Dune Bird

Week 16 - April 16-22, 2023

AVA: Leelanau County (Northport, near Leland)

Summary

Dune Bird is a new tasting room with a long heritage in the region. The design and vibe is a stake in the ground commitment to Hygge/Scandinavian, including one element that is often overlooked in American attempts at this execution, which is that Scandinavian spaces prioritize the family unit and kid-friendliness. The inclusion of children is as important as live plants, wood, and mixed textures. Dune Bird was busy, the food is excellent, and there's a coffee bar.

Two Wines

NV Pure Leland Sparkling 🍇🍇

NV AV8 🍇🍇

TCWY Wine Ratings:

🍇🍇🍇Best of the region (top 10%)

🍇🍇As good as the rest of the region

🍇Not as good as the rest of the region

To learn more about our wine rating system, click here

My husband joined me today! This is his flight of Unoaked Chardonnay, Pinot Gris, and AV8

Something to Love

Kids are seen and heard here. Dune Bird's food menu includes "endorsed by" items from the owners' 7- and 9-year old children, and kids can choose an activity box (pictured) to entertain them while grown-ups taste wine and coffee and visit.

Something to Do

Get coffee! It's so exciting and important that with the rebrand of the old Gill's Pier Winery, a coffee concept was included with what is Dune Bird. (Nod again to Scandinavia, where the per capita consumption of coffee is the highest in the world). The equipment and staff are strong and legit which allows the GR-roasted coffee to shine, and most importantly the coffee equipment is clean and the coffee drinks are delicious.

Dune Bird is new, but their vineyard and story is not. This coffee table book explains their choice to rebrand.

Something to Hope For

While I'm tempted to stay on my "wineries need to be more kid-friendly" soapbox, I have already hoped for that elsewhere so it seems like a cop-out. Dune Bird is solidly kid inclusive, which also means parents are seen here.

On top of all of the values I admire, like family inclusiveness, good coffee, treat people well, and scandi design; Dune Bird has a direct connection and contribution to advancing the cause of the Ukrainian people as they fight in an unnecessary and very suspect war defending themselves and Ukrainian sovereignty against the Russian aggressor, e.g. the "War in Ukraine."

I donated, I'm outraged, I have participated in the local Ukrainian church's fundraisers. Let's just get that out of the way. This is not about me. One of Dune Bird's owners has spent the last year in airborne missions for the US military effort there, helping directly. Obviously his family is not able to join for those efforts, they are here living their lives, taking chances, and growing the business.

Everyone should come here. I don't know what else to say, except that the manifestation of one family's values is visible in what is seen in the tasting room and unseen in so many efforts outside of it is something you don't want to miss. I hope for this amount of backbone in every business in the region, not just wine businesses.

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