Baconfest Michigan Returns to the Royal Oak Farmers Market on Saturday, June 1

Last year’s sold-out smash hit Baconfest Michigan returns on Saturday, June 1, 2013 from 7 to 11 p.m. at the Royal Oak Farmers Market, and we only have two words for you: MORE BACON!

What started as just a spark in the eyes of two serious lovers of salted and smoked pork has turned into a full-blown phenomenon. It probably goes without saying, but it turns out people really like bacon. “Baconfest 2012 was an overwhelming success for us and our participating restaurants,” says festival co-producer Matthew Peach. “This year will have more restaurants, increased space to accommodate more guests, two musical acts and even more Michigan based products. Which all means more bacon goodness here in the Great Bacon State!”

In 2012 Baconfest brought together some of the top restaurants in metro Detroit – including the Rattlesnake, Green Dot Stables, Forest Grill, Café Muse, Toasted Oak, One-Eyed Betty’s and Grange – as well as popular local breweries Kuhnhenn, Dragonmead, Jolly Pumpkin and North Peak for a sold-out crowd of 1,400, and these places brought their bAcon-game. We had a huge variety of bacon-infused dishes from 37 different restaurants, even places that butcher and smoke their own, and were the first Baconfest in the country to also have vegan bacon (from Seva in Detroit). We were floored (and so were you based on how you all waddled out of there), and now we can’t wait to do it again!

This year some 2,000 people with a passion for pork will come together at the Royal Oak Farmers Market for Baconfest Michigan 2013. We’re adding more space and more restaurants this year, which means – you guessed it – more bacon! Baconfest will continue to bring together the very best of all things bacon – inventive dishes and drinks with bacon as the theme as well as official merchandise and demonstrations from some of metro Detroit’s most bacon-loving chefs!

There will also be live music from Detroit favorites the Gia Warner Acoustic Trio and the Reefermen during the event and a competition between the restaurants for “Best of Fest,” selected by our secret panel of judges, and a “People’s Choice” fan favorite! (Winners will receive a framed certificate and supreme bragging rights for a whole year.)

General admission tickets go on sale at noon on February 1, 2013 at www.BaconfestMichigan.com. Regular admission tickets are $50 each and include full access to Baconfest booths as well as three drink tickets. VIP tickets are already sold out! Please note, Baconfest Michigan is a 21+ event.

Official sponsors of Baconfest Michigan 2013 and participating restaurants are still being finalized. Follow Baconfest Michigan on Facebook at www.facebook.com/baconfestmichigan and on Twitter @baconfestmi for updates. Also keep an eye out for Baconfest Traverse City, coming this fall!

The Week We Ate (The EID Week in Review)

HE MADE IT! The Official Eat It Detroit Hatch Candidate of 2012 Rock City Pies made it to the top 4, thanks to all your help! This is a real David v. Goliath story in the making ... and don't we all just love those underdog stories? Of course we do, especially here in Detroit. SO VOTE. Round 2 starts Monday. [Hatch / EID FB]

Detroit Pop-Up City. Also, Great Lakes Coffee is the best thing that happened in Detroit this year. (Green Dot Stables being second.) [NY Times]

So much the best thing that when the Detroit News finally tuned into the story, they made a joke about jumping the shark so I didn't have to. Also, this means the Freep's version of The Coffee Story is soon to follow. Sure am glad I beat them both by over a year (also here). But seriously though, why do we have two newspapers? [Det News / GLCB FB / Metromode / Curbed Detroit]

And since we're on the subject, here's Hour's version of The Coffee Story too. Oh, media. [Hour]

ZOMGZ MOAR COFFEE. Transplanted Detroit-area person in New York is opening her third coffee shop in her hometown hood. The signage for the soon-to-open Roasting Plant Coffee in the First National Building is up; I'm no Curbed Detroit but I kind of love the look here. [Curbed Detroit]

DevNews-a-Palooza courtesy of Curbed Detroit: Gold Cash Gold is going to have to rush Phil rush so that the banquet center is open in time for the Auto Show (the rest is targeted for end of summer 2013); Avalon International Breads now has a retail location at Henry Ford and will open a third on Canfield as part of their expansion; also - more lofts and greenways! [Curbed Detroit]

The design of Vinsetta Garage is praised by the Preservation Nation blog. Gears, steers and beers! [Preservation Nation]

The second-annual Detroit Design Festival got a lot of buzz this year, but not all of the coordinating events got a lot of people. Eastern Market After Dark at least appeared to be a big success. [HuffPost Detroit / DDF FB / EM FB]

Detroit is the capital of mac 'n cheese. TAP inside MGM Grand Detroit opened this week, and they managed to make this most artery-clogging of dishes even worse -- by deep-frying it. [MGM FB / EID FB]

Slows is on another best-something list. [The Chive]

Jolly Pumpkin released their La Roja Grand Reserve this week, but if you haven't purchased any by the time you read this it's probably sold out. Sad trombone. [JP FB]

Traverse City (and surrounding areas) shall now henceforth be known as the Hamptons of Michigan. Because everything must be the something of something. [Forbes]

Speaking of the area, a new winery opened on Old Mission this weekend (which brings the grand total up to 8). Say hello to Hawthorne Vineyards! Another new winery also opened on Leelanau over the weekend, but I'll leave that one for Batali. [Hawthorne Vineyards FB]

Forbes is crushing on Detroit in a major kind of way. Whether Another Detroit Is Happening or not, if you say it enough times it must be true. [Forbes]

Then again, reality bites. [Deadline Detroit]

After losing several participating restaurants to closings and remodelings, this season of Detroit Restaurant Week is down to just 17 restaurants ... which means reservations will be even more impossible to come by. It starts Sept. 28 and runs through Oct. 7. [Freep / EID FB]

Real Detroit Weekly got a bad case of the "me toos" and decided to host their OWN DAMN RESTAURANT WEEK the same days as DRW (remember, DRW is sponsored by the Metro Times). So now Plymouth has their own restaurant week and it too starts Sept. 28 and runs through Oct. 7. [RDW FB]

Didn't this story already happen? Apparently there was a resurgence in interest over Royal Oak's Taste Love Cupcakes due to re-runs. [Crain's]

[Beerie] Master Brewer and Helluva Bloke: Mike Hall of Northern Michigan's Northern United

Photo by Nicole Rupersburg.

Mike Hall is a Master Brewer and senior member of the International Brewers’ Guild. He’s also a shitwit, which explains why I took an immediate liking to him.

As a partner of Northern United Brewing Company – a partnership that includes Greg Lobdell, Jon Carlson and Ron Jeffries and encompasses Jolly Pumpkin Artisan Ales, North Peak Brewing Company and Civilized Spirits – Hall lives in northern Michigan and oversees brewing operations at what is currently the Civilized Spirits distillery and North Peak brewing facilities on the Old Mission Peninsula (though that will soon be changing as North Peak’s brewing operations will be moved downstate into Jolly Pumpkin’s new 70,000 sq. ft. brewing facility).

