SILVER LININGS Many Michigan wineries find success in COVID-era overhauls by Cortney Casey
Blustone Vineyard
W
hen COVID struck in early 2020, wineries across the state found themselves forced to re-evaluate processes and procedures to
comply with public health restrictions. But now that those restrictions have been lifted, many businesses are realizing that at least some of the “pivots” made during the pandemic are worth retaining. One of the most substantial changes guests may notice is a marked shift from belly-up-to-the-bar tastings to seated tastings. Originally implemented to facilitate social distancing, the format found fans at many wineries. “Our guests love the changes, the winery is doing better nancially, and our sta are bene ting from increased gratuity earnings,” says Patrick Brys, president/CEO of Brys Estate on Old Mission Peninsula. “Change can be hard, and the pandemic taught us that we need to be exible. With exibility and ingenuity we were able to change — and what has resulted has been positive for our guests, business and team.” Brys Estate’s tasting bar was physically not long enough to accommodate social distancing consistent with the winery’s guest tra c, so they began o ering table service at appropriately spaced tables via “tasting towers” — black metal holders with ve tasting glasses arranged vertically, says Brys. At Black Star Farms, which also shifted to table service, “when guests arrive, we greet them and take them to their seats — no more scrum at the bar trying to get a spot,” says Chris Lopez, Black Star’s retail sales manager.
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8 | MICHIGAN UNCORKED
