Exaltation of the Grape
Great wine exalts great cuisine, and great cuisine exalts great wine. Join this evolving positive symbiosis at Brengman Family Wines with our nationally acclaimed winemakers and renowned local Chef Seth Thomas.
When you join our table, you are Family. Our Estate Experience puts the Grown-here, Crafted-here (and yes, Exalted-here) in your glass and on your plate. Cafe Exalt! at Brengman provides our guests with exceptional wines, spirits and fresh ingredients that complement our beautiful venue. Our distinctive catalog of fine wines and spirits are under our total control from soil to bottle.
Our Menu
Our menu is driven by the passion of our culinary team, who engage life experiences and world flavors using local seasonal resources. We take pride in crafting “from scratch” what we present because that is how it must be done. And we do it well.
Executive Chef
Seth Thomas
Executive Chef Seth Thomas is a Michigan native who started at the nationally known Northern Michigan College Culinary program, he learned for seven years as sous chef for legendary local master chefs at two of our area’s greatest restaurants. Thomas says, “I learned a lot about everything from Asian to French, and the incredible — almost infinite — potential of fusion.”
He, Maddie, 6-year-old daughter, and Bernese Mountain dog, George, live in the Long Lake area.
The Brengman Cuisine Team Leader is acclaimed in the region and has the talent to take us to new heights. His long-term goal for Brengman is to create a new menu around the wine and food pairings focusing on fresh. Brengman makes the finest wines, and Thomas says he will create cuisine to soar to new heights.
Thomas’ philosophy includes foraging the wild fields and forests around the vineyards. Terroir is not just for vines, but for everything that grows. Even garnish and decorations from the grounds can add connectivity and good karma to the experience. Our philosophy is to relate the dish to the land in every way possible. Brengman will grow a portion of produce and flowers while continuing to buy from area farmers and bakers.