Lake Erie North Shore wine region in Windsor Essex. Photo by Nicole Rupersburg.
Summer in metro Detroit is a beautiful and fleeting thing. We metro Detroiters spend as much time as possible enjoying the great outdoors during these hot summer months. Take advantage of our fantastic waterways with a boat tour, jet ski, canoe or kayak. Hike, bike, or camp in a state park. Barbecue with the family at one of the Metroparks. Attend an outdoor concert. Enjoy the state's agricultural bounties and visit a U-Pick fruit farm. Spend a Sunday afternoon leisurely brunching on a patio. Yadda yadda. There's nothing wrong with any of these things – they're great! we love them all! - but instead of running the same-old rundown of metro area parks and rec and etc., here's a few things that you might not already know about it that you need to do this summer.
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]
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]
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]
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.
#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
Cooper's Hawk Vineyards. All photos by Nicole Rupersburg.
Obviously we here at Eat It Detroit are huge proponents of local travel and Michigan wines. The wineries of northern Michigan are close; the wineries of southern Michigan are even closer. But if you live in metro Detroit, a geographically unique area where Canada lies both north and south, the closest wine region actually lies across the border in Ontario ... and if you live in the city of Detroit, you can be in the heart of the Lake Erie North Shore VQA in about 35 minutes.
We love the L.E.N.S. VQA because it's so close, and also because it's so cheap. The Canadian dollar and U.S. dollar have been pretty comparable as of late (fluctuations in strength between the two are effectively negligible), which means gold medal-winning wines from this Ontario region priced at a scant $15 are a scant $15. Also, ice wine. Canada and Germany are the world's largest producers of ice wine - a luscious dessert wine that's like liquid honey; truly the nectar of the gods - and most of Canada's comes from Ontario. The wineries here make ice wine in abundance (the name refers to the method of production: healthy grapes are harvested and pressed while frozen, making for a highly concentrated, sweet wine), and unlike the $65+ price tag for a 200mL bottle you'll see here in the States, most of them sell for $20-35 for 200mL; Sprucewood Shores even sells a 375mL bottle for $40.05.
Sprucewood Shores Estate Winery.
There are some distinct differences between southern Ontario and northern Michigan wines. The climates are just dissimilar enough to allow for some divergent areas of focus - both are considered cool climate regions, but it seems that northern Michigan is stronger in their Alsatian-style whites and Lake Erie is having better and more consistent luck with their Rhone-style reds (cool weather red varietals like Cab Franc, the heartbreak grape Pinot Noir, and the hardy hybrid Baco Noir grow well here and make for some exceptional wines).
There are 15 wineries now in the Lake Erie North Shore VQA (with two more opening next year and three more approved down the road), but only a handful have been around for a significant amount of time. This wine region is reminiscent of where northern Michigan was about five or so years ago: they're producing some truly outstanding wines, but no one is really paying them any attention. They are an underdog region, sneered at by Ontario's big dog regions of Niagara and Niagara-on-the-Lake - and oh, hell, we love to root for the underdog. Just as northern Michigan is starting to get some international recognition now, so will the Lake Erie North Shore in the future ... but for now, it's their little secret and they're pretty content to let it stay that way for a little while longer (and so are we).
The topography of the Lake Erie North Shore is also markedly different than northern Michigan - lots of flat land and straight roads, but all situated along (or nearby) the Lake Erie coast in the middle of abundant farmland, so still very scenic and peaceful (a bit reminiscent of the many apple orchard and pumpkin patch stretches in northern Macomb County, complete with the quaint little downtowns interspersed throughout). A weekend tour through Ontario wine country is truly a fantastic way to enjoy the fall colors close to home.
Jack's Gastropub and Inn 31.
The 15 wineries of the Lake Erie North Shore encompass everything from teeny-tiny wineries open all of three months with a case production of only 850 to some of the biggest and oldest wineries in Ontario with an annual case production topping 600,000. Another cool little factoid to stick in your hat, wear around and present at parties: there are four female winemakers in this 15-winery region, including Rori McCaw at Cooper's Hawk and Tanya Mitchell at Sprucewood Shores. By comparison, at best count there is one female winemaker in the entire state of Michigan. One. (There are actually very few female commercial winemakers in the United States at all. This is especially significant when you consider women account for over 60% of wine consumers and nearly 80% of women make all or almost all of the wine purchasing decisions in the home; kinda goes back to that whole women in the kitchen thing.)
