ALUMNI FEATURE
Roots Run Deep
Rove Winery owners reflect on farming, winemaking and family life in Northern Michigan
STORY BY ALEX PRIEBE '24 / PHOTOS BY KENDRA STANLEY-MILLS / VIDEOS BY TONY PACKER
For McKenzie and Creighton Gallagher ’06, the dream of opening a winery together began with a single glass. Their first date was a wine dinner at a restaurant on Old Mission Peninsula.
“I was trying to impress her,” Creighton said.
“We were engaged six months later, so it worked!” McKenzie laughed. “That was my first real experience with wine and food at that level. It was one of those defining moments.”
Creighton and McKenzie Gallagher are the owners of Rove Winery at the Gallagher Estate. (Contributed photo by Captured By Grace Photography)
Creighton and McKenzie Gallagher are the owners of Rove Winery at the Gallagher Estate. (Contributed photo by Captured By Grace Photography)
The Gallaghers are celebrating their 10th season at Rove Winery, the farm and winery they own and operate about 15 minutes outside Traverse City. For them, Rove is their dream come true: a creative, free-flowing space to live and work alongside their children. Nestled on the highest hill of the Leelanau Peninsula, the Gallaghers carry on a tradition of farming that has been in their family for five generations.
A purpose-driven life
Growing up in Northern Michigan, Creighton spent his summers picking cherries on his family farm with his siblings and father. After graduating from Grand Valley in 2006 with a bachelor's degree in accounting, Creighton returned to his hometown to help bottle wine at a vineyard on the Old Mission Peninsula and fell in love with winemaking. Recalling the smells of the cellar, Creighton said the experience was a full-circle moment.
Creighton Gallagher ‘06 harvests grapes at their vineyard. (Contributed photo by Captured By Grace Photography)
Creighton Gallagher ‘06 harvests grapes at their vineyard. (Contributed photo by Captured By Grace Photography)
“Looking outside at these vineyards that used to be cherry orchards, I thought, ’It doesn’t get much better than this,’“ he said. “Taking your product, adding value to it, keeping it on your property and selling it at your price with your branding.”
McKenzie and Creighton’s passion for making wine grew into a dream of owning a farm and winery where they could live a purpose-driven life as a family. In 2010, they purchased a piece of the Gallagher family farm and began planting grapes.
Although their five children are not yet old enough to drink wine, the Gallaghers have found many ways to involve them in the family business, particularly at harvest time.
“They love eating the grapes,” said Creighton. “It takes six months to get the grapes fully ripened. It gives them perspective, appreciation and patience.”
The Gallaghers encourage their children to put their unique fingerprints on Rove, with the hope that, one day, they will carry the business forward. This summer, their 17-year-old son is working his first season in the tasting room, while their youngest, at just 15-months-old, can be spotted crawling across the floor. One of their daughters, who loves horses, is dreaming up a wine experience in the vineyard on horseback.
“We feel extremely blessed and privileged to carry on this lifestyle and raise our children in this environment,” said McKenzie. “Farming is a good life teacher.”
Farming challenges and opportunities
Rove opened in 2016 as the Gallaghers anticipated their first crop of grapes. That winter, however, a polar vortex swept through the state, killing their vines. Rove lost its entire crop, as did many other Michigan wineries.
“It was like the universe was saying, ‘Hey, this is what you’re up against,’” said Creighton.
Creighton Gallagher ‘06 uses a tractor to mechanically weed their vineyard.
Creighton Gallagher ‘06 uses a tractor to mechanically weed their vineyard.
To survive that first year, the Gallaghers got resourceful. They worked with a grower in Washington to bring in grapes to produce their first batch of wines.
Creighton said his experience at Grand Valley helped prepare him to be an entrepreneur. “GVSU taught me discipline, time management, accountability and how to navigate challenges. These are skills that were essential in starting and running my own business,” he said.
“Farm life is not for the faint of heart,” said McKenzie. “You have to be in it 100%. It’s a lifestyle. It takes a surprising amount of faith in Mother Nature.”
