FOUNDER | SENIOR WINE MAKER | An educator at his core, Charlie loves discussing wine with anyone who’s interested and believes wholly that when it comes to pairing food and wine there are no rules. It’s a matter of personal taste. Charlie has a PhD in viticulture and oenology from Michigan State University and worked as an academic winemaker and research oenologist, traveling to wine regions around the world before starting Bel Lago Vineyards in 1992. Charlie believes good wine starts in the vineyard and has spent years painstakingly managing Bel Lago’s vineyard and working hand in hand, first with Tomas Moreno Senior, and now his son Tomas Moreno Junior who oversees all vineyard activity. Charlie has a passion for our region and its unique terroir and you can taste it in our wines.

Dr. Charlie Edson

FOUNDER | SENIOR WINE MAKER

Established in 1992, Bel Lago began serving wine on the edge of Lake Leelanau in 1999

Today, our northern Michigan winery is known for crafting flavorful and complex red, white and sparkling wines. 

We take pride in growing over 100+ varieties of grapes at our vineyards in nearby Cedar and scenic Northport near the shores of Lake Michigan. Varieties include local favorites Pinot Grigio, Blaufrankisch, Chardonnay, Cabernet Franc, Pinot Noir, Gewurztraminer and Riesling, in addition to rare varieties like Auxerrois, Siegerrebe.

With an emphasis on cultivation, we firmly believe in the adage that “wine is made in the vineyard” – and the results speak for themselves. Our attention to detail and focus on the grape sets our wine apart from other northern Michigan wineries. Stop in and taste for yourself!

United States

Bel Lago

VINEYARD MANAGER | Vineyard Manager Tomas Moreno Jr. grew up in our vines. His father Tomas Moreno Sr. worked closely with Charlie to establish our vineyards and build Bel Lago to what it is today. As Charlie tells it, Tomas Sr was even more stringent in the care of the vines and training of his crew that even he was and his tutelage is apparent in Tomas’s knowledge of viticulture and vineyard management. Tomas Sr worked until his death at the age of 82. At that time Tomas Jr. took the reins and has been overseeing all vineyard management and working closely with our winemaking team to ensure our grapes our picked at the height of ripeness. At Bel Lago “good wine starts in the vineyard” and it’s because of all the Moreno Family has contributed to our vineyards that this remains true. 

Tomas Moreno Jr

VINEYARD MANAGER

WINEMAKER | Kyle has a Bachelor’s degree in journalism from Michigan State University and spent many years writing for papers such as the Lansing City Pulse and Big Rapids Pioneer. Although Kyle’s love and appreciation for journalism will always remain, he sought a new challenge in 2013. Seeking to reconnect with his years of hospitality experience cooking in restaurants and experimenting with homebrewing, Kyle accepted an opportunity to work alongside his lifelong friend and winemaker, Blake Lougheed, at Bel Lago Vineyard and Winery. Since then, Kyle has worked his way up from a cellar assistant, to winemaker under the apprenticeship of Lougheed and Bel Lago Founder Charlie Edson. From picking to pressing, fermenting to bottling, Kyle performs and oversees every part of Bel Lago’s winemaking process.

Kyle Leppek

Winemaker

HEAD WINEMAKER | Blake holds a Bachelor of Science degree from Michigan State University and as soon as he starts talking about wine it’s evident that he is a scientist at heart. A private wine tour with Blake will leave you feeling  as though you just left the lecture hall after a great presentation - fascinated, entertained and smarter than you were before. He’s a wealth of information and can talk about wine all day long. Blake plays a pivotal role in our winemaking team. He contributes to our own wine production, oversees the production of wines for other companies, manages our bottling schedule and assists with the label design and approval process and much more. When he’s not making outstanding wine with our team at Bel Lago, he’s working on a new role : Dad to baby Judd.

Bel Lago

United States

Dr. Charlie Edson

FOUNDER | SENIOR WINE MAKER

Vintages Produced