Meet our
winemaking team.
DOUG MATTHIES
Doug Matthies, a life-long resident of Leelanau County, helped his family hand-plant their first vineyard in 1989. From that experience grew his desire to devote his future to the development of a strong, thriving wine industry in Leelanau County, seeing clients through the entire winemaking process from vineyard installation to the bottling of hundreds of award-winning wines.
Big Paw Vineyard Services, first established to assist in managing his family’s farm and the first custom vineyard management operation in northern Michigan, quickly grew as the wine industry expanded in the region. The business’s growth soon allowed him to dedicate his time fully to vineyard management. His hands-on experience and decades of vineyard work have allowed him to develop the best practices for growing the exceptional fruit.
In 2009, he founded the state’s first dedicated custom crush winery, French Road Cellars, with his wife, Laura, to provide custom winemaking services. Together they’ve worked with clients to custom-build unique wines suited to each clients’ wants and needs. FRC clients have received multiple international wine competition honors, including Best of Class and Best of Show.
CHARLIE SCHMIDT
Winemaker Charlie Schmidt has been working in Michigan’s wine industry for over a decade. His experience on both the growing and winemaking sides have given him a distinct perspective on growing grapes and developing them into the very best wines. Over the years he’s worked with the Matthies family to develop specialized techniques and processes that make the most of the wonderful fruit this region produces, creating wonderfully varied wines to suit every palate.
In his time off, Charlie enjoys traveling and spending time outdoors with his wife, Megan, and their two sons, Aiden and Cole.
MITCHELL HERMAN
Assistant Winemaker Mitchell Herman joined French Road Cellars as a cellar worker in 2013. A lifelong Leelanau County resident and generational farmer, he began working on his family’s cherry farm at a young age. Mitchell’s father, Kevin, was a scouting agent for northern Michigan vineyards, and passed along his knowledge of viticulture to his son.
During harvest, Mitchell is in charge of the crushpad outside, coordinating the pressing and filtering of incoming fruit. Beyond that, he assists with fermentations and filtering, and runs the bottling line.
Mitchell spends his spare time with his wife, two sons, and two Golden Retrievers, enjoying all the outdoor activities Northern Michigan has to offer.
