Pleasant Valley Farm and Vineyard south of Hart recently brought home a gold medal for their Cabernet Franc from the Taste Michigan Governor’s Cup competition. For Pleasant Valley’s Sorensen family, this win is not only a treasured accolade but also an affirmation that they are fulfilling one of the three focuses they set for themselves upon opening the winery: create a good product, provide a great experience and preserve the family’s personal enjoyment in the business.
The Taste Michigan Governor’s Cup is a competition held annually by the Michigan Wine Collaborative, offering wineries across the state to showcase their product and compare it to their peers in Michigan’s ever-growing wine industry. 2025 saw 125 products from 33 different wineries enter and compete. Pleasant Valley’s 2022 Cab Franc ranked 31, with a total score of 92 out of 100, placing it in the upper echelon amongst some of the oldest wineries in the state and juggernaut favorites of Traverse City fame.
This is Pleasant Valley’s second time participating in the competition, and their previous year’s entry did not fare as well. So to see such exponential improvement, owner and vintner Theresa Sorensen said the win “to us, makes this even better.” The Sorensens admit that wine is a fickle product and the outcome is highly dependent on factors like the weather, the health of the vines, the aging process and even the transportation of the finished product.
Theresa describes the challenges Michigan wineries face when it comes to making wine of the Cab Franc variety. The variety of grapes that make up a Cab Franc - and lend its name to its distinction of wine - is Vinifera, which prefers ample sun and a long growing season, factors that are not always dependable in Michigan’s climate, even for the Michigan “wine country” in the Northwest and Southeast.
Another important distinction which sets Pleasant Valley apart from its competition is that not only did they win with grapes notoriously challenging to grow in the area, but that they are an “estate” winery. Theresa and her daughter Christine Goss explained that, to be considered an estate wine, the product must be made entirely in-house. “We grow our grapes, we pick them, process them, ferment them - we make the wine only from our grapes. We don’t buy juice from anywhere else.”
Theresa’s husband, Bob, sums it up simply: “From vine to bottle, it’s all [made] right here.”
The Sorensens are well on their way to ensuring their goal of providing the community with quality products continues to be fulfilled. Their other focus - to provide customers with a great experience - is also given particular attention. The vineyard, grown on the Sorensen family farm purchased in 1912 by Bob’s grandmother, is nestled on the bank of Crystal Lake. A drive of less than 15 minutes will find guests amongst a veritable paradise of vines, blueberry bushes and picturesque barns, all sitting resplendently above and an unbeatable view of the water. The scene is more than enough competition for even the most photo-worthy wineries on the Old Mission Peninsula up north.
Pleasant Valley’s tasting room is a wide, open-concept pole barn with plenty of seating for any large group that visits to experience the wine, which are paired with a variety of snacks from local sources and businesses. Fenn Valley Winery of Fennville, Michigan is a friend of Pleasant Valley, providing advice as well as cider to round out the beverage selection. Even the dog treats available for purchase are packaged by family members. “That was our emphasis, to try and keep it local,” says Christine, to which her father adds, “And family friendly!”
For the Sorensens, an important aspect of delivering a memorable experience is ensuring the whole family can enjoy a trip to the winery. There’s a mini putt-putt green, lawn games, the aforementioned variety of food and an entire farm for visitors to mill around and enjoy. One way Pleasant Valley is drawing in repeat visitors this summer is providing live music every Saturday for locals and long-term vacationers of all ages and tastes to enjoy - all with no cover charge. This was important to Pleasant Valley, as a family business operating on a family farm.
Theresa wears many hats, but mainly doubles as the administrative engine who keeps the business in proper working order, as well as the ambitious vintner keeping the plants healthy, making the product and compiling new tips and tricks about this particular, centuries-old facet of agriculture. There would be no Pleasant Valley without her.
Bob, is a former business owner (the winery is a retirement hobby) who collaborates with Theresa in running Pleasant Valley, vision-making and heads the important job of spraying the fields. “I like to cut grass. I like to spray. I like to be on my tractor. But to do all that other stuff [the administrative work]... I’m retired!”
The hands-on groundskeeping is done in major part by their son, Paul. Christine takes care of the marketing department, does the taxes and covers any job that involves a computer, an aspect easily done from her home in Chicago. She’s also the one who provides her parents with an essential enrichment: grandchildren.
Even Christine’s young sons participate in the family business when they stay for the summer, and with it are gaining an appreciation for where their food comes from. They also inspired the family-friendly direction of the winery. “I really, really love that they can understand and see how things are made,” Christine said. “(They) understand how fruit grows and that it's not just going to show up on your table.”
“Everyone’s got their work to do, and it's a lot of fun,” Bob concludes.
When asked if they have plans to enter in other competitions, the Sorensens explain how they’re taking it slow, building up confidence in their wines, and - once that’s established - then expanding beyond the Governor’s Cup. Bob explains that “any business is as good as their product… We want to continue to make this a destination for people and grow that organically through word of mouth and a good product.
“We are not focused on anything other than continuing that sense of a good product, great experience and something that we enjoy doing. If any one of those three falls, we’re not that interested in proceeding. Our direction is trying to accomplish those three things.
“In the end, this is our family that does this. When we decided to try doing this, we had no idea how much we’d like it… Thankfully, it’s become a labor of love…”
Therein lies the final focus of Pleasant Valley Winery. Family is the first priority, and the Sorensens' dedication and honor to their family is expressed in every aspect of the business, even down to the wine bottles, which sport silhouettes of Bob’s grandmother, Theresa’s grandfather and even one of their dogs.
The Governor’s Cup gold medal is not just a win for Pleasant Valley Farm and Vineyard, but this community as a whole, who get to enjoy this highly awarded product and slice of wine country nestled in their own backyard.