So, Canada, Ontario, Lake Erie North Shore ... you have our attention. Now, here's what you need to know about Canadian wine terminology before going in: the VQA is Ontario's wine authority, designating the standards for VQA-designated wine production within the province's distinct appellations. A wine that is designated "VQA" means the grapes were all grown in one of Ontario's specific VQA appellations (i.e., Lake Erie North Shore) and is a quality example of that appellation. Think of it as the same as the Italian DOCG and the French AOC systems.
Next, you'll hear a lot about the LCBO - the Liquor Control Board of Ontario. Much as the Michigan Liquor Control Commission controls liquor sales here, the LCBO controls liquor sales there. Because of strict exportation and distribution laws both on the part of the LCBO as well as the MLCC (and also because many of these wineries are simply too small to do any significant distribution), many of these wines you will only ever be able to sample and purchase here at the wineries themselves (most of the wine that gets exported is sent over to China and Japan, where the ice wine market is particularly huge and Canadian wines are generally in good favor). And that will appeal to just about any adventurous quasi-hipster-foodie type looking to find the next cool food thing before anyone else. And, hi, it's less than an hour away.
Another thing to know about Canadian wines is the sugar code scale, a numerical designation referring to a wine's residual sugars. 0 is as dry as it gets; the majority of the wines will clock in at 4 or under, but some ice wines can get up into the 20s. It's a handy designation to determine whether or not a wine is dry and an easy way to self-educate your palate.
Got all that? You are now ready to experience southern Ontario wine country.
Viewpointe Estate Winery.
Day 1
Start at Viewpointe Estate Winery in Harrow, about an hour from the center of downtown Detroit. This brings you through a big chunk of the L.E.N.S. region and right into the heart of it. Have lunch with a glass of wine on their spacious patio overlooking Lake Erie; their patio menu is available Thursday-Sunday when weather permits and emphasizes the local products of Windsor-Essex. Viewpointe has been open since 2006 and strives to be a winery of many hats: they can accommodate large parties both indoors and out for weddings and corporate events; they have a culinary center that does all their in-house catering as well as teaches hands-on culinary classes during the off season; they are a satellite school for Niagara College's Master Taster's program, which basically offers all the same training of a sommelier without the rigorous testing. Viewpointe is also something of a research facility: they worked with a Swiss scientist to produce a hybrid grape specifically for Essex County, one that would be ideal for their climate - early-ripening, cold-hardy, mildew-resistant - promoting environmental and economic sustainability. These grapes are behind their Colchester Cuvee, and while they are the only winery currently making the wine they have sold roots to other wineries, and they hope this will one day be known as Essex County's grape. The Auxerrois is also a varietal wine unique to this estate.
Wine recs: 2009 Colchester Cuvee, 2008 Auxerrois VQA, 2007 High Pointe Syrah VQA, 2001 Cabernet Merlot VQA, 2002 Focal Pointe Cabernet Franc
For your last winery of the day, visit one of the oldest and largest estate wineries in Ontario: Pelee Island Winery in Kingsville. They've been operating since 1983 growing upwards of 40 different grapes on their 1,000 acres on Pelee Island, and are the only Pelee Island VQA winery. The operation is massive and they distribute widely throughout North America and Asia. They make dozens of wines covering a huge range of styles, but their reserve wines are only sold in the winery. The Cab Sauv Reserve is an absolute must, but if you try NOTHING else at this winery you MUST try the Cab Franc Icewine - a pale, dusty rose color, this icewine, though lesser known than the golden Vidal Icewine, is a honey-tongued goddess loaded with cassis and strawberry jam. Luscious and lovely and only available at the winery.
