the company announced in a news release.

Co-owners Amy Goedken and Mary and Cathy Humphreys are bringing the experience of Northern Michigan wine tasting to their hometown of Geneva, featuring the wines of Michigan’s Leelanau and Old Mission peninsulas.

“Visitors will find a cozy, relaxed, ambient environment to unwind and decompress in Northern Michigan style,” Amy Goedken stated in the release. “We will be featuring a winery each month in order to create excitement and to keep things fresh for our guests – and to give each winery their own limelight.”

Shady Lane Cellars’ wines will be featured this fall, with its Gruner Veltliner, Pinot Noir Rose, Franc n Franc, Blaufrankisch, Semi Dry Riesling, Pinot Gris and Sparkling Riesling, the release stated.

“Shady Lane Cellars, we felt, has the quality and uniqueness of all the varietals,” Goedken said.

“We always loved the outdoor ambiance when visiting, which has inspired our own decor and design at the Up North Wine Tasting Room,” she said. “I am a huge fan of the Pinot Noir Rose. Cathy enjoys unwinding at night with a glass of the Franc n Franc, and Mary loves the versatility of the chardonnay.”

Amy Goedken, (left) Cathy Humphreys and Mary Humphreys will open the Up North Wine Tasting Room in downtown Geneva on Friday. The concept is inspired by their visits to Northern Michigan wineries, like the sustainably-focused Shady Lane Cellars in Sutton’s Bay.

The shop features 750 square feet of wine tasting space decked out in handmade wood pieces, the release stated.

The bar top, tables and bar ledges around the shop were handcrafted by Robert Humphreys, and made from wood cut from his own Northern Michigan property.

The shop is just north of Route 38 in downtown Geneva. More information is available online at www.upnorthwinegeneva.com.