Maxwell Eichberg

Stranger Wine Co. is a family-owned micro-winery in Buchanan, Michigan, rooted in the Lake Michigan Shore AVA. Founded in 2021 by husband-and-wife team Maxx Eichberg and Sidney Finan, the winery sprang from their shared passion for wine and agriculture and a quest to “find meaning in an otherwise meaningless world” through winemaking.

The couple purchased the historic 15-acre Avonlea Estate vineyard in 2021, choosing Michigan for its untapped potential as a wine region. Notably, they originally planned to start a winery in Oregon, but after working a harvest in southwest Michigan and recognizing the area’s promise (and relative climate stability amid West Coast wildfires), they decided to put down roots in Michigan instead. They farm regeneratively, implementing a biologically intensive spray program, and minimal intervention winemaking in the cellar (native yeasts, no racking, thoughtful elevage, neutral oak).