Mike is quite the character. Like so many other world-travelled, accomplished brewers, winemakers and chefs living and working in the Traverse City area, Mike’s background doesn’t instinctively scream “Will one day end up in northern Michigan.” He’s got an unidentifiable lilt of an accent, which if you have spent some time talking to other food and drink artisans in the area you might assume he too is from South Africa, much like Old Mission winemakers Coenraad Stassen and Cornel Olivier (of Brys Estate and 2 Lads Winery, respectively). Northern Michigan just seems to have that global draw.

But to answer that question, no, he’s not from South Africa like his vitner peers. Mike was born and raised in Nova Scotia and from there has lived and worked in the UK, Berlin, Amsterdam, Russia, and all over the United States. He has also helped open over 50 breweries and trained more than 200 brewers, but despite being among the most prolific (for lack of a better word) Master Brewers in the world, he is every inch the embodiment of northern Michigan approachability and conviviality.

Photo from here.

Mike started brewing with his dad at the age of 13. “My dad didn’t like the beer he could get at the store in Nova Scotia and figured he could do the same at home,” Mike explains, joking that his dad figured he couldn’t do any worse on his own. His dad got his brewing equipment at the local pharmacy and they started making their own beer at home. Then Mike went off to college – he started off studying medicine – and he started making beer in his college dorm “so I could drink more than I needed to.”

Halfway through school, one of his college buddies (and fellow student of hops) started talking to Peter Austin, founder of the Ringwood Brewery in the UK. Mike decided that after going to school and working full time, he needed a break, so he took a year off and went off to Europe with just $5,000. He remembers having to sleep in train stations and bushes (bumming around Europe for a year with only $5,000 means no boutique hotels or charming B+Bs). “There is something to be said for waking up in a park [on a bench] and seeing the Alps [right behind you].” But, lest he start sounding too wistful, he adds, “I was not plagued by average intelligence at that age!”

But his brazen, ballsy, and perhaps somewhat slightly insane European experiment would eventually take him to the Ringwood. Peter Austin was still running it so Mike stopped in “to say hi and have a few pints.” Mike’s career path was decided right then and there.

Photo from here.

“He saw I was into it,” Mike says. “I showed the appropriate enthusiasm.” And so Mike had the opportunity to train at the Ringwood for free, the kind of opportunity that is not only rare but almost unheard of. Maybe Austin took pity on the broke kid slumming it out in Europe who showed huge potential; maybe it was Mike’s inherent likeability that compelled Austin to help him out. But from there, the doors were opened. After that he immediately went to Granite Brewery in Halifax to work under Kevin Keefe, the owner/brewer who had also trained at the Ringwood. Mike started his apprenticeship there and was thrown right into the deep end, spending the bulk of that year doing things himself with Keefe acting as his support when needed.

So then Mike finished a degree in fine art and sculpture and got a studio in Berlin. Yes, we’re skipping around a bit, but to be fair so did he. “I was bartending, making sculptures, having fun, brewing beer at home,” basically living the good life. Then he got a job in Amsterdam (hang tight, we’re going to skip around some more), then went to visit his dad in England and under the auspices of his father’s almighty beer-sniffer found the (now defunct) Ash Vine Brewery in Somerset, which was looking for a head brewer and manager. So now we go from Somerset to Amsterdam to Berlin and back to Somerset, where Mike stayed for two years when his apprenticeship “really picked up.” “I was a student member of the [International Brewers’] Guild and was working under the head brewer every day with my senior member mentor in the Guild telling me what I should be focusing on.”

During the last year of his Guild apprenticeship he came to the States. His final “test” came two years later when he traveled with Peter Austin to help open a brewery in Russia. After that he was recommended for a full senior membership in the Guild, making him a Master Brewer. Since then he has helped build and train some of the biggest-name breweries and brewers in the States – Shipyard Brewing, Dogfish Head, Magic Hat and Arcadia Ales, just to name a few.

Photo by Nicole Rupersburg.

“One year I spent only 35 days in my home state,” Mike remembers. “I had a mummified piece of pizza in my fridge and I was using that as a gauge of time.” It was a lot of travel time and a lot of sky miles to travel all over the States as a consultant and trainer, but “it was good fun. I totally enjoyed it.” He would help train brewers, help set up equipment, help develop recipes, and basically do everything to get start-up breweries started up (what they did after that was on them). That particular year he helped open 13 breweries.

In the meantime he was also working as a carpenter. Yes, he’s a carpenter too. “Consulting is not very lucrative. You spend a good deal of time trying to find work and competing with others. It’s kind of hard to make a living on it … [you have to be in it] for the love. When you go to sleep, you go to sleep exhausted and happy. It is satisfying work.”

Eventually he got involved with Northern United, helping launch Grizzly Peak, North Peak, Blue Tractor, Bastone, and even training he-of-sour-infamy Ron Jeffries. “His dirty kegs are not welcome in my brewery!” he jokes (sours are made by using wild yeast strains, something that brewers otherwise work very hard to keep OUT of their beer by maintaining sterile brewing environments). “He’s made an arc out of everything I’ve told him not to do!”

Photo from here.

After starting six breweries under Northern United they asked him, “Why do we keep paying you as a consultant? Why not join our team?” He told them to make him an offer he couldn’t refuse, and they did. He officially joined the team in 2009 and has been overseeing the brewery and distillery since then.

With the changes afoot at Jolly Pumpkin/North Peak, Mike is anxious to let Ron oversee all of the brewing so he can focus all of his energy on Civilized Spirits, Northern United’s craft spirits line. “It’s time for me to have some fun and get the creative juices flowing again,” he says. “It was always part of the original plan to merge the two breweries but we wanted to make sure we could walk first before we run.” Mike will also be in charge of specialty one-offs and North Peak’s “Nomad” hard cider.

So what are some of the things Mike has planned? A biere de garde. A gluten-free IPA (“just because someone is gluten-sensitive doesn’t mean they can’t like big beers”). A beer with Omega-3 fatty acids derived from flaxseed (“I have this perverse desire to make a highly nutritional, vitamin-rich beer endorsing that beer is good for you!”). And also doing some really traditional lagers. “I want to push the envelope on a few things but also get back to some really old-school classics.”

He jokes about the compulsion in the American craft beer industry to push “extreme” beers. “People say, ‘I want to be into extreme brewing.’ So try brewing all day with a razor blade in your mouth, THAT’S extreme. Just because you put too many hops in doesn’t make it extreme, it’s just stupid.”

Mike has plans for Civilized too, like making a “rum” made from Michigan sugar beets. (They’re calling it “Rhumb” because it is legally not allowed to be called “rum” unless it is made from sugar cane.) He also wants to start experimenting with local medicinal plants to make a gin, drawing on Native American homeopathic remedies using local materials “but drinkable instead of just being able to say we did it … herbal but not herbal like Jagermeister; something that tastes good and doesn’t make you puke out your nose.” He also wants to try distilling prickly pear juice for a tequila-of-sorts, a flavor that he always recalled fondly after staying in Mexico. (Yeah, add Mexico to the list.)

Oh, and did he mention that he also went to distillery school in Lexington, Kentucky (aka Bourbon Country)? So yeah, there’s that too.