After a day of tasting, head just down the street to Jack's Gastropub in adorable downtown Kingsville for a casual dinner of hearty, homey locally-sourced fare. The greens and produce come from area farmers, the meat from local butchers, burgers are ground in-house and topped with unique items like apple fig chutney and cider mayo (for the fall). You can't get items like a Turducken Rueben anywhere else, and the brisket poutine is comfort food to the extreme. They carry a large selection of local craft beer from breweries like Mill Street and Muskoka, and their wine list is all Ontario wines. After a meal like that on a brisk fall night you'll want to cozy up in bed next to a fireplace and hey look, you can do that here too! Upstairs from Jack's is Inn 31, a three-room bed and breakfast where each room has a fireplace and a big big bathroom with jacuzzi tub.
Inn 31.
Day 2
After breakfast at Inn 31, head back into Harrow to visit Colio Estate Winery. Another one of Ontario's oldest and largest wineries, Colio makes about 75 different wines for just about every palate and price point. Take a full tour of their facilities to learn more about their operations and see their barrel room with just a portion of the medals they've won over time. They've racked up over 500 medals since they started in 1980, and continue to knock it out of the park with their reserve reds like Cab Franc, Pinot Noir, and most recently their phenomenal Shiraz* loaded with white pepper and almost-ripe strawberry. They make several different varieties of sparkling wine, but the best bang for your buck might just be the Girl's Night Out Sparkling VQA, a wonderfully bright, crisp bubbly made with all Riesling grapes for only $14.75 per bottle. *Look, we can nitpick over Shiraz vs. Syrah; they named it thus because the Aussies gave the grape more recognizability and so Colio gave it the name people are familiar with.
Wine recs: CEV Riesling Reserve VQA, CEV Small Lot Shiraz, CEV Reserve Cabernet Franc LENS, CEV Gamay Noir, CEV Late Harvest Vidal VQA, Girl's Night Out Sparkling VQA
From Colio visit Sprucewood Shores Estate Winery in Harrow, a small family-owned and -operated winery overlooking Lake Erie. Their Pinot Gris is their most popular wine, bright and citrusy and only lightly acidic (a great summertime patio drinking wine), but their unoaked Barrel Reserve Chardonnay is fruit-forward with a smooth butterscotch finish (when Chardonnay comes back into favor in the wine drinking world it will be because of the anti-oak trend). Their Pinot Noir is aged 8 months and oak and is described as being "uncomplicated" - nice and drinkable. But winemaker Tanya Mitchell's masterpiece is their Meritage, a Bordeaux blend of Cab Sauv, Cab Franc, and Merlot aged 18 months in oak for a rich, bold, complex wine. Hang out here for awhile and enjoy their picnic basket lunch, an actual picnic basket loaded with gourmet cheese (Dubliner, 3-year aged cheddar, or smoked gouda), meat (prosciutto or salami), a warm baguette loaf, garlicky hummus, antipasti, fruit and dessert for $25 (easily feeds 2-3). Take the basket down to the picnic benches on the shore for a relaxing lakefront al fresco afternoon feast.
Wine recs: Pinot Gris, Barrel Reserve Chardonnay, Pinot Noir, Meritage, Hawk's Flight Reserve Merlot, Vidal Ice Wine
Next up, D'Angelo Estate Winery in Amherstburg, another one of the area's old wineries. Owner and winemaker Sal D'Angelo produces award-winning wines from his two locations (the other is in British Columbia). Their unique specialty is their Foch wines, made from the hybrid Marechal Foch grape which only they are growing. Their Old Vines Foch wines are from the winery's first planted vines (around 1983). There are several vintages of the Old Vines Foch available to taste - 2002, 2005 and 2008 - and each is markedly different from the last. Aged in American oak, these are big, rich, jammy, meaty reds (the 2002 has a nose of strawberry Starburst). D'Angelo also makes an exceptional Baco Noir, another hybrid grape that thrives in the area. Where most Baco Noirs are fruit-forward, theirs are edgy and full-bodied; again, try both the 2007 and 2008 vintages to compare. D'Angelo also specializes in dessert and fortified wines, including Vidal Icewine, Iced Foch (in which the juice is frozen and concentrated after the grapes are picked), Iced Foch Vidal, and their signature Dolce Vita, a fortified Vidal Icewine that's all the lusciousness of ice wine with the alcohol kicked up.
