Call it a slice of Tuscany or simply the never-ending desire to blend with nature in the beautiful environs of Michigan’s Great Southwest. Any way you shake it, the newly constructed alfresco expansion at the long running St. Julian Winery Tasting Room at Union Pier will turn some heads and draw a crowd.
Next Friday, the Harbor Country Chamber of Commerce will officially cut the ribbon on the newly completed project by TerraLux, Inc. at St. Julian of Union Pier just off of I-94, Exit 6 in Harbor Country.
Artfully conceived and tastefully designed, the new craftsman structure is highly reminiscent of the Villas of Italy and the sweeping estates of California Wine Country. Being a truly alfresco affair, the new tasting pavilion brings all of the fun of tasting with friends to the great outdoors.
With this project, St. Julian has raised the bar again by creating an inviting wine & spirits tasting and entertainment venue in Union Pier.
Designed by the visionary William McCollum Architects, the new outdoor masterwork combines comfortable Mission Style roots with a whimsical contemporary flair. Guests to St. Julian at Union Pier will be greeted by a stone fireplace, comfortable bistro seating and soaring cedar-wrapped beams in an inviting new outdoor space complete with skylights and finished off by a striking metal roof. Layers of stone and a neat powder coated fence surround the dazzling new space, destined to become a favorite gathering spot for visitors and locals alike.
The pavilion was built from the ground up by TerraLux, Inc., whose partners Gary Geist — a local commercial and residential builder — and Ron Lindsay — a local home pro — bring their years of combined residential & commercial, construction/design/cleaning/remodeling & painting experience together to create the new full-service construction firm offering unprecedented construction services in their firm called TerraLux.
Together Geist & Lindsay have done everything from building dozens of restaurants and private estates to renovating historic area churches and helping to restore the St. Joseph Lighthouse complex. Lindsay says, “With 25 years of ethical construction practice and exemplary customer service, we at TerraLux are very excited to bring St. Julian’s Spirit and William McCollum Architects vision to life.”
St. Julian has been a presence at Exit 6 off of I-94 for 30 years now, and tells us the new venue enables the winery to offer customers wine tasting flights or wine by the glass in that beautiful alfresco setting. The large pavilion features outdoor seating to enjoy balmy days, rainy afternoons or crisp weather near the stone fireplace. Patrons can enjoy a flight board of six wines of their choosing from the wine list. St. Julian Wine Club Members’ can also sip their complimentary tastings in the area. Cheese and other delicacies are available for purchase to pair with the wines.
The St. Julian Pavilion will also host seasonal special events under the expansive beam roof with lighting. Four-pawed friends are welcome too, in the open-air arena.
So rain or shine, whatever the season and whatever the reason, you can now rediscover the most award-winning winery in Michigan in a whole new way at their outdoor tasting pavilion and outdoor lawn area, where you can soak up the ambiance of Harbor Country while enjoying your tasting experience.
St. Julian Winery is Michigan’s oldest, largest, and most awarded winery, producing wine for nearly 100 years, dating back to 1921. The winery, headquartered in Paw Paw, uses only grapes and produce grown within the state of Michigan to craft their high quality wines, ciders, spirits and non-alcoholic juices. St. Julian Winery offers a diverse variety of wines ranging from dry to sweet. For more information on the St. Julian Winery – Union Pier, you can call (269) 469-3150 or visit stjulianwinery.com. They themselves will tell you they are “The Fun & Friendly Place to Taste!”
The Harbor Country Chamber ribbon cutting ceremony will take place at 5:00 pm (EDT) on Friday, October 5, 2018 to kick off a toast to the new St. Julian Pavilion. The public is invited to join the celebration and enjoy discounted wine tastings and food samplings during that event.
The Harbor Country Chamber of Commerce is a 501c(6) corporation, established in 1981 to represent the eight communities of Michiana, Grand Beach, New Buffalo, Union Pier, Lakeside, Harbert, Sawyer and Three Oaks. With a rich heritage of leadership and collaboration, the Chamber works in partnership with local municipalities to advocate for business in the area and lead economic development efforts to make Harbor Country a premier place to live, work, and play.
The photo accompanying this story on Moody on the Market is courtesy of St. Julian Winery at Union Pier.
