Meet Analisa Leppanen of Golden Muse Winery

Today we’d like to introduce you to Analisa Leppanen.  

Hi Analisa, it’s an honor to have you on the platform. Thanks for taking the time to share your story with us – to start, maybe you can share some of your backstories with our readers.
In my 20s, I was a flamenco dancer in Chicago and California and then switched to academia. I have a master’s in History of Religions from University of Chicago, a master’s in Art History from UIC, and a Ph.D. in Art History/Visual Studies from the University of California, Irvine. I taught at universities in California and Chicago for close to 30 years and published numerous books and articles. In 2016, I was going through a crisis in my life and looking for a new direction, so I moved to southwest Michigan and started taking classes in the wine and viticulture program at LMC. I was inspired by the program director Mike Moyer; he radiated such leadership, passion, and kindness. I also passed my level one sommelier exam with the Court of Master Sommeliers. I found that I enjoyed tasting wine and discerning the nuances of flavor and structure and that I could even imagine the terroir of a particular wine in my mind’s eye. This was an ah-ha moment for me as I realized that wine & viticulture not only involved science but also art and intuition. For my wine business class, I had to develop a concept for a wine-related business, and I decided to create a business inspired by the Golden Age of Paris – the late 19th and early 20th centuries. As an art historian, this was one of my favorite eras. This class project became the kernel of the business that I recently opened to the public: Golden Muse Winery. 

Alright, so let’s dig a little deeper into the story – has it been an easy path overall, and if not, what were the challenges you’ve had to overcome?
My mother, Marianne Leppanen, has been working with me on starting Golden Muse Winery. We found a building in downtown Baroda and started the renovation just prior to the outbreak of Covid. Trying to renovate an old machine shop and start a winery during Covid has been one of the biggest challenges of my life: the slow pace, the backlog in materials, the shortage of workers, and just trying to renovate a building that needed so much work really put me to the test. Three years later, we opened our tasting room to the public. We recently completed the construction of our patio overlooking Lemon Creek. But I realized that the slow pace had a silver lining: we were able to fully think through our decisions, and we made so many good friends and allies along the way. 

Great, so let’s talk business. Can you tell our readers more about what you do and what you think sets you apart from others?
Golden Muse Winery is a small winery in downtown Baroda, in the heart of the Lake Michigan Shore American Viticultural Area. We specialize in small-batch European-style wines made primarily from Michigan grapes and produced here in Michigan. The decor of our tasting room resembles a mixture of steampunk/Moulin Rouge in style. I wanted visitors to feel as if they had entered a completely different time and place when they step through our front door. Even our telephone is 1920s in style! There’s a model ship hanging from the ceiling, 100-year-old foundry molds decorate the walls, and the bar is white oak married with concrete. We have a combination of rugged industrial elements, such as our pub tables made with tires, and also luxe elements, such as our blue velvet Victorian couch and antique chandeliers. Probably the most unique aspect of Golden Muse is our 1,200-square-foot art gallery adjacent to the tasting room. The core of the collection was assembled in the 1990s when my mother, Marianne Leppanen, and I owned a gallery in Chicago’s West Loop that specialized in ecological art (art that is inspired by nature uses natural materials and/or found objects to repurpose as art). The gallery is comprised of the work of over 30 International artists. For example, Munir Eltobgi is originally from Egypt, and Maureen Warren was a Fulbright scholar in Italy. Having this gallery on view to the public is almost like having a little art museum in Southwest Michigan – except you can drink at this one! We also have a small stage and will be scheduling performances in the near future. 

Can you talk to us a bit about happiness and what makes you happy?
When I see people walk through the front door and admire the beautiful space that we have created and taste our delicious wines, that makes me happy. Many of our visitors tell me that they love the vibe at Golden Muse and that this has been the most unique winery visit they’ve ever had. When I hear that, I know that all the hard work was worthwhile. 

Pricing:

• Wine flight: 4 wines, 2 oz pours, $15
• Bottle pricing: $18 – $36

Contact Info:

• Website: goldenmusewinery.com
• Instagram: goldenmusewinery
• Facebook: goldenmusewinery

Image Credits
Analisa Leppanen
Ian Thompson
Courtney Shinaberry