Mike can’t wait to start mad-scientisting his many ideas once the Jolly Pumpkin/North Peak transition is complete. “I’ve been chomping at the bit to do this. It’s been a long time coming but the gears have been going in my head for a long time.” Ron Jeffries might be Northern United’s star of the moment with all the buzz Jolly Pumpkin is getting, but Mike Hall is easily one of the most interesting blokes you could ever hope to meet. Which is really just yet another reason to love Old Mission.

[EID Feature] This Cider House Rules: Tandem Ciders

Dan Young, owner of Tandem Ciders. All photos from Tandem Ciders.

When you think about "hard ciders," your first thought is probably that sickly-sweet alcoholic apple juice from the likes of Woodchuck and Strongbow, multinational corporate producers that make all of their ciders from apple juice concentrate and flavor it with -- what else? -- more apple juice concentrate. This is akin to forming your entire opinion of wine based on Bartles and Jaymes wine coolers. Cider -- as in "the hard stuff," as in the real stuff - can be as delicate and nuanced as a fine wine, and we Michiganders are in a unique position to appreciate the majesty of the fermented apple.

"One measure [of the growing craft cider industry] is that now the large conglomerate beverage companies are adding ciders to their product portfolios," explains Gary Awdey, president of the Great Lakes Cider and Perry Association. "But what I find much more encouraging is the increase in the number of small craft producers, and that’s somewhere that Michigan really excels. Michigan and the Great Lakes region is really the major cider region in North America. It doesn’t reflect in the volume of sales but is a good representation of the true variety that is being offered. There is a higher density of craft cider producers [here] than in other areas. Michigan residents have much easier day trips to cideries."

As the country’s second- or third-largest apple-producing state (depending on who you ask), Michigan is home to hundreds of different varieties of apples, from the table standards to rare antique and heirloom varietals. We also currently have the largest number of craft cider producers in the country. Many wineries and breweries are getting into the cider game as an alternative to beer and wine, and there are also larger-scale operations focused entirely on hard cider production. Unlike most beer and spirit producers, which are still forced to buy much of their hops and grain from out of state, Michigan ciders are made with Michigan apples picked and pressed by Michigan people running Michigan businesses for Michigan customers. Michigan’s craft ciders are dry, delicate, and above all else wholly Michigan.

Tandem Ciders opened in October 2008 on the Leelanau Peninsula in northern Michigan. As part of the Leelanau Wine Trail, they had a lot of explaining to do that first year of business when people came in looking for Riesling. But all of that is changing, says owner and cider maker Dan Young (who owned Tandem with his wife Nikki Rothwell). "Customer perceptions are changing from, 'What is this?' to 'Hey, this is great to have a cider!'" he says. "We'll ask people, 'Hey, are you tasting wine today?' [and they'll say] 'No, we're here for cider.' It's not just wine drinkers who run into us."

They'll still get confused consumers wandering in wondering if it's "like beer," but they're easily converted. Dan has had customers thank him for making cider and giving them another drinking option ... one that is "like beer" in that it is carbonated (usually--Dan also makes a flat cider available only in the tasting room) but also offers a different flavor profile, is naturally gluten-free and lower in alcohol (unless fortified with brandy--Dan makes one of those too), pairs well with food but can just as easily be enjoyed on its own, and has the complexity of wine and the body of beer while being something different altogether. Plus, it's perfect year-round. "People are realizing this is another drinking option and it's good to have."

And the best part is, it's truly local, utilizing all Michigan fruits. While many other cider makers will incorporate other fruits into their ciders (like raspberry or cranberry), Tandem uses exclusively apples (though they do make a "perry" -- cider made from pears -- in the fall). Dan wants each product to be an expression of the apples he uses, whether traditional cider apples like Sheep's Nose and Fameuse, classic table apples like Northern Spy and Red Delicious, antique apples, even crab and wild apples. Dan notes that there is much more awareness of ciders now, which he attributes to the growing craft beer movement. "20 years ago when microbrews came out it was a hard sell because people had no way to wrap their heads around it," he says. "[Now breweries like Short's and Right Brain are experimenting with different flavored beers] and people see something made from apples and say, 'Oh hey, great!'"

Dan also attributes cider's popularity with Michigan's rich agricultural heritage and Michiganders' inherent connection to the land, with agriculture as Michigan's second-largest industry. "... Michigan is known for its huge manufacturing base. Agriculture has been overshadowed by manufacturing [but is still a huge part of people's lives here]."

Tandem works with several local growers on Leelanau for the many different varieties of apples they use in their ciders. They've recently planted 12 different varieties of traditional hard cider apples and have their growers planting more traditional varieties for them, in addition to the heirloom and heritage varieties they also use. "Cider fruit is interesting -- [the apples] taste horrible when you bite into them; they're very tannic. But once they're fermented it leaves a lot more body and depth behind."

They'll continue making ciders out of popular table varieties too; their hottest seller is the Smackintosh, made predominantly with the same household staple Macintosh apples everyone knows and loves. "People just connect to that and remember their childhood stopping at the cider mill and eating those Macintosh apples."

In addition to the Smackintosh, which has a lot of residual sugar, Tandem makes a variety of different ciders highlighting different flavor profiles from the bone-dry Crabster (made with crab and wild apples) to the moderately dry Farmhouse (classic cider apples) and the semi-sweet and highly complex Early Day (a blend of six cider and table varieties).

Because of the unseasonably warm weather the state experienced in March followed by frost in April, Michigan has reported losses of upwards of 90% of their apple crops for the year (though actual growers say it's more like 75% statewide -- still huge). Up in Leelanau, they still have about 40% of their crop. What does this mean for the cider industry? "It's not going to be a big growth year," Dan says. "We're not going to be making any extra." He adds that last year's crop was so abundant he was able to make enough so that he will still have plenty to sell throughout this year and keep his business going.

"[Sometimes] there's apples coming out of everywhere and we don't have enough boxes to put them in, and some varietals are known for being really biennial. Downstate was hit really hard for fruit but I think we'll be okay," adding that it's the major producers who supply corporate chains like Meijer and McDonald's who are scrambling. Dan at least is resourceful. "Last year we picked a lot of wild apples. We picked some that were incredibly tasty and some that were incredibly tannic and bitter [but made for great cider]. We're already marking wild trees [for this year] and will definitely be doing more of that."

As one of Michigan's largest dedicated hard cider producers, Tandem is still by no means a massive operation and distribution remains limited, but southeast Michiganders can find their products at the Produce Station in Ann Arbor and the MI General Store in Ypsilanti. Many of their products are only available on draft in the Leelanau tasting room, as if you really need another reason to visit northern Michigan this year. (You do. It's this.) And hey, this place is something Mario Batali and I can agree on.

[HOT LIST] Old Mission Peninsula

Sunset on Old Mission. All photos by Nicole Rupersburg.