While farming comes with its share of challenges, the Gallaghers said each season also brings its own blessings. During the COVID-19 pandemic, membership to their Rove Nation wine club tripled. In 2024, an unseasonably warm and dry autumn yielded their best crop yet.
“I was walking through the vineyard and it was like the vines were singing,” said Creighton. “We’ve got some really exciting wines in the barrel right now.”
Michigan-made wine
Rove is located in the Traverse Wine Coast, a cool climate growing region with unique soil and sediment from paths carved by ancient glaciers. The vineyards are spread across 35 acres and five main sites, including gravel, clay, sandy lawn and various elevations. Those nuances, or “terroir,” create different impacts on the wine, which they produce in intentionally small batches.
“Everything we do, from growing grapes to bottling wine, happens right here in Northern Michigan,” said Creighton. “We're proud to be stewards of that land, preserving it and building on what those before us started.
A migrant farmworker prunes grape vines in the Rove Winery vineyard early in the growing season.
A migrant farmworker prunes grape vines in the Rove Winery vineyard early in the growing season.
"Being 100% Michigan-made isn’t just about local pride, it’s about honoring our roots, supporting our community and creating something lasting for the next generation.”
The Gallaghers said many customers visiting from out of state are surprised to learn that Michigan has wine. Today, more than half of Rove’s wine club members are from outside Michigan.
“We’re growing consistent vintages of these spectacular wines,” Creighton said. “Refreshingly crisp whites and lighter bodied reds that are delicate, soft and warm — different altogether than what people are used to.”
Farm first
McKenzie and Creighton approach Rove as “farm first,” tying every aspect of the business back to the land. That commitment begins in the vineyard, where they have moved away from synthetic fertilizers and herbicides in favor of more sustainable methods, including a mechanical weeder, to care for their farm.
“The soil is healthier, the vines are healthier and the fruit is so much better,” Creighton said.
They also look to their farm for creative inspiration. The logo and label design for Rove came from observing the natural patterns, colors and rhythm of the land.
Rows of wine are ready for sale inside the Rove Winery at the Gallagher Estate wine tasting room.
Rows of wine are ready for sale inside the Rove Winery at the Gallagher Estate wine tasting room.
“Creighton is the bridge between being out in the vines, working the land and our team inside selling the wine,” McKenzie said. “That connection is critical. It keeps our brand rooted in the real work behind every bottle. Mother Nature is always our guide, and everything we do, from branding to winemaking, is about showcasing the special connection between vine and glass.”
To protect their land for future generations, the Gallaghers recently conserved their winery property through the Leelanau Conservancy, ensuring it will remain a farm for years to come.
Making wine approachable
Once a batch of Rove wine is aged, bottled and ready to pour, guests can enjoy a glass or flight in the tasting room, a space that reflects McKenzie and Creighton’s farm-first approach.
“We want to meet people where they’re at,” McKenzie said. “I remember being intimidated by wine. Am I going to say the wrong thing? Am I swirling right?”
To create a welcoming atmosphere, Rove offers outdoor seating on their deck overlooking the rolling hills of the vineyard and farm. Throughout the year, they host live music and family-friendly events to bring the community together. In the summer, kids will play in the grassy hills surrounding the property.
Ross and Sarah Sutherin play with their 17-month-old daughter, Lenna Sutherin, along with their friend Brooke Arciniega, right, at Rove Winery.
Ross and Sarah Sutherin play with their 17-month-old daughter, Lenna Sutherin, along with their friend Brooke Arciniega, right, at Rove Winery.
The Gallaghers’ passion for wine has extended to education. They founded the Traverse Wine Institute to make learning about wine accessible to everyone. Still, McKenzie emphasized that no expertise is needed to enjoy a visit to Rove.
“You don’t have to learn about wine,” she said. “You can come in, get a flight and watch the sunset. That’s perfectly OK.”
“Everybody is welcome,” Creighton said. “Try our wines. Explore. Stay awhile.”
Learn more about the Gallaghers’ story and Rove Winery.
Giveaway!
Want a chance to win a wine tasting experience at Rove Winery? Head over to our socials by August 4 to enter to win. Good luck, Lakers!
