Leelanau Peninsula is one of a series of fingerlike projections extending into Lake Michigan at Grand Traverse Bay. Nearby is the deep glacial Lake Leelanau. From a viticultural point of view, this abundance of water sufficiently moderates the appellation’s climate, delaying the onset of spring until well past the frost-risk period and protecting fall temperatures from sudden plummets. Even so, vineyards in this cold, northern climate experience an average frost-free period of just 145 days. Through the winter, high snowfall prevents deep-freeze ground temperatures, minimizing winter damage to roots. The glacially-deposited soils that form the Leelanau Peninsula are varied, with bedrock mainly of granite and limestone, a clay-based subsoil and top soils of sand and gravelly loam.