Mario Batali has been yammering on incessantly about Traverse City once again, which is great and all but based on his "favorite picks" it sure does seem like he never makes the journey from his pad on the Leelanau Peninsula around the bay and onto Old Mission all that often. Old Mission (along with its sister Leelanau) is pretty much the crown at the head of Traverse City. And if the Sleeping Bear Dunes National Park is the most beautiful place in America, then Old Mission Peninsula is the most beautiful place on the planet.* It is 19 miles long and divides Grand Traverse Bay into East and West Bays. At its widest point it is three miles wide; at its narrowest points you have truly breathtaking panoramic views of both sparkling bays over the sloping vineyards and fruit orchards. Say what you will about Napa, Tuscany or Bordeaux, they look like an Ohio cornfield compared to this. (It's true. I've been. They do.)

In fact, do say what you will about Bordeaux; the world’s most esteemed winemaking region happens to sit along the same circle of latitude, the 45th Parallel, as the Old Mission American Viticultural Area (AVA), and world-recognized winemakers are taking up the challenge of making world-class wines in this region. The peninsula has seven wineries (though two more have been approved) and only a smattering of restaurants and hotels (well ... "inns"). The rest is preserved land (a state park and lots 'o farms), so Old Mission will stay frozen in this tranquil state of un-development forever. If late summer travel plans take you "up north," make this one of your highlights.

#1 Mission Table + Jolly Pumpkin
Do your life a favor and have dinner and many many drinks on the deck at Mission Table. With places like Trattoria Stella and Cook's House in Traverse City stealing all the thunder, Mission Table never seems to gets its due. Executive Chef Paul Olson is a quiet genius: he just does his thing, tending to his herb garden out back, cranking out some fan-freakin’-bloody-tastic farm-to-table seasonal dishes. This restaurant is a true representation of the indigenous flavors of Michigan. Think tender, succulent lamb loin with oven-roasted cauliflower, or crispy pork belly with housemade kimchi, roasted brussel sprouts, and a poached egg ... as one friend put it, "Paul should Iron Chef the shit out of Batali." As I put it, "I fucking love Paul." Attached to Mission Table is the Jolly Pumpkin Restaurant and Brewery, which is DUH IT'S JOLLY PUMPKIN. (And all their beers are also available at Mission Table; the deck is shared.) Oh, the deck? Overlooking West Bay, quiet, surrounded by trees, sunlight reflecting off the water -- some people meditate. This is better.

#2 Chateau Chantal 
Chateau Chantal is an estate winery and bed + breakfast. The Inn is connected to their tasting room, and guests are free to conduct their own wine sampling after-hours (this is northern Michigan, where people still believe in the honors system). The chef-prepared daily breakfasts are fantastic, and during the summer you can follow it up with their lunchtime "tapas tours" through the vineyard. They also have what might actually be one of the most stunning patio views in the state: order a glass of wine and a plate of cheese from local creameries and chill on the patio overlooking the bay, or check out their prix fixe seven-course wine dinners held several nights a week through October.

#3 2 Lads Winery
It's fun and young (four years old this year), and it also has the best damn view on the peninsula. 2 Lads' sleek, ultra-modern tasting room is perched atop a hill overlooking the bay with absolutely no obstructions. You might find it difficult to pay attention to the pourer's spiel when right behind them is a massive window showcasing this spectacular view, but do try to pay attention: 2 Lads specializes in cool climate reds and sparkling wines, and winemaker Cornel Olivier (originally from South Africa) believes that Michigan's reds can one day be on par with Bordeaux. Genius? Or insanity? It may be a fine line, but it sure does have a nice view.

Here's more of me gushing over Old Mission wines.

Actually here's more of me gushing over Old Mission to New Yorkers.

#4 Peninsula Grill
For casual fare, the Peninsula Grill offers classic American grill cuisine of serious excellence (try one of the flatbreads), along with a solid selection of local wines and beers. Longtime bartender Johnny even promises he’ll remember what you drink for next time.

#5 Tesoro Inn
A lot of people don’t like B+Bs because they’re a little too…folksy. The Tesoro Inn is the ultimate anti-B+B B+B. Owners Jane and Les Hagaman have created the kind of bed and breakfast experience that will appeal to even the most ambiance-sensitive. Jane is an artist and interior designer; Les is an accomplished fine dining chef. Their home is beautifully decorated with their own Asian-inspired art pieces and multi-colored slate floors, yet is also comfortable and inviting with warm tones and soft textures. For those of you seeking the “foodie” experience, their three-course farm-to-table breakfasts and homemade evening desserts (left on your nightstand next to the following day's breakfast menu printed on gorgeous cream-colored stationary) will make you want to make yourself at home FOREVER. But book early: the word is out on this three-year-old spot and they only have three guest rooms.

Bubbling under Brys Estate, The Boathouse, Peninsula Cellars, Black Star Farms Tasting Room, Chateau Grand Traverse, Old Mission General Store, Bowers Harbor Inn

*Eye for an eye, hyperbole for hyperbole.

[New York Post] Harvest Time in Michigan Wine Country

The vineyards of Chateau Grand Traverse. All photos by Nicole Rupersburg.

The car is cresting over the hills of Old Mission Peninsula, whipping around curves at 70mph. It is a clear, late summer night, 80 degrees. The air is damp, perfumed with burning wood and a hint of fall. Top down, music blaring, I look up to my right to see the stars of the Little Dipper burning white hot through ink-black sky. There are few perfect moments in life. This is one of them.

Old Mission Peninsula is nestled in the “pinkie” of the Mitten, on the west coast of northern Lower Michigan (got that?). It is the crown at the head of Traverse City, recently famous for Iron Chef Mario Batali’s unabashed love affair with it and for being named one of Bon Appetit Magazine’s “Foodiest Towns in America.” OMP splits the Grand Traverse Bay into East and West Bays. It is 19 miles long; at its widest point it is three miles wide, at its narrowest you can park your car on the side of the road and drink in panoramic views of sloping vineyards and sparkling bays on either side.

Michigan is not without its share of beautiful places. The state has the longest coastline in the continental U.S., all freshwater and blessedly hurricane-free. Good Morning America recently named Sleeping Bear Dunes National Lakeshore on Michigan’s west coast the “Most Beautiful Place in America,” but if Sleeping Bear Dunes is the most beautiful place in the country then Old Mission Peninsula should by rights be able to claim to be one of the most beautiful places on the planet.

This is my fourth trip up here in as many years. As a native Michigander, traveling “up North” (that directionally imprecise catch-all moniker used to describe the entire northern half of the state plus the Upper Peninsula by everyone who lives within 100 miles of a state border that isn’t Wisconsin) is a rite of passage and summertime tradition. Around here, they call it God’s Country.

During the summer, it sparkles with every conceivable shade of blue; sapphire and cerulean on a clear, sunny day; pale lapis in hazy light; brooding indigo in the rain. The sky transforms from rosy pinks and pastel yellows at dawn to turquoise smudged with glowing white by day to fiery oranges and reds and deepening violets at sunset. Trees and vines are brilliantly green.

The winter landscape is reminiscent of the massive glaciers that cut this Paradise straight from cold rock. The vines and trees are bare, coated in a layer of perpetual snow. Even on clear days, dusty powder dances lazily across the landscape that’s like an untouched frozen tundra. The world is white. The sky is gray. The water is an impossible silver.

Read the rest of the story here.

