Our Story
Forty Pearl is a sensory Pure Michigan experience in the heart of Downtown Grand Rapids. Our mission is to showcase the finest Michigan wines by pairing them with adventurous bites, sourcing seasonal ingredients locally. We are a collective of Michigan-based winemakers, chefs, story tellers, and characters.
Originally opened by Ed and Robert Brengman as a tasting room to showcase their award-winning wines and bring a taste of Traverse City to Grand Rapids, Forty Pearl has grown to be so much more with the partnership of Brengman Brothers and our culinary team.
We’d put Michigan up with the best of ‘em for producing some of the finest wine, and food and we strive to showcase this in every glass and plate served.
40 Pearl St. NW, Grand Rapids MI | 616-608-7741 | Josh@fortypearlgr.com
Our grandparents, Peter and Augusta (Gusi) Brengman, were Detroit area hospitality celebrities. Pete operated the famous Continental Bowl for three decades. Grandma Gusi served as queen of our large Catholic immediate family. Her daily routine would begin each day with mass and then off for an 8-hour shift to lead the kitchen crew at our family’s ‘Captain’ restaurants.Our love for hospitality and sharing the finer things can surely be traced through our DNA. We were firmly taught that hospitality is both a human virtue and a vocation demanding that people be simultaneously skilled, compelling, and fascinating individuals.
The two brothers, Ed and Robert, began the dream in 2003 with the purchase of Crain Hill Vineyard and have experienced growth and success in every year of operation. We owe most of it to our focus and results to deliver delicious, enthusiastic, authentic, interesting, and energetic experiences to our guests.
Our staff at both the winery and Forty Pearl are people who care about fine wine, local food, and the history and practices of which are all important for Brengman Brothers focus in creating a five-star experience.
Art at Forty Pearl
Superb assembly of works by Robert Brengman
“What I produce bears traces of my life and what I see through the winery” the Leelanau naturalist artist/winemaker says about his work. A selection of 20 works by Brengman covers the experiences of the growing, winemaking, the cool people that have entered into the scene and memories of holiday time away from the special place.
On Display July 10 thru Oct 2
Evening with the Artist at Forty Pearl
Wednesday July 26, 3:00 till 7:00
We encourage you to make a reservation for dinner and come early to look at the art with the artist who will be pouring complimentary samples of the newly released Brengman Brothers wines while telling the stories about the art.
