Though treasure-hunting on Oak Island is Marty Lagina’s main focus, he also has quite the successful family vineyard.
If you have tuned in over the last decade or so to watch the History hit show, The Curse of Oak Island, then you will likely be familiar with the incredible treasure-hunting expertise of the Lagina brothers, Marty and Rick.
The duo has set out to solve the mystery of the island’s hidden treasure once and for all.
But although this show has covered just about everything from Shakespearean literature to the Knights Templar as the Laginas search for the treasure evolves, the show did not cover Marty’s thriving side business, Mari Vineyards.
This business is named after Marty’s Italian grandmother, Teresa Mari.
Mari Vineyards from then till now
Marty’s Mari Vineyards dream started back in 1999, when this vineyard’s vines were first planted, but it has now grown into quite a popular Traverse City destination, under the guidance of winemaker, Sean O’Keefe.
Mari Vineyards boasts grape varietals such as Nebbiolo, Sangiovese, Refosco and Teroldego and produces wines ranging from Pinot Grigio to Praefectus.
However, Mari Vineyards’ shining star is its Row 7 blend, which gets its name from the haphazardly placed vines that started it all.
And of course, this vineyard has its own small connection to Marty’s lifelong treasure-hunting obsession, as its cellar features a large, painted compass, complete with its own Knights Templar red cross in the center.
Marty Lagina’s many business ventures
Maybe you need to be a bit of a dreamer to invest your savings and months of your time searching for some ancient treasure on a remote island near Nova Scotia.
But it seems like Marty has never been on the hunt for bigger and better things wherever he might find them.
Throughout his adult life, Marty has not only been the treasure-hunting reality television show star that we know and love today, but he has also had jobs (and companies) in the oil, gas, wine and now even renewable energy fields, which are listed below:
| Year | Description |
| 1977 | Marty graduates from Michigan Tech with a Bachelor of Science degree in Mechanical Engineering |
| 1979 | Marty starts working as a petroleum engineer for Amoco Production Company |
| 1982 | Marty receives his Juris Doctorate (with honor) from the University of Michigan and founds Terra Energy Ltd, his oil and gas exploration and production company |
| 2004 | Marty moves on to his new venture, Heritage Sustainable Energy |
| 2006 | Mari Vineyards launches its first official production season |
| 2014 | Marty starts filming The Curse of Oak Island |
All there is to do at Mari Vineyards
While it is quite difficult for fans of the Laginas to make their way to Oak Island, Mari Vineyards is a close second. It is even a much easier trip (in most cases) which only requires minimal travel to Grand Traverse County in Michigan.
Besides for the expected flights of wine, food and other drinks on offer, Mari Vineyards also has 73 acres of planted grapes to observe and walk through and an impressive cave system which stretches across 35 feet of the property’s underground space.
These caves are also home to the so-called Oculus, a domed room in the very center of the vineyard.
What the reviews for Mari Vineyards have to say
When asked about why he entered the business of making wine, Marty simply responded “Wine is in my blood – ‘nel sangue’, as my Italian grandmother would say.”
And, while Mari Vineyards has certainly enjoyed its fair share of fan-fare since the premiere of The Curse of Oak Island, both wine aficionados and total plebes seemingly truly enjoy what this vineyard has to offer.
Mari Vineyards currently boasts an impressive 4.5 out of 5-star rating from over 230 reviews on TripAdvisor and has over 26,000 followers (with a rating of 4.1 out of 5) on Facebook.
The Curse of Oak Island factor
While exploring Mari Vineyard for the little nods and hints to Marty’s love for mystery and treasure-hunting is enough to get just about any longtime The Curse of Oak Island fan excited, this vineyard is also a must-visit spot for other reasons.
In 2022, Mari Vineyard ranked 15th in the Forbes list of the ‘Top 15 most Instagrammed vineyards in the U.S.’, but true The Curse of Oak Island fans only visit the vineyard in hopes of catching a photo of one of the show’s stars.
Since the vineyard is a family business, Alex Lagina (Marty’s son and the vineyards acting General Manager) always makes an appearance and some of the show’s other stars have also been spotted milling around this picturesque property through the years.
