DETROIT, MI -- With Belle Isle's future undecided, a Michigan winemaker and his business partner are

on the island.

One basic question that's come up: Can wine grapes grow through Detroit's winters?

Blake Kownacki, of Detroit City Cellars, says absolutely. Not only do climate maps show the moderating affects of the Great Lakes on Detroit's Belle Isle, there's a more than 300-year-old written account that grapes were plentiful on the island.

Father Louis Hennepin, who documented Robert Caveliar LaSalle's journey to Detroit in 1679, wrote (the quote has also been attribute to Caveliar):

Kownacki will join MLive on Thursday at noon for a live chat about his wine ambitions for Belle Isle and Detroit. Join us to ask questions about the Detroit City Cellars' proposal, or submit questions in the comments and we'll pose them to Kownacki tomorrow.

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