St. Charles Winery makes a name in the land of breweries

MARQUETTE — Marquette County has breweries as far as the eye can see, and St. Charles Winery stands alone. They opened in 2012, and while they may be the only winery around, they came from humble beginnings.

“I had a roommate back in the day and we just wanted to find a cheaper way to get alcohol and that’s basically where the hobby comes from when you talk to most people,” Randy St. Charles chuckled.

Humble beginnings aside, Randy knows what he’s doing.He’s been making wine for around seventeen years and makes everything right here in Marquette using water from Lake Superior. Their signature keeps it local too.

“It’s a pomegranate zinfandel and three dollars of every bottle goes to UPAWS. We’ve been able to raise about $2,700 since we’ve opened for UPAWS,” Randy added.

Of course, Marquette is well known for it’s beer culture. With six breweries within seventeen miles, it hasn’t always been easy for Randy to get the St. Charles name out there.

“Winery is not the easiest business at all. One of the main reasons I like doing it is the production. It’s kind of calming. It’s kind of a unique thing to do, you’re actually physically making something,” Randy said.

Sometimes a little change can be a good thing. And, if you’re looking for something unique, St. Charles will soon release their Yooper Tropics Sauna Heat. It’s a Pineapple Mango wine with a kick of jalapeno.