2 Lads Winery and tasting room.

MORE RESOURCES:

Old Mission Wineries: 2 Lads Winery, Black Star Farms Old Mission Tasting Room, Bowers Harbor Vineyard, Brys Estate, Chateau Chantal, Chateau Grand Traverse, Peninsula Cellars

More Food and Drink:

7 Monks Taproom: So new you can still smell the paint drying, 7 Monks serves beer from around the world, including a solid show of rare Michigan brews, as well as all seven authentic Trappist ales brewed in ancient monasteries in Belgium and the Netherlands. The beer flows from 46 taps with gastro-brasserie food to compliment it.

The Cook’s House: Even other area chefs call the Cook’s House the best restaurant in Traverse City. Chef Eric Patterson serves regional new American cuisine, sourced 100% locally in the summer and 80% in the winter. His 28-seat restaurant (which recently acquired a full liquor license) is always full, but is well worth the wait.

Old Mission General Store: The Old Mission General Store has been around since the mid-1800s and still operates very much as a “general” stores: coon-skin hats, brake fluid and antiques intermingle with Michigan wines and beer, open barrels of peanuts and their own private label preserves. They serve Moomers Ice Cream, a Traverse City-based ice cream company recently featured in USA Today and Good Morning America, as well as from-scratch soups and sandwiches on bread baked fresh daily.

Peninsula Grill: For casual fare, the Peninsula Grill offers classic American grill cuisine of serious excellence (try one of the flatbreads), along with a solid selection of local wines and beers. Longtime bartender Johnny even promises he’ll remember what you drink for next time.

TASTES of Black Star Farms: Try the Matterhorn Grill Dinner, where you’ll grill up fresh vegetables and sausages in the Swiss DIY style, then pour melted raclette cheese from the Leelanau Cheese Company (located in Black Star Farms) over top. Their aged raclette was named “Best Cheese in North America” by the American Cheese Society cheese competition in 2007.

Trattoria Stella: Two-time James Beard-nominated Executive Chef Myles Anton describes the menu as “northern Michigan Italian.” They make everything in-house from scratch, including the breads, pastas and desserts. In the last year Anton has even started butchering his own animals. “It’s the next level of feeding locally,” he says. “It’s turned into this revolutionary thing in my life and my cooking, and does awesome justice to the animal.” They have won the Wine Spectator Award of Excellence every year since they’ve been open thanks to Amanda Danielson’s meticulous organization of her wine list, balancing a robust selection of wine from nearly every region of Italy with probably the largest selection of Michigan wines of any restaurant in the state.

Also: Amical, Bardon’s Ice Cream, Bay Leaf, The Boathouse, Folgarelli’s Market and Wine Shop, North Peak Brewing Co., Patisserie Amie, Phil’s on Front, Red Ginger, Right Brain Brewery

More Lodging:

Chateau Chantal: Sometimes the floral look can be pulled off in a way that is charming (and not in that way when people say “charming” just to be polite): at Chateau Chantal the rooms are all designed around a particular French impressionist painting, so you get floral patterns that aren’t offensive to your eyes or age range. Each suite has its own color theme: Rosé = pink, Merlot = purple … it’s like Sesame Street’s House of Seven Colors! (But, you know, classy.) The Inn is also connected to their tasting room, and guests are free to conduct their own wine sampling after-hours (again, this is northern Michigan, where people still believe in the honors system). Chateau Chantal boasts what might actually be one of the most stunning patio views in the state, and they also host prix fixe seven-course wine dinners every Wednesday and Friday through October.

Grand Traverse Resort and Spa: About 15 minutes from the base of Old Mission is the Grand Traverse Resort and Spa in Acme, a beautiful 900-acre property with three golf courses, tennis courts, a full spa and a private beach club. (GTR was named one of the 75 best golf resorts in North America in 2009/2010 by Golf Digest and one of the top 50 tennis resorts in the country by Tennis Magazine in 2000 and 2002.) Aerie Restaurant & Lounge is located on the 16th floor with OMG views of Grand Traverse Bay (have dinner at dusk and watch the sunset over the bay). Certified Executive Chef Guillermo Valencia brings a new Latin fusion to Aerie’s menu while still emphasizing local, seasonal products. Boys get golf, girls get pampered , you still get that big hotel feel and you might even find a wild turkey roaming around in the parking lot but it’s cool, it’s all part of the northern Michigan experience.

Also: Chateau Grand Traverse, Holiday Inn West Bay, Park Place Hotel, Wellington Inn
Hotel Indigo coming soon


Want to see more? Check out these three Flickr sets: Traverse City 2009, Traverse City 2011, Mission Table

[HOT LIST] Wineries of Northern Michigan

All photos by Nicole Rupersburg.

If you ask any native New Yorker (if there is such a thing), they've probably never been to the top of the Empire State Building. The thing is, when you live in a place, you tend not to look at it with the wide-eyed wonderment of your average tourist. And that's a shame, really: metro Detroiters will dump thousands of dollars on plane tickets to France, cooking classes in Burgundy, guided wine tours through Bordeaux, butler-tended lodgings in centuries-old chateaus ... and they'll spend just as much to get shuffled like cattle through Napa Valley.

But just four(-ish) hours to the northwest there's Traverse City, a cosmopolitan community in the middle of farmland that's been getting some serious national attention lately. And on either side of Traverse City along the shoreline of Grand Traverse Bay lies the best of Michigan wine country.

There are several wine trails in the state of Michigan, but this northwestern corner (comprised of the Leelanau and Old Mission Peninsulas) is cranking out the wines that are making a strong name for Michigan in the world market. Next time you want to book a romantic getaway to wine country, look no further than your own backyard.

#1 Black Star Farms Leelanau Peninsula (farm, vineyards, winery, tasting room); Old Mission Peninsula (tasting room)
Black Star Farms bills itself as an "agricultural destination." Their property on Leelanau Peninsula in Suttons Bay is a working farm and equestrian facility with a winery, distillery, tasting room, creamery (the Leelanau Cheese Company; their Aged Raclette was named "Best Cheese in North America" in 2007), casual cafe and wine bar (the renowned Hearth and Vine Cafe,) and Inn. For the full agro-tourism experience, stay at the modern yet comfortable Inn. Wander the property, visit the tasting room, pet the horses, and enjoy their evening wine receptions and truly farm-to-table gourmet breakfasts - eggs, meats, greens and produce all come straight from the farm right outside your window.
Wine rec: Leorie Vineyard Merlot Cab Franc; Isidor's Choice Chardonnay

#2 L. Mawby Vineyards Leelanau Peninsula
There isn't a winemaker in Michigan who doesn't think Larry Mawby is a genius. He makes sparkling wines and ONLY sparkling wines, and was really the first person in Michigan to not only say it can be done, but that it can be done REALLY freaking well. He's been proving his point with both estate-grown and outside-sourced grapes since 1978 using 100% Pinot Noir and Vignoles varietals as well as blends under two distinct labels.
Wine rec: Talismon; Blanc de Blancs