Wine recs: Old Vines Foch, Baco Noir, Pinot Noir, Blanc de Blanc, Iced Foch Vidal, Dolce Vita
For your last stop through the Lake Erie North Shore VQA, visit the Muscedere family over at Muscedere Vineyards. Their winery estate is also their home, and the operation has a distinct family feel with a children's playset out back and little ones running around. Muscedere is a small winery, with 12 acres of vines on their estate and an annual production under 1,500 cases. 2010 was their first full production year. They hand-harvest all of their grapes to ensure greater quality control, and plan on staying relatively small in order to maintain that quality. Their 2009 Pinot Noir, Baco Noir and Cabernet Sauvignon all medaled at InterVin, and already barrel samples of the 2010 Cab Sauv currently chilling out in oak show a wine that's going to be HUGE and will only get bigger as it sits on oak another year. Even their Pinot Noir - usually such a soft, gentle grape - is high in tannins and fuller in body.
On your way back to the States, make one last stop about 15 minutes from the Ambassador Bridge at Seasons Bistro in La Salle. The restaurant opened in 2008 with the concept of seasonality and freshness, so they work with local farmers and producers in conjunction with the Grown Right Here - Windsor-Essex campaign promoting local producers. Menus are updated regularly to reflect the season and availability; right now the shredded duck dumplings and roasted squash ravioli are a wonder. The wine list also features several Lake Erie North Shore wines.
Now with a head full of wine and a belly full of food, it's time to go back over the border. Try not to look too guilty, and be sure to visit our friendly neighbors to the south-north again soon and partake generously of their fantastic wines.
For more information on Windsor-Essex and Pelee Island, click here.
Covert cell phone ops at Round Barn's Union Pier tasting room.
Chicago is a four-hour straight shot down I-94, an easy enough road trip for metro Detroit's weekend warriors looking for a quick getaway. The majority of that drive is through farmland and there's whole stretches in the middle of the state where even the strongest phone signals blink out. But just as the you start to see the first billboards announcing Firekeepers Casino and places with names like "Tokyo Spa," you'll also start to see signs leading you to the southern Michigan wine trails.
The I-94 route will take you right past all of the Pioneer Wine Trail and through most of the Lake Michigan Shore Wine Country. While these aren't necessarily destination wine trails (they're surrounded by a whole lot of not much and Chicago is, after all, just a couple of hours away), and most of these wineries simply do not operate on the same level as their northern Michigan counterparts, they're a great way to make the journey itself part of the fun - stretch the legs and lube the brain cells a bit. Crank through four or five of these places on your way out and still be in downtown Chicago in time for dinner, or make it a leisurely drive home in an effort to prolong the inevitable: Monday morning. (There's definitely a few wines worth taking home, too.)
#1 Round Barn WineryBaroda, Union Pier, Saugatuck
Visit the Union Pier tasting room (located right off I-94) and find yourself smack dab in the middle of a mini wine country. Wines from Round Barn Winery and Free Run Cellars are both available in the tasting room; the Round Barn Brewery is located behind the tasting room where you can sample a beer flight; and right across the parking lot is one of St. Julian's many tasting rooms. Since you're here, might as well hit all three! Round Barn is also a distillery, making fruit brandies and sweet fruit cordials as well as vodka, bourbon and rum under their DiVine label.
#2 Free Run CellarsUnion Pier, Saugatuck
The sons of the Round Barn family started Free Run Cellars as a way to evolve the family's grape growing and winemaking legacy. Brothers Matthew and Christian Moersch diverge from the traditions of Round Barn by making wines that suit more of a connoisseur's palate rather than being easy crowd-pleasers. The Dry Gewurztraminer and Cabernet Franc are their proudest wines, but be sure to also try the fruity Pinot Meunier and the Alsatian-style, highly drinkable white blend Mezzo.
St. Julian's Braganini Reserve Blanc de Noir.
