BARK RIVER — Northern Sun Winery has won a gold medal in international competition for its popular white wine, Brianna, at the Indy International Wine Competition in May.

Winery owners Dave and Susie Anthony say they compete in the big competitions to prove a point. Many in the wine industry have not taken wine grown in the Upper Peninsula seriously, according to a press release from the winery, and repeated wins in a serious international competition by Northern Sun is changing that perception, owners say.

“We have academic and industry folks stopping by from time to time to see if we are for real. It appears that the message is getting through,” Susie Anthony, Northern Sun’s business manager, said in the release.

In Delta County’s “Banana Belt” — an area known for its micro-climate — the vineyard sits on property with significant elevation for the county. The vineyard also benefits from a slight southern inclining slope, exposing the fruit to more direct sun.

“There is the taste of ‘U.P. Summer’ in each bottle,” winemaker Dave Anthony said in the release. “We ‘grow’ wine in the traditional manner. We don’t use any tricks like importing juice or outside wine and put our label on it as some do.”

In addition to the gold recognition for Northern Sun’s Brianna, two other popular wines from the Bark River winery were awarded at Indy: 2017 Rhubarb received a silver medal and 2017 Marquette was tapped for a bronze medal.