#3 2 Lads Winery Old Mission Peninsula
The newest of the seven wineries currently operating on Old Mission Peninsula, 2 Lads Winery is an ultra-chic modern/industrial winery and tasting room that specializes specifically in cool climate reds and sparkling wines. The "two lads" - winemaker Cornel Olivier and operations manager Chris Baldyga - both believe that Michigan's wines can be on par even with Bordeaux's (both wine regions rest of the 45th parallel). They designed a facility to maximize their estate-grown grapes' potential with a much gentler and environmentally-friendly gravity-flow system, but what you'll care most about is the stunning view of the vineyards and East Grand Traverse Bay from the tasting room.
Wine rec: Cabernet Franc Merlot; Cabernet Franc Rosé

#4 Bowers Harbor Vineyard Old Mission Peninsula
Bowers Harbor Vineyard has a totally chilled-out vibe and family feel. It could be because proprietor Spencer Stegenga refers to one of his employees as his "Director of Bro-motions," or because the award-winning Erica Vineyard was named for his wife on the plot of land where he proposed to her, or maybe because the family dog Brix is always running around waiting to be petted by the nearest friendly hand. Regardless, this is a fun place to hang out on the patio, chat with the staff, even Dine in the Vines (dates throughout the summer). And they're also kicking out some truly outstanding reds.
Wine rec: Erica Vineyard Cabernet Franc; 2896 Langley Meritage

#5 Shady Lane Cellars Leelanau Peninsula
This may not be one of the best-known wineries in the area, but with just over 52 acres of vineyards they aren't exactly small, and connoisseurs already know the name well. Shady Lane is considered one of the best wineries in Michigan for their delicate wines that elegantly represent their land. They are known specifically for their dry Riesling (this is Riesling country, after all), but in keeping with the apparent overall theme of "Michigan Reds Rock" here, their Blue Franc is a unique beast of dark berries and spice and they are one of only two area vineyards producing this varietal.
Wine rec: Dry Riesling; Blue Franc

Bubbling under Chateau Chantal (OMP), Forty-Five North Vineyard and Winery (LP), Chateau Grand Traverse (OMP), Gill's Pier Vineyard and Winery (LP), Left Foot Charley (Traverse City), Brys Estate (OMP), Bel Lago Vineyard and Winery (LP), Circa Estate (LP)

[944 Detroit] A Tale of Two Peninsulas

Photo by Nicole Rupersburg

"The rolling hills of Tuscany. The long stretches of scenic two-lane roads winding through Napa Valley. The idea of vacationing in wine country certainly has its appeal — the magnificent natural beauty, the slower pace of life, the wine (let’s not forget the wine). But a leisurely weekend in wine country doesn’t have to mean an expensive plane ticket. A brief four-hour drive north will take travelers right into the heart of Traverse City, an area once known only for its cherries, but now developing a national reputation for its commitment to historic preservation, sustainability, development of the arts and world-class winemaking.

'Situated in the middle of Grand Traverse Bay are the Leelanau and Old Mission Peninsulas. At the center of the base of both peninsulas lies Traverse City. Touring Traverse City wine country is as simple as driving 45 minutes from one peninsula to the other, directly through Traverse City. Here oenophiles will find more than 25 tasting rooms where they can sample some of Michigan’s nationally-ranked, award-winning wines, as well as sample farm-to-table cuisine from celebrated chefs. While maneuvering the sharply curving roads, the panoramic views of lush green hills covered in vineyards surrounded by vast, sparkling waters will truly take one’s breath away. Tuscany … Napa Valley … Traverse City? Yes, Michigan..."

Read the rest of the article here. View the four-page spread in PDF form here.

For more photos (taken by Nicole on a separate trip, not for this piece), check out the Flickr set here.

Michigan Winery Makes Robert Parker's Top Producers List

Originally posted in D-Tales here.

THE Robert Parker. The guy who instigated the infamous 100-point scale for rating wine and probably the most influential wine critic in history (the 100-point scale he introduced in his wine conoisseur newsletter The Wine Advocate became widely imitated by such publications as Wine Spectator and such second-rate critics as James Suckling, who most will agree is a tool). He named Traverse City's Left Foot Charley as one of the top producers east of the Rockies in his 7th Edition of Robert Parker's Wine Buyer's Guide.

I fondly remember my own experience in their tasting room earlier this year, and I will once again encourage my foodie readers to make the journey out to Traverse City. I had such a wonderful time there being fully immersed in Michigan's rich agricultural traditions and exploring all of the wonderful contributions of Michigan's farmers, winemakers, and chefs. Traverse City is a feel-good foodie paradise; if Pinot is your passion and sustainable cuisine your battle cry, look no further than Michigan's western shoreline.

Parker's acknowledgement of Left Foot Charley is a first for Michigan wines, and will increase Michigan's wineries' visibility in the global wine world. Granted my palate is not nearly as refined as some, I can say that I have in my life experienced a wide, full range of wines (some that have even cost in the quadruple-digits--I can also say that just because something is expensive doesn't it make it the best) from regions all over world; from low-production farms on tiny specks of land to the big-wig palatial Californian and Italian estates; from all over the Americas including south of the equator to southern Europe to eastern Europe to the Far East to South Africa to Down Under. In my most humble and sincere opinion, Michigan wines can compete on a global scale.

FYI: I said it before Robert Parker did.

Congratulations to Left Foot Charley, Bryan Ulbrich, and Old Mission Peninsula on this prestigious acknowledgement.

Traverse City Travelogue, Day Two V.2

Originally published in D-Tales here, edited for content.

After getting a good solid case of the heebie-jeebies at the Village at Grand Traverse Commons, I decided to wash the bad vibes away at Left Foot Charley, the region's first "urban" winery and tasting room (so-called because the winery is not located on a palatial estate with rolling hills of vineyards behind it). As soon as I walked in, I said to the woman pouring tastes (which, at this point, was solely for me), "Look, I have to say this to someone, but isn't it creepy that this place used to be an asylum?" She smiled and said that it bothers some people (including the winemaker, Bryan Ulbrich), but you get used to it.

We'll have to agree to disagree on that, I guess.

At Left Foot Charley the tastings were pretty open--I would find out later, at other places much busier and with a more burn-and-turn mentality, that there is typically a limit (6 usually) and you circle your selections from a menu and the pourers serve you in shifts. But here it was much more laid-back...I tried a couple of wines, including the "Lone Dry Red" the 2007 Red Drive blended from Dornfelder, Merlot, Cabernet Franc, and Regant grapes grown on Old Mission Peninsula. Didn't find this one too impressive, truth be told, but that's because what Left Foot Charley does best is whites--and boy oh boy do they.

Winemaker Ulbrich has a special affinity for Riesling, Pinot Blanc, Pinot Grigio, and Gewurtztraminer, and this fondness comes through in the wines themselves. The real standout of all was the Pinot Blanc--crisp, tart, full of character and depth, heavy on fruit (particularly yellow pears), strong alcohol--there's a reason this one took home the recognition of "Best Dry White Wine" in the Michigan Wine and Spirits Competition. This wine also offers yet another reason why screw-tops are A-OK for crisp, acidic, ready-to-drink whites (see also: Kim Crawford's Sauvingon Blancs, as well as many other producers from the Marlbourgh region of New Zealand, widely-agreed upon by wine gurus worldwide to currently be making the best Sauvignon Blancs in the world)...verdict's still out on aging reds, though (I, personally, lean towards nay).