#3 St. Julian WineryDundee, Paw Paw, Union Pier, more
One of Michigan's oldest wineries currently celebrating its 90th anniversary, St. Julian is also the most readily available along I-94 (with three tasting rooms on this route alone). Skip the standards, pay the $5 for 5 and go straight to the Braganini Reserve list. It's easy to make assumptions about the quality of St. Julian's wines based on what trickles down to places like Meijer, but reserves like the Pinot Gris and Blanc de Noir will completely change your perception.
#4 Sleeping Bear WineryAlbion
It's a cute brand with a cute tasting room and a cute Taste of Michigan store that sells other Michigan-made food products. If you're headed outbound for Chicago this will be the first winery you stumble across and it's a fun way to kick off an impromptu wine tour. This weekend they're celebrating the grand opening of Bad Bear Brewery, a brand-new microbrewery on their property, with Winetoberfest on October 8 from 1-10 p.m.
#5 Hickory Creek WineryBuchanan
A small and fairly new winery, Hickory Creek produces wines from grapes grown exclusively in the Lake Michigan Shore AVA. They carry a few different dry whites (like Riesling, Gewurztraminer and an unoaked Chardonnay), a sweet apple wine, a luscious ice wine, and only one red: the red fruit-driven Melange with notes of cherries, dark berries, cocoa and pepper.
Bubbling under Founders Wine Cellar (Baroda), Cherry Creek Cellars (Albion), Karma Vista Vineyards (Coloma), Tabor Hill Winery and Restaurant (Buchanan), Lemon Creek Winery (Berrien Springs), Lone Oak Vineyard Estate (Grass Lake), Sandhill Crane Vineyards (Jackson)
If you're driving up M-22 on the Leelanau Peninsula to do a little tour of Leelanau's roughly 20 wineries, you'll pass right by Chateau de Leelanau. And if you're anything like me, as you're passing by you'll think to yourself, "Well what the hell, it's right there," and you'll stop in to check it out. And that's kind of what they're banking on.
New owners Matt Gregory, his brother Andrew, their uncle Don, their cousin’s husband Mark Miezeo, and the "wine scientist" Roger Veliquette took over this musty old winery in February 2010 and opened in June 2010. "Musty" refers less to the wines - which Matt admits were decent enough - and more to the whole brand overall. The Chateau de Leelanau label was still stuck in that stuffy faux-"fancy" font that tends to signify an amateurish idea of what good wine should look like; the tasting room itself was cluttered with trinkets and tchotchkes that looked like the attic/basement/garage/living room of a crazy old cat lady. Sure, the blue hairs vacationing in wine country loved it, but that image wasn't exactly going to endear the winery to the new era of young wine connoisseurs curious to explore what northern Michigan has to offer.
Owner Matt Gregory with Ann Hoyt, cheesemaker for the Leelanau Cheese Company at Black Star Farms.
"I call it the seven-dumpster remodel," Matt jokes. When they bought the winery they inherited everything - the tanks, the barrels, the juice, the remaining bottle inventory, and the cluttered tasting room which happens to be in a prime location. Anyone making a trek out to visit prominent LP wineries like Black Star Farms, L. Mawby or Shady Lane Cellars will inevitably pass right by this place, conveniently located directly on M-22 in a plaza which is actually a 150-year-old barn. They gutted the place entirely, opened it up and made it feel fresh and fun. "We wanted to make this a younger, more fun place to hang out," Matt says.
Freshening up the image also meant doing a bit of re-branding. Their new wine labels ditch the fussy old cursive font in favor of a more playful logo which features a simple image of a barn with a wine bottle as a silo (paying homage to the barn they're in as well as their own farming history, and just the slightest bit of playfulness with the whole traditionally snooty Chateau concept).
The Gregory family has a long history as area farmers. They are fruit farmers - cherries, apples - with vast amounts of property on the Leelanau Peninsula just north of Suttons Bay (they also sell some of their Cherry Bay Orchards products in the tasting room, and if you're going to try anybody's cherry wine it should be theirs). Growing grapes was simply a natural progression from there. "We had an opportunity to get into an existing business [with Chateau de Leelanau]," Matt explains. "Their [farm] property was right next to the property we already owned." When the opportunity presented itself for them to purchase Chateau de Leelanau, it just seemed serendipitous.
