An Ypsilanti firefighter for almost 20 years and currently a private investigator, Wells' dream is to turn his Munger Road property into an all-encompassing winery, complete with tours of his five-acre vineyard. He said right now, however, his concentration is on determining just what grapes will grow best on his land.

Wells built the house where he and his wife, Anne, and their two children, Spenser, 8, and Caitlin, 5, now live. He said that he's always been a connoisseur of wine and that's what led to his interest in the wine making process.

That interest also led him to pursue a formal education in enology, the science of wine; and viticulture, the science of grape-growing; at Michigan State University in Lansing. This past spring, he finished his studies and in June he planted his vineyard.

With five rolling acres, Wells planted more than 3,000 vines. He spent two days planting the vineyard with some help from friends from school. On the third day, he received help from a migrant agency and continued to work on his own from 7:30 p.m. to 1 a.m. in the morning, while Anne held a flashlight.

Now that the plants are in, it's a wait-and-see process. This year's vines, he said, are an experiment of sorts. He has planted 12 varieties of fruit that fall under three categories - vinifera, which are primarily European varieties, American varieties and varieties that are a hybrid of both. His goal is to see what will grow best. Wells will then replant the heartiest varieties and continue to discard the fruit for the next few years to encourage vine growth, which he said is a constant process of maintenance. "Growing grapes in the summer is not a problem," he said. "The problem is what will survive winter and next spring's frost. It's a real learning curve for me. Every vine is its own individual. I can't go outside and pick all of the fruit in one day. It's constant. I'm constantly looking for the stuff."

That's not to say there isn't a great deal of additional work ahead for Wells. He'll spend the winter building the trellises that he will eventually have to tie at least two canes from every vine to. He also will spend the growth years amassing the equipment that he will need to produce the wine.

His reason for growing in Michigan is that it's where he grew up and it's relatively new territory for wine growers. With only as many as 45 wineries in the state, he feels he can have a greater impact locally. "I think for a guy like me I can do a lot in a local market. Everything is on the west side of the state. Most of that draws from Chicago. Here I can draw more from Toledo, Ann Arbor and Detroit. This is new territory. One thing I've found in going to school is that it's like having my own experiment station. I can see what works not only in a geographic area, but in this specific site. What grows next-door may not grow here. Soil is so different acre to acre," he said.

He's grateful to have had the education because, through that, he has made contacts with nearly every grower in Michigan and is able to call anyone throughout the state with questions and concerns. Unfortunately, he said, the program will disband after this year because of lack of funding. The last class, however, was able to come down and see his vineyard in August.

As far as what types of wines Wells prefers, he said he likes a lot of varieties. "I'm flexible. I like just about everything. I don't think there is anything I don't like. I like sweet. I like dry. I have a real appreciation for a lot of different kinds of wine," he said.

As his vineyard takes shape, he keeps his mind on what types of wine he would prefer to offer. He said Anne helps by offering her opinion as well, and while the children are too young to drink wine, they are able to offer a keen sense of smell, which Wells said he is lacking because of his many years of fighting fires. "I have to say I drink a glass of wine every day. I'm always evaluating, trying things to see what I like and don't like," said Wells.

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