Left Foot Charley uses grapes from 13 local vineyards from the Old Mission Peninsula which are very small at only 1-2 acres each. They produce exclusively for Left Foot Charley, though the owners do not actually own the plots of land the vineyards are on.

After my little wine education and soaking in the pleasant vibes of the trendy modern tasting room, I had effectively washed (drank?) away the bad vibes and was ready for a snack before continuing on my wine tour. I went right next door to the Underground Cheesecake Company, a charming little place with 2 large glass counters filled with decadent desserts. I selected a 6-piece bite-size cheesecake assortment: Black Raspberry, Blueberry Swirl, Cherry Swirl, Chocolate Raspberry, Mocha Mudslide, and "Real" Key Lime. And I definitely sat outside and ate them all, popping one after another into my mouth until there were no more. I couldn't help it, they just looked so pretty...and yummy...

This was cheesecake like my mom used to make--none of this fluffy ricotta New-York-style cheesecake, but dense, heavy cheesecake, made primarily with cream cheese and sour cream. Sour cream? Yes, sour cream (you can especially taste it in the chocolate-flavored cakes...this is the only incarnation of sour cream I will ever eat). The flavors were rich and strong, too--each bite was an explosion of flavor from the rich chocolate and coffee flavors of the Mocha Mudslide to the tart 'n tangy Key Lime. In short...yum.

With a belly now full, I was ready to head to Black Star Farms, my number one pick of vineyards and the most strategically located to hit other vineyards on the way back.

Ideally I had wanted to stay at the Black Star Farms Inn, a luxurious full-service bed-and-breakfast which features, among other things, a full hot breakfast with all the breakfast-y accoutrements, an afternoon snack, a pre-dinner wine and hors d'oeuvres reception, after-dinner brandies and dessert wines, and with a number of different pampering products and treatments available (spa, sauna, massages, etc.). Sadly, they were booked. A place like this is probably better as a romantic getaway than an isolationist refuge, anyway.

I had another reason for wanting to go to Black Star Farms, aside from it being one of the most noted wineries in Michigan. And that reason is cheese.

The Black Star Farms "agricultural destination" is also home to the Leelanau Cheese Company, and the creamery is on-site in the large tasting room so people can actually watch the cheesemakers at work (I was not fortunate enough to catch the show, sadly). The cheese cave holds some 2,000 wheels of Raclette made from local cow's milk and brushed with brine and turned daily during their 3 month - 2 year aging process. The Raclette produced here is considered one of (and by some, the) best in America--and it's wonderful; mild and buttery and melts in your mouth.

The tasting room at Black Star Farms is immense, and filled with a variety of wares including locally-made jewelry, a wide assortment of wine-and-whiskey-related paraphernalia, various farmer's market items (more to be found at the actual farmer's market, also located on the sprawling estate), and, of course, their full collection of wines for sale.

Upon entering I was greeted with a sample of their Hard Apple Cider--tasted just like other hard apple ciders (reminded me of Strongbow but sweeter). The tasting bar is huge, with a secondary one off to the side of the building to catch overflow. The mentality here is strictly burn-and-turn--you get a menu, the pourer rattles off how the wines are listed in order of recommended tasting from sweetest to driest, you pick your wines, you drink them one after another in succession with crackers to cleanse your palate between white and red, you get your souvenier glass and you leave. (Oh, this is also the only tasting room that charged for tastings--$3.00 for wine, plus you get to keep your glass, and another $5.00 for spirits. You could also get a cheese sample for $1.00. I did all three.)

Of the wines, I sampled the 2006 Arcturos Pinot Gris, the 2004 Isidore's Choice Pinot Noir, the 2006 Leorie Vineyard Merlot Cabernet Franc, the Black Star Farms Cherry Wine, and the Sirius Pear Dessert Wine. The Pinot Gris was quaffable, the Pinot Noir negligible, the Cherry Wine pleasant and sweet, the Pear Dessert Wine lacking character but with a clear pear presence and surprisingly low on sugar. The real winner was the Leorie Vineyard Merlot Cabernet Franc. One whiff and I said to the pourer, "WHOA! That's French..." I actually got to chat with the pourer a little since I refused to be herded in and out like the other "trendy" wine drinkers ("We're here because we really liked the movie Sideways"), and she informed me that the Leorie Vineyard is producing what many consider the best fruit in the region. It's got all that dirty, funky, stinky, earthy French appeal (characteristic of Cab Franc) with intense dark, ripe fruits, and smoky chocolate and coffee. If they keep producing wines like that, mark my words, it will be no time before modest Michigan's wines will be considered competitive in the world market.

With my wine tasting complete, I moved on to the spirits. First I tried the Spirit of the Vineyard White Grappa. Grappa is misunderstood. There is an art to its production, much as there is to any wine. Grappa is made by the distilling of grape skins after they've been pressed, and is considered a "pomace brandy." Much like with the wines, the flavor of the Grappa is wholly dependent on the kinds of grapes used as well as the processes used in distillation. While Grappa certainly hits the nose like lighter fluid, it can have characteristics as rich as those of wine.

This Grappa was one of those. Full of herbs and spices, it had a warmth to it that exceeded beyond its high alcohol content. This was a fine Grappa, and an excellent digestivo.

Next up was the 2007 A Capella Ice Wine. What can I say about Ice Wine? It is, essentially, wine royalty. Extremely labor-intensive and difficult to produce and with very small yield not only makes this an expensive wine ($60.00 per 375 mL bottle, minimum), but also a very regal one. It takes great time and patience to make this wine, and earns producers instant respect. Ice Wines are most commonly produced in Germany (called Eiswein) and Canada (called Icewine, one word--the Pelee Island Icewine was my first-ever exposure to this style of winemaking at the age of 18, and I've been in love with it ever since), though there are many other countries that try. Ice wines are dessert wines made from grapes frozen while still on the vine, before fermentation. The freezing makes the wine more concentrated, sweeter. Very similar to its botrytis-plagued cousin Sauternes, the wines produced are sweet and heady like liquid honey. This particular Ice Wine, unfortunately for me, does not rank in the upper eschelon of dessert wines I've tasted (which, in retrospect, makes sense that Black Star was not yet sold out of their stock when all the other producers were).

After all of this, I bought some cheese, a bottle of the Arcturos Pinot Gris (it was on sale, and like I said, quaffable), and some chocolates from local chocolatiers. Chocolate Exotica makes marshmallow-like truffles--a very thin, fluffy, crunchy coating of chocolate to hold in the liquidy ganache inside. A couple had cherry flavors, one was white chocolate with lemon zest. I couldn't get past how the truffles had the consistency of marzipan. Another chocolatier (and also chocolate-maker) I sampled was Patricia's Chocolate. These chocolates are works of art, right down to the origami-like boxes they are packaged in. Each palet is hand-decorated with exquisite artistic appeal, and has a beautiful luster which signifies the careful tempering of the chocolate (indicating high quality). Each palet is smooth and creamy, a melt-in-your-mouth experience of rich near-liquid ganache and exotic varieties of imported spices, fresh herbs, locally-procurred fruit purees, coffees, teas, and fine liqueurs. My sampler featured Madagascar Vanilla with the rich flavors of Madagascar vanilla beans and dark chocolate, as well as Exotic Spice which is a fusion of allspice, green cardamom, licorice, Ceylon cinnamon, and green peppercorn dipped in dark chocolate. Like chocolate-flavored Fall on the tongue.

