The Story

Hi! I’m Wil. Welcome to my new winery. My entire life has led up to this. Born and raised in West Michigan, the son of homeschooling parents, and the grandson of farmers, I spent the majority of my time outside. A lot of that time was spent riding 4-wheelers and dirt bikes through fields and woods between our home and my grandparents’ farm. My first job was picking cherries at their orchard and learning the ins and outs of running a farm stand. Springtime was spent in the muddy woods making maple syrup. So many of the lessons I learned took place outdoors. 

During my 20s I found myself enrolled in college business classes during the school year and planning camping trips up north with friends during the summer. It was there where I fell in love with the winery experience. I started making wine in my basement, which quickly grew from a hobby to an obsession. Not long into my 20s I married a fellow West Michigan girl who similarly shared a love for the Michigan winery experience. We would visit wineries in Traverse City and Southwest Michigan and dream about opening our own in West Michigan.

 In 2013 with a small budget and big dreams, we took our first big leap of faith in starting a West Michigan winery by selling our little house in Grand Rapids and purchasing a house with 6.5 acres of sandy, gravely soil on the outskirts of Grand Haven, in the heart of blueberry country. Between 2014 and 2015 we planted 5 different grape varieties.

From 2013 to 2022 we assumed the role of students of the vineyard where we learned lessons about growing grapes and making wine. One of the most difficult lessons we learned was matching our grape varieties and rootstocks to our soil, site, and climate. Some of our tender French varieties suffered our cold winters and didn’t produce well. Between 2019 and 2022 we pulled out several varieties and replanted them with more cold-hardy varieties.

Through all the challenges, the dream never faded. Building the winery was destined to happen. Approval at the township and state level began in 2021 and construction started in 2022. After a full decade of planning and hard work, we opened for business in the fall of 2023. Slow and steady has always won the race.  

The Name

The Fox and Hen symbolize the woods and the farm, which is what our area of Grand Haven looks like. Although the Fox and Hen are natural enemies, wine brings them both together, where they can put their differences aside and share a common interest.

The Wines

Throughout the years I’ve been developing the wine styles that truly showcase our grapes. Since grapes cannot be willed into a wine style they do not want to be, I’ve learned to make the wines that they do want to be. From bright and fruity whites, to crisp and refreshing rose’s, to bold and expressive reds, we strive to have something for everyone. We use minimal intervention methods that utilize fewer inputs and basic equipment. Less is more.

The Commitment

We’re committed to caring for our earth with the way we grow our grapes and run our business. We do not use any any restricted-use pesticides or synthetic fertilizers in our vineyard. We have completely eliminated chemical herbicides from our vineyards and employ regenerative farming practices that keep our soil healthy. In the winery, we do not use single-use plastic and we recycle all of our wine bottles.