It's no secret it's been a cool summer, and that fruits and vegetables have been slow to ripen in Northern Michigan this year. So what about the wine grapes that will result in the 2006 vintage?

Sandra Silfven, the wine columnist at the Detroit News who often writes about our wines, is optimistic. In this column, she talks with a number of Old Mission and other winemakers who are optimistic about the prospects for the vintage, especially for Riesling, Gewurztraminer and other whites.