Driving into the Black Star Farms estate felt a little like driving through Tuscany--the rolling hills, the lines of vineyards stretching out into the horizon, the endless green. After meandering a bit, I realized I was pressed for time, so off I went.

I still had an hour to get to Chateau Grand Traverse, 20 miles and a whole 'nuther peninsula away. I hauled ass and got there with 30 minutes to spare...just as a couple of bachelor and bachelorette parties showed up.

*Sigh*

"What's this? Eee-dels-why-ker?" Edelzwicker. A-del-zvyk-er. I hate you.

"Oh, this bottle is so pretty! It's worth getting just for that!" I hate you.

"Ooh, crackers!" Ohmyfuckinggod I hate you.

Seriously--this chick took oyster crackers by the handful and was eating them as if they were there to snack on. They're there to cleanse your palate, you vile human being. Get out of wine country and back to the sorority house with the keg stand competitions where you belong.

This outing I had to make quick because I was surrounded by stupid people who were ruining my wine-loving high. Six tastes got me the 2006 Ship of Fools (that was the "pretty bottle"), the 2005 Gamay Noir "Reserve," the 2006 Edelzwicker (truth be told: I only sampled this so those ignorant bitches could hear me properly pronounce it), the Grand Traverse Select "Sweet Harvest Riesling," the Cherry Riesling, and the Cherry Port. Of these, I remember nothing except for my patience being exhausted. I think I enjoyed the Riesling. I know I enjoyed the Cherry Port, which was a wonderful combination of sweet black and tart red cherries (sweet on the tongue, tart as it lingers), making for a complex, flavorful port, the kind you want to roll around in your mouth for hours.

Or, perhaps just 30 seconds, if you were me and were surrounded by human mediocrity. (Did I hate them for their lack of wine knowledge, or just because they were so terribly average?) I hopped back in my car and enjoyed the views of the early-evening sun illuminating the lakes and vineyards on my drive back to the hotel.

(For pictures, clink on the link to the D-Tales blog here.)

Traverse City Travelogue, Day Two V. 1

Originally published in D-Tales here, edited for content.

...Michigan has a very rich agricultural foundation, and the more I delved into the culture of Traverse City the more I discovered about the agricultural heritage of this state and the people striving to keep that hertiage alive. As much as an epicurean elitist as I am, the idea of all-locally-grown and -produced food items--from produce to dairy to coffees and teas, meats, beers and wines--appeals immensely to me, as does the purist mentality exhibited by these local farmers/food lovers.

In Traverse City, business owners take a great deal of pride in announcing that they use fresh dairy products procured from small-production local farms and fresh produce from local growers. Owner Paul Danielson and executive chef Myles Anton of Trattoria Stella create their menus daily based on the fresh ingredients they purchase each morning from local farmers. Other restaurants, such as Aerie inside the posh Grand Traverse Resort and Spa, print right on their menus and on their websites that they use local farm foods whenever possible to highlight the flavors and culinary culture of the region.

As if I needed any more reason to be a food snob...now it isn't good enough unless it's homegrown. Pshaw.

The passion for sustainable cuisine and for creating richly-flavored fresh food items from local farms and businesses is evident everywhere in Traverse City. As I toured the downtown area and wandered in and out of various shops, I found that almost every place sells some form of self-made foodstuffs from fresh locally-produced ingredients--the coffee shop sold fresh gelato which they make in-house daily using cream from local dairy farms. The candy shop hand-dips all their own chocolate making truffles out of fresh farm berries and heavy cream bottled locally. They also sell whole-bean coffees from a Michigan roasting company that makes the most amazing-smelling and rich-tasting flavors (kick me for not buying any). The all-cherry-themed specialty store also makes and sells their own fudge on-site, using all fresh, natural, organic local ingredients.

If this is a sickness I don't want the cure.

What really stood out to me, everywhere I went and in everything I read, is the pride. Northwestern Michiganders are proud of what they create--they are proud of their fresh, wholesome, all-natural organic foods; they are proud of their various dining establishments that run the full gamut of star-rankings from simple diner to ultra-upscale, all utilizing homegrown goods; they are proud of their region and their industry. They are, all of them, full of passion for what they do--and what they do is food.

Imagine a Detroit in which all of its inhabitants exhibited that same kind of pride...looks a little different, doesn't it? Thankfully there are still those who fight the good fight, despite the hardships they might have to face because of it. Take it from David Miller, owner of Miller's Cream Cup Dairy, or George Shetler of Shetler's Family Dairy, both of whom have small-production dairy farms considered by local restauranteurs and patissieres to be producing the best cream in the state. Both of whom struggle constantly to make ends meet and have yet to turn a profit from their self-bottling businesses. Both of whom insist on the highest levels of quality in production, which includes painstaking pasteurization processes which take significantly more time than the fast, cheap methods used by the large mass-production farms. Neither one of them does it for the money; they do it for the love. Passione. Theirs is milk with meaning.

By the end of my trip I had visions of sugar plums dancing in my head (well...cherries really), wanting to spread the gospel of good food to all who will listen.

I guess this is a start.

I began at the Serenity Tea Bar and Cafe, a small, inviting space which serves a selection of specialty cafe menu items in addition to their organic fair-trade and locally blended teas. The tea menu is extensive (and a bit daunting, as I am no tea afficianado) and they even offer all full tea service (like, with all the silver pieces on the big tray and special tools for measuring the release of the tea and do other things I don't quite understand--I was a bit taken aback when I walked in and saw a girl sitting cross-legged in the bay window with a full tea service in front of her). Their menu is all tea-infused--from the green tea hummus to the tea leaves used in the pizza sauce. They also offer vegan and gluten-free items on their all-organic menu. I sampled the four-cheese pizza and Darjeeling tea (I know). The pizza was tasty enough, but I decided it probably wasn't the best way to go. I'm not crazy about gluten-free dough (makes the crust too cracker-like); perhaps next time a specialty tea-infused soup or salad with tea-infused dressing. The servers were absolutely wonderful, though--incredibly welcoming and easy to talk to. The atmosphere was great--especially as I curled up in a big cushy vintage armchair (they've got couches, too) and listened to Bjork, Portishead, Moby and Morcheeba as I sipped my tea and read Edible Grand Traverse.

From there, I browsed some of the shops and galleries and ended up at Espresso Bay, a gourmet coffee bar where I had the most ZOMFGZ Cherry Truffle Mocha (so good I went back again the next day and got another one). They also make their own gelato.

Mmmmmmmm...cherry truffle mocha...ughghghghhghgh*drool*...

At this point I decided to head back to the hotel, get together my driving directions for the day's journey, and hit the road to experience some more of these much-touted local wines (and after reading Edible Grand Traverse I was extra-special pumped to do so).