ABOUT US

Our Story

Our winemaking journey began in 2009 when friends invited us to DeWitt, Michigan, to make a couple of batches of wine together. What started as a fun evening of tasting, learning, and creating quickly turned into a passion.

A few months later, we made several more wine kits at a winery in Lapeer, Michigan. That experience confirmed what we already suspected—we were hooked. Before long, we were making wine at home, eager to learn everything we could about the craft.

What began as a hobby soon became an obsession. We spent countless hours experimenting with new grape varieties, refining our techniques, and sharing our wines with family and friends. Their enthusiasm encouraged us to dream bigger, and over time that dream grew into Unwined Winery.

Today, we're proud to handcraft a diverse selection of wines, craft beers & hard ciders, all made on-site in Shelby Township, Michigan. Whether you're stopping in for a tasting, attending one of our many events, or simply sharing a bottle with friends, we invite you to become part of our story—one glass at a time. 🍷🍺🍎

Meet Jill & Mark Thomas

Jill and Mark Thomas share a passion for the art of winemaking. They enjoy every step of the process—from selecting and blending grapes to experimenting with new flavors—and take the greatest satisfaction in watching others enjoy the finished product.

Their favorite style of wine is a bold, dry red, especially a well-crafted Malbec. When they're not creating new wines or welcoming guests in the tasting room, you'll likely find them on the golf course or relaxing at home, binge-watching a new series with family.

Their dedication to quality, creativity, and hospitality is at the heart of everything you'll experience at Unwined Winery / Belching Monk Brewing.

Meet Kurt & Diane Teller

Kurt and Diane Teller love every aspect of the winemaking journey, but their favorite days are taste-testing new creations and bottling the finished wines. They especially enjoy inviting friends to the winery to sample the latest batches, turning bottling days into memorable gatherings filled with laughter, great conversation, and, of course, great wine.

When it comes to favorites, Kurt enjoys bold, dry reds and port-style wines, with Orange Chocolate Port at the top of his list. Diane prefers smooth, fruit-forward red blends, especially Boomerang and Indigenous.

When they're not crafting wine, beer, or cider—or welcoming guests in the tasting room—you'll most likely find them on the golf course or spending quality time with family and friends. Their passion for hospitality and creating memorable experiences is a big part of what makes Unwined Winery / Belching Monk Brewing feel like home.

Unwined Winery is comprised of two couples and long-time friends, Kurt & Diane Teller and Mark & Jill Thomas. The Tellers’ and Thomas’ started making wine in 2009 using home kits from various Michigan wineries.

The hobby and experimentation turned into more when we were pleasantly surprised by how well the final product turned out.

Now we are happy to share our product with fellow wine enthusiasts and Michigan locals since we opened the doors in February of 2019. Read more about the Tellers and Thomases and our friendship below.

Kurt & Diane Teller and Mark & Jill Thomas have been good friends since 2006 when we joined a church small group together. We’ve raised our four children through their teen years together, we golf together, went on mission trips together, vacation together and started making wine together. So why not go into business together?

We found out how fun it is to make wine with friends.

Now we want to share our wine with everyone who wants to UNWINED and enjoy a good glass of wine with their friends. We don’t claim to be wine experts or to know everything about making wine but we do want to share what we have learned over the years with others who love wine.

We love wine, we love making wine and now we want to share what we love with you.