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Wine bottles cover a section of the floor of d'Vine Wines at the new Flint Farmer's Market. The 2014 awards from the Michigan Grape and Wine Industry Council can help consumers choose which Michigan wines to try. Samuel Wilson | MLive.com

(Samuel Wilson)

Looking for the best bottles of Michigan wines?

The state's Grape and Wine Industry Council in an award ceremony last week recognized eight wines that topped the annual competition with "best of class" awards.

Council Program Manager Linda Jones said the 2013 Michigan Wine Competition reception, which took place at the Kellogg Center in East Lansing, drew a crowd of 350 people. Nationally, Michigan is gaining some recognition when it comes to quality wines.

"Michigan is in the top 10 wine producing states in the country. Wine is produced in all 50 states. And Michigan's reputation for quality fruit production makes it an ideal location for growing wine grapes," Jones said.

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The eight wines below earned 'Best of Class' status in the 2014 Michigan Wine Competition:

• The Peach Cremant from 45 North Vineyard & Winery in Lake Leelanau

• The 2013 Riesling Semi Dry from Gill's Pier Vineyard & Winery in Leland

• The 2012 AZO Red from Lawton Ridge Winery in Kalamazoo

• The 2012 Cabernet Franc from Peninsula Cellars on the Old Mission Peninsula

• The 2011 Brut from Aurora Cellars on the Leelanau Peninsula

• The 2012 Arcturos Winter Harvest Riesling from Black Star Farms in Suttons Bay

• The 2013 Riesling from Blustone Vineyards in Lake Leelanau

• The 2013 Cabernet Franc Rosé from Chateau de Leelanau Winery & Vinyard in Suttons Bay

These wines were awarded Double Gold awards:

• The Peach Cremant from 45 North Vineyard & Winery in Lake Leelanau

• The 2012 Arcturos Riesling from Black Star Farms in Suttons Bay

• The 2013 Arcturos Pinot Blanc from Black Star Farms in Suttons Bay

• The 2013 Pinot Grigio from Boathouse Vineyards in Lake Leelanau

• The 2013 Vignoles from Cody Kresta Vineyard & Winery in Paw Paw

• The 42 Ice Wine from Fenn Valley Vineyards in Fennville

• The 2013 Riesling Semi Dry from Gill's Pier Vineyard & Winery in Leland

• Consort from L Mawby in Suttons Bay

• The 2012 AZO Red from Lawton Ridge Winery in Kalamazoo

• The 2012 Cabernet Franc from Peninsula Cellars on the Old Mission Peninsula

One variety of Michigan wine that's becoming recognized in national and international wine circles is Riesling, said Tom Knighton, owner of Blustone Vineyards in Lake Leelanau. The winery's 2013 Riesling won a best of class award from the competition this year.

"Actually on a world stage, Michigan Rieslings are starting to become highly respected," Knighton said.

Riesling is a white wine known for its sweeter varieties, and many Michigan vineyards grow that grape variety.

Knighton said his winemaker has a real talent for Rieslings. In addition, the vineyard where grapes are grown features granite boulders on top of limestone. That soil gives the wine complexity and a bit of minerality, Knighton said.

Gill's Pier Vineyard & Winery in Leland won a best of class award for its 2013 Riesling Semi-Dry. Owner Ryan Sterkenburg said the good growing year meant winemakers had good, bright fruit to work with.

"The year just brought out a lot of the natural characteristics of the wine," Sterkenburg said.

Ten years ago red wines grown in Michigan weren't highly praised, Jones said, but a lot has changed in a decade. Michigan doesn't do the full-bodied reds California is known for, because those grape varietals don't grow well here. But the most widely planted grape varietal in Michigan now is Pinot Noir, used for a lighter-bodied red.

Lawton Ridge Winery, of Kalamazoo, won a best of class award for its 2012 AZO Red. The letters are the airport call code for Kalamazoo, said winery co-owner Crick Haltom. It's a semi-dry red blend.

"What we work toward is making well balanced, food friendly wines," Haltom said.

In other words, they've got a place on the table as part of a meal.

All the wineries mentioned in this article have tasting rooms, and owners encouraged people to drop by to experience some wines and also some expertise. Jones said it was a good starting point to figure out your wine preferences.

"The best way to learn about which Michigan wines you like is to visit Michigan winery tasting rooms," Jones said.

And the tasting rooms are increasingly a tourist destination. Asked if people from out of state stopped in, Haltom didn't have to look far.

"There are some people in the tasting room right now from Minnesota. So yes, we get a lot of out of town and out of state visitors," he said.

Jones said one of the Grape and Wine Industry Council's most popular features is a web page that lets you map out winery tours.

And increasingly Michiganders want to purchase Michigan wines as well.

"The trend toward supporting local businesses has been very beneficial to the Michigan wine industry," Jones said.

The Grape and Wine Industry Council encourages restaurants to include Michigan wines on their wine lists, and identifies those that do on its website.

One thing to watch for when selecting wines is the year, Jones said, because the weather and grape differences change the flavor of a wine. Jones said all 53 Gold Medal and Double Gold Medal wines deserved a try, and certainly the best of class winners.

"We encourage consumers to use the results as a way to evaluate or try some new wines knowing that these wines have already been vetted by wine experts," Jones said.

Emily Lawler is a Capital/Lansing business reporter for MLive. You can reach her at elawler@mlive.com, subscribe to her on Facebook or follow her on Twitter: @emilyjanelawler.