5833 Shooks Rd Central Lake, MI
(231) 676-8743
Hours
Monday - Thursday: By Appointment, Feel Free to Call us!
Friday- Saturday: 12pm- 7pm
Sunday: 1-5pm
The land we are on today has been owned by the same family for over 100 years. Cellar 1914 was created to celebrate that. Our Great Grandpa Shooks purchased this land in 1914 with the intention of starting a cherry farm. With the 60 acres that he purchased, that is exactly what he did. We encourage you to come out and enjoy the wines, tour not just the production facility, but the 1,100 acres that we own.
In 2015 Shooks Farms planted 10 acres of wine grapes. NY81 which is a Riesling/Cayuga White hybrid, Vignoles, Baco Noir, Marechal Foch, La Crescent and Frontenac Blanc. Due to our location in regards to Lake Michigan, we believe that these varieties will thrive for years to come... And so far this is proving to be true. The second year (2016) we were able to harvest six tons of grapes, and quality and quantity continues to climb. This year, the production facility and tasting room were constructed and have allowed us to create a space to make and serve our own wine, as well as to tell our story. We have been a family farm since 1914 and we do not see that changing anytime soon.
*We currently do not offer food, but you are more than welcome to bring a picnic to enjoy!
Our Story
Over the past 100+ years, the farm has seen a variety of commodities, and started with cherry trees, a couple hogs and a few head of cattle. Since then the farm has been home to acres of asparagus, apples, corn, soybeans, wheat, canola, peaches and even 500 head of beef cattle, just to name a few…
The farm started in 1914 (hence the name, Cellar 1914) by a gentleman named Vet Shooks. He drove by this property on a weekly basis on the way to church and noticed a cherry tree growing on the southwest side of the road. Up on the hill with Lake Michigan close by, the cherries were producing quality fruit due to the close proximity of the lake. Vet made the comment to his family that one day he would like to buy that property because of how well it had produced those wild cherries, so that is exactly what he did and the rest is history.
Flash forward into the fourth generation, the farm has a very different look and focus- less field crops and livestock and more fruit- cherries and grapes. Grapes, like cherries, benefit from the lake. The newest direction of the farm helps to bring the new (grapes/wine) in with the old (history). Our tasting room was designed with the history of the farm in mind. Placed at the heart of the farm, with views of Lake Michigan, the tasting room and production facility made sense.
We finished the interior work ourselves and incorporated several pieces of rich history from around the farm to help with the details. The back bar is constructed from barn wood that is over 100 years old, the crown molding is old boards that cattle have rubbed on for the past 40 years, something that is unique and hard to recreate. There is a breakfast table in the tasting room that three of the four generations have sat at for countless breakfasts made by Doris "Gram" Shooks who married Marvin Shooks (Second Generation). The décor is full or stories, including a trunk that carried our ancestors belongings from the old country, the deed framed and hung on the wall, cherry tanks with the original farm name embedded in the tasting bar, and cherry lugs that help to display the bottles of wine for purchase. The story is everywhere you look.
Our second tasting room located in East Jordan, MI had its grand opening in September 2021. Be sure to take in the beauty of the downtown location on the South Arm of the beautiful Lake Charlevoix. East Jordan features a social districts where you can stroll the streets, drink in hand, and take in what Northern Michigan has to offer.
Come, taste and enjoy!