L. Mawby is a true original — a winery that committed entirely to sparkling wine at a time when Michigan's wine industry was still in its infancy. Larry Mawby founded the estate in 1973, and his single-minded dedication to bubbles has produced some of the most celebrated sparkling wines in the United States.
The wines are made using méthode traditionnelle — the same painstaking, bottle-fermented process used in Champagne. The result is sparkling wines of remarkable finesse and complexity, with fine bubbles and flavors that develop beautifully over time.
L. Mawby produces two lines: the L. Mawby label for vintage-dated, premium sparklings, and the M. Lawrence label for more accessible, fruit-forward bubbles. Both are exceptional values compared to imported sparkling wines of similar quality.
The intimate tasting room, surrounded by vineyards on a quiet Leelanau back road, offers a refreshingly low-key experience. Tastings are by appointment and feel more like visiting a friend's wine cellar than a commercial operation. Larry Mawby's poetry — he's a published poet as well as a winemaker — adorns the labels, adding a literary dimension to the experience.