Michigan vineyard owner was a wine visionary

The Michigan wine industry lost a pioneer with the passing of David Frederick Upton of Tabor Hill Winery in Buchanan, Mich.

Mr. Upton, 87, died of congestive heart failure on Saturday, Jan. 31, 2009, at University Hospital in Ann Arbor.

He leaves behind a legacy of philanthropy, commitment to the University of Michigan and a genuine love of the wine business.

Taking possession of Tabor Hill in 1978, along with all its debts, he retooled the bankrupt winery and turned it into a model for the rest of the industry. He also used his influence to give the wineries a voice in Lansing by pushing for the establishment of the Michigan Grape & Wine Industry Council in 1985.

Upton is preceded in death by his first wife, Harriet, in 1985. He is survived by wife Linda and two sons, Ben and David; two daughters, Betsy Stover and Margy Trumbull, and 13 grandchildren.

The funeral will be private. A memorial service at the vineyard is planned for May.