Paw Paw, Mich.—David Braganini, third generation president of St. Julian Winery in Paw Paw, Mich., died unexpectedly at age 65 in July. His grandfather, Mariano Meconi started a winery in Windsor, Ontario in 1921, and after Prohibition ended, moved the winery first to Detroit and then to Paw Paw in 1936.

Braganini started work at the winery after graduating from Kings College in 1973 and became the winery’s president in 1983. Under Braganini’s leadership, the winery transitioned from producing only sweet wines made from labrusca grapes to making a wide variety of all styles of wine, including dry table wines made from Michigan-grown fruit. Today St. Julian Winery is both Michigan’s oldest winery and its largest, producing 250,000 cases per year.

According to Nancie Corum Oxley, St. Julian’s winemaker, Braganini was instrumental in getting satellite tasting rooms approved in Michigan and in pushing for the legislation to allow wineries to produce spirits. Braganini is survived by his daughter, Angela; two sisters and two brothers.