This past weekend we were invited up to the Leelanau Peninsula (just outside the Traverse City area), for a weekend of fun and wine tasting. The Leelanau Peninsula Wine Trail (LPWT) is home to 25 Michigan Wineries, with another 4 currently in development. If you haven’t had a chance to visit any of the LPWT wineries, I highly suggest you get on up, down, or over to check them out.
Each of the wineries is unique in its own way, and all boast stunning views, cozy tasting rooms, and award winning wine. And not just any awards, but really prestigious ones. The results for the 2014 Pacific Rim International Wine Competition just came out, and many Michigan wines (including reds) received Gold & Best in Class medals over West Coast wines! These Michigan wineries are starting to really shine!
We learned of the competition medals in person from the ecstatic winery owners while on our LPWT tour. The LPWT is the largest wine trail in the Midwest, and thus is divided into three mini-trails for easier touring – the Sleeping Bear Loop, the Northern Loop and the Grand Traverse Bay Loop.
On this visit we traveled the Northern Loop and stopped at Boathouse Vineyards, BluStone Vineyards, Forty-Five North, Tandem Ciders, Silver Leaf Vineyard and Winery, Good Neighbor Organic, and Gill’s Pier Vineyard and Winery. It was a crazy day, but I still managed to learn one new interesting fact about each of the 7 wineries we stopped at that I wanted to share with you.
1. The Boathouse Vineyard’s owner, Dave Albert, worked for free for 8 months at a local Michigan winery in order to learn everything he could about the winemaking business before eventually purchasing land and planting his vines. His first vines almost never made it in the ground, as UPS lost the shipment. He managed to save them after tracking them down in Chicago.
2. The name of BluStone Vineyards comes from The Leland Blue Slag, a byproduct from the iron smelted by Leland Lake Superior Iron Company in Leland during the 19th century. After already choosing the name, winery owner Tom Knighton discovered that wood from his property was actually used to fuel the smelter for the iron company. They named the winery after the rare blue stone because they wanted the experience of the guests to be like the unanticipated joy of finding one along the Lake Michigan shore.
3. Forty-Five North is the only Michigan commercial grower of Frontenac Gris, a hybrid grapevine that is a result of research and cross-breeding by the University of Minnesota. Their first release has shown a 90-95% vitality rate, and we got to sample some bubbles made with it while visiting.
4. The name for Tandem Ciders comes from, of course, a tandem bicycle, a form of bicycle designed to be ridden by more than one person. Owners Nikki and Dan decided to tour England for 30 days on a tandem bike, pedaling away from Heathrow Airport after they landed. Beer had originally been their thing, but after tasting many ciders during their journey, they decided to come to Michigan and start making cider. 30 days on a tandem bike, that’s just crazy talk!
5. When owners Mark & Patti Carlson bought the property that now houses Silver Leaf Winery, they discovered a cabin buried under brush, and filled with junk near what is now the tasting room. The cabin was actually moved from a spot on South Lake Leelanau by the previous owners and was built in the 1950’s. Mark and Patti were encouraged to get rid of the building when purchasing the land, but instead they restored what is now called simply “The Cottage,” and rent it out so travelers can stay on the property and taste their great wines.
6. Good Neighbor Organic is the region’s first and only totally Certified Organic Vineyard, orchards and winery. Although, Good Neighbor is not USDA Organic, it is certified by Ecocert, one of more than 50 organic certification companies operating in the United States. Ecocert is in turn “certified” by the USDA to review, inspect and approve organic producers.
7. Aside from producing award winning Michigan wines, Gill’s Pier also showcases a unique tasting room that features an 102 year old antique bar that was moved from New York. The original owners drove it to Michigan with the guarantee that they would take it back if the buyers didn’t like it. The doors inside the tasting room are from England, and there are many other fascinating antiques lining the walls. It makes for a truly unique tasting experience.
Our group had an absolutely fantastic time touring the Northern Loop wineries of the Leelanau Peninsula Wine Trail. A special thanks goes out to the Leelanau Peninsula Vintners Association, the Bayshore Resort, the Leland Lodge, and Mike from A. Paradise Shuttle and Tours for helping make the trip possible. Also, thanks to Nick Nerbonne for the great photos!