Their first vintage was 2009, a tough growing year which most wineries struggled to make the best of. When they inherited the inventory, the juice was already in the tanks and barrels but they were at least able to finish them to their own tastes, and in doing so also inadvertently introduced what would become some of their signature wines.
"Hawkins Red," named for the 150-year-old barn in which the tasting room is located built by the Hawkins family, came about by accidental necessity. Because 2009 was such a rough year - the grapes just didn't ripen as they needed too, particularly the red - they knew that their Pinot Noir and Cabernet Franc would sell out fast (because there was so little of them) but still needed to have a red wine available for people as they came in. When they inherited the place, the only red in the tanks was the Regent grape, a hybrid used almost solely for blending purposes and almost never as a stand-alone varietal. Since they had nothing to blend it with, they took a (big) gamble and made it into a varietal wine called Hawkins Red. The end product is very similar to a Shiraz: a light body with notes of strawberry and a peppery finish. It has a little bit of an unexpected kick to it, which is exactly what Matt and Roger try to achieve with their wines to set them apart.
Bianca.
Hawkins Red has since become one of their flagship wines that no one else is even making. Another flagship wine unique to Chateau de Leelanau is Bianca. Bianca is a hybrid Hungarian strain of the Bouvier grape (which is grown primarily in central Europe). It's a hearty little grape that resists frost and ripens early, a common sense grape for this region. However, Chateau de Leelanau is currently the only winery that is growing it. But Bianca is a lovely mistress - similar to a Sauvignon Blanc, Bianca is a soft, light white with notes of tropical fruits like mango and tart citrus balanced out with crisp pear. She's a sleeper grape, and one that will surely command some serious attention for Chateau de Leelanau. (Another fun note: when ripe, Bianca is fluorescent orange.)
With the 2010 vintage Chateau de Leelanau was 100% harvested, pressed and blended by the new owners and the label became entirely their own. People are still learning about this "new" old winery, and one of the most important things they want people to know is that they're in it to have fun. "If you want to talk about the idiosyncrasies of wine that's fine," Matt says. "But if you want to just drink and hang out, that's cool too."
I did a little of both. After talking idiosyncrasies and the history of the winery, I drank and hung out, then Matt and I climbed into the Chateau de Leelanau van and took a trek out to the vineyards to see the grapes at work getting all fat and juicy (the growing season isn't quite completely over, but it's looking like 2011 will be a good year). There are certain wineries that are "musts" if you're making the trip up to the Traverse City's wine country; Chateau de Leelanau needs to be added to that list, and with its convenient location there's really no reason not to. Stop in, say hi to Matt (he's pretty much the "face" of Chateau de Leelanau and handles all the marketing and sales), hang out, drink some wine. It's fun without the fussiness; exactly what a wine country experience should be.
Want to see more? Check out the Flickr set here.
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.
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
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
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 FarmsLeelanau 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 VineyardsLeelanau 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
#4 Bowers Harbor VineyardOld 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 CellarsLeelanau 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)
"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.
One thing I've noticed whenever I go to a different city for any length of time and come back to Detroit is that Detroiters tend to be very ...
"... provincial," Maria Stuart offers to me over lunch, an honest observation as we talk about both of our experiences with the city.
As a native metro Detroiter herself, Maria left the area over 20 years ago. She went to school in Indiana, worked in Chicago, fell in love in Washington and raised a family in Oregon - where she and her husband now own their eponymous winery and wine bar, R. Stuart + Co. Maria visits regularly to see her parents as well as for business, but admits she wouldn't move back. Not because she's "one of those" Detroit ex-pats, but because she sees there's a great big world out there outside of Detroit.
Something Detroiters seem to forget.
I hypothesize that maybe it's because Detroiters aren't as well-traveled as people in other cities ... in Chicago or New York, you're hard-pressed to find anyone actually from Chicago or New York, but here everyone's born and bred. But as I later reflected on this conversation, once again on my way home from Chicago, I decided I don't think it's that ... there also seems to be a certain level of irrationally fierce loyalty on the part of the city's self-annointed image keepers. In Chicago or New York, people will regale you with their stories of exotic trips to Japan or South America or Thailand. People in Detroit do go to Japan and South America and Thailand ... but they still spend all their time talking about Detroit. Which leads to a certain amount of geographical narcissism. And let's not even start on the vitriolic verbal wars of City v. Suburbs. Hence, provincial.
But there is in fact a whole entire world outside of Detroit. And that world is Portland.
"Are you familiar with that show 'Portlandia'?" AM I?!? "Well, it's just like that."
By "that" she means ... well, just watch this video.
In Portland, everything is sourced locally. And not just Sam Schmuck Pizza Place down the corner jumping on the "buy local" bandwagon by touting the fact that they get their tomatoes from local farms in the summer (I mean, DAMN, I should hope so); we're talking the entire city center is surrounded by farms, people raising livestock, nature, wildlife ... plus they have a longer growing season with much more temperate weather conditions than we see in Michigan. They may lack the agricultural diversity we have here, but they make up for it in their utilization. "It's just strange coming here and not having access to that," Stuart says.
At this point I'm still fixated on the image of two people trying to order chicken, but there is a certain level of romance in her words which make me wonder about this strange and wonderful land - this food mecca - known as "Portland."
The R. Stuart Winery was established in 2002 by Maria, her husband (and winemaker) Rob, and two other partners, Patricia Rogers ("sales diva") and Frank Blair ("champagne aficionado"). The winery is located in McMinnville in Oregon's Willamette Valley, about 90 minutes outside Portland. "We wanted to be free to do our own thing and not be part of a corporate system," she explains. Maria had spent years in the food industry, selling wine to restaurants in Chicago and later getting involved in event planning and PR on the northwest coast. Rob spent 20 years as a winemaker in California, Washington and most recently at Erath Vineyards in Oregon.
It is also worth noting (for the sake of just a really sweet story that will make you want to fall in love with this couple and this winery) that Maria and Rob met at the International Pinot Noir Celebration in Oregon in 1990. She didn't just fall in love with Oregon Pinots that weekend ... the two of them would go on to make their own Pinot Noir together, as well as babies. There is no better pairing with wine than l'amour. (After that weekend she immediately left Chicago and joined Rob in Washington; they married in 1992. She later also spent four years as Executive Director of that high-profile event.)
Currently the winery produces about 20,000 cases per year. They work very closely with their fruit farmers to ensure that the fruit meets their quality standards, carefully choosing their vineyards from around the state to give them a wide range of diversity in flavor and character in their fruit. These are then blended into their popular Big Fire label, which offers a Pinot Noir, Pinot Gris and Dry Rose. Their signature label, "R. Stuart and Co.," features blends and single-vineyard wines.
The Big Fire label was designed to be a more accessible, more affordable, more approachable wine - something you can pick up for a casual night, enjoy at the dinner table or with friends, and not be forced to splurge or feel like you must save it for a special occasion. The idea is that good wine doesn't have to be expensive, and also that a so-called "lesser" label doesn't actually have to mean "lesser." "You can tell the similarities [between the Big Fire and R. Stuart labels], that they are siblings and that Rob made them." Rob doesn't hold back in making these approachable wines, nor are they cast-offs from their signature label (as is the case with so many other wineries and their second-label wines ... and I'll also give you a little insider info SIDEBAR you can break out the next time you find yourself in an "All Hail the Napa Valley Red" conversation: Duckhorn's Decoy label is made from the same grapes from the same vineyards and aged in the same barrels as its much more expensive big brother; a particular barrel only becomes "Decoy" when the winemaker does a barrel sample and decides it's not quite up to Duckhorn snuff ... which means your bottle of Decoy could simply be the result of a night of too-spicy food lingering on the palate or just a bad mood). They were among the first to offer an affordable Pinot, which many thought simply couldn't be done; now everyone is doing it.
This approachability is in keeping with their entire ethos: they do not submit their wines to Wine Spectator and the like for points ratings because "it’s a flawed system and everyone knows it’s a flawed system so why do people go by it?" She admits that sometimes it’s hard to stick to your guns, "but there’s no way to do it without compromising our principles."
In the context of this discussion on accessibility, I share with Maria my recent experience of the Violet Hour in Chicago, a much-buzzed-about craft cocktail bar. I was disgusted by the self-important air of the place. (I wrote elsewhere, "The place downright basks in its elitist appeal; if it could roll around naked in a pool of its own grandiosity it would.") We agree that a place that promotes itself solely through its exclusive appeal, the "want what you can't have" marketing tactic (it's got one of those "cleverly concealed" entrances ... because why would you want people to be able to easily locate and patronize your business?), is not only utilizing a questionable business model but is also, quite simply, not enjoyable. Maria speaks quite passionately that wine and food should be fun, and should be something everyone can enjoy - not just the select few who are "in the know" or in the upper echelon of payscales. Furthermore, a business should never make its bank by humiliating people whom they feel don't know any better but should.
And this is why they work so hard to make your R. Stuart experience a fun one. Big Fire bottles come with QR codes (they are only the second winery in the country to have adopted this technology) which you can scan to upload photos or videos of you and your bottle of Big Fire to enter the ongoing weekly "Me and My Big Fire" contest (check out their Facebook page to see some photos). Their Wine Bar, also in McMinnville, hosts a "Winter Supper Series" during the off-season where guests come to enjoy their wines along with a meal of locally-sourced foods prepared by some of Portland's top chefs.
The Wine Bar also serves a regular menu of small plates (think pate and crostini with various spreads) from Maria's own recipes. You can also visit their website for more of her recipes designed to pair with their wines. And if you really want to learn about wine and food pairing to further enhance your enjoyment, the Zing! workshop, operated as an independent entity by R. Stuart partner Patricia Rogers, is currently offered in Chicago and Oregon and is a fun and unintimidating way to do so.
Before we parted company, Maria presented me with some of their wines to try: the 2008 Big Fire Pinot Noir, the 2010 Big Fire Pinot Gris and the 2007 R. Stuart "Autograph" Pinot Noir. I must admit I enjoyed the fruit-forward Big Fire Pinot Noir over the more subtle, less in-your-face Autograph. Besides, they compared it to Nabakov's Lolita, how could I not love it? You can read more about their wines here rather than me babble on some more, but I will say that I am most certainly now a convert of the Big Fire. It's a lovely wine on its own and ready to drink now; if you'd like to try some for yourself, you can find it around town at such places as Tom’s Oyster Bar, Angelina Italian Bistro, Forest Grill, and Cork Wine Pub, or ask for it at your local wine market.
And if you, my fellow metro Detroiters, feel inspired to see some of that great big world outside of Detroit and visit this alternative universe that is Portland, stop by and visit Maria at the Wine Bar; just be aware of the "House Rules:"
(1) Protect and respect the fruit and its grower.
(2) Ditto for our friends and customers.
(3) A little wood goes a long way.
(4) Single vineyard bottlings are always interesting...(but blending ensures the best possible wine).
(5) Cork or cap? (Never open another corked bottle - screw-tops for wines meant to be drunk young, Vino-Lok for those you might hang on to.)
(6) Scores, schmores. (We've already covered that.)
(7) Good friends, good food, good wine - period.
To compare, here are the "House Rules" of the Violet Hour:
No cell phone use inside lounge. Proper attire requested. Please, no baseball hats. Sorry, no reservations. If you have a party of four, we’ll give you four chairs. If your party is eight, we’ll arrange eight chairs for you. No “party add-ons” without prior notification. No O-bombs. No Jager-bombs. No bombs of any kind. No Budweiser. No light beer. No Grey Goose. No cosmopolitans. And finally, please do not bring anyone to the Violet Hour that you wouldn’t bring to your mother’s house for Sunday dinner.
Welp. Seeing as how I wouldn't suggest most people even bring me to their mother's house for Sunday dinner, I think my big mouth is a little better-suited for the Big Fire, and for the gracious, welcoming (yet refreshingly honest and even a bit cheeky) company of Maria and her crew. And if it helps, better to be provincial than pompous.
