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Traverse City-area wineries offer weekend getaways By Cortney Casey Self-described “wine enthusiast” Mike Blaga has traveled to California’s famed Napa Valley to indulge his passion for vino. But earlier this month, the Royal Oak resident was immersed in a different picturesque locale with lush vineyards and crystalline waters: the northwestern Lower Peninsula, Michigan’s own wine country. “They’re delicious wines … very high quality. I think the quality has improved over the last decade,” said Blaga as he sampled offerings at Leelanau Cellars in Omena. “It’s a ‘staycation,’ almost. I think this is my favorite area of Michigan.” For cash-strapped Michiganders, finding exceptional wines is as easy as hitting I-75 on a single tank of gas, with the Old Mission Peninsula and Leelanau Peninsula wine trails just minutes apart in the greater Traverse City area. Old Mission boasts seven wineries — Leelanau, more than a dozen. And despite the economy, winery reps insist tourism is going strong. Peninsula Cellars sales manager Tom Owen said he’s seen a swell of residents eschewing Mexico or California to head north. “I think the economy is making people realize, people that live in Michigan, that there are some great sights to see here,” he said. At L. Mawby, which specializes in sparkling wines, “I would say we’re busier, with a younger clientele buying less,” said tasting room manager Don Hartwig, “but because there’s more people buying less … we’re still up.” Black Star Farms tasting room manager Chris Lopez has seen an increase in visitors planning trips just days in advance, if that. Some arrive to explore Michigan’s wine country without so much as accommodations arranged, he said. “There’s a lot more last-minute kind of thing,” he said. Marie-Chantal Dalise, director of marketing for Chateau Chantal, said sales are up slightly, and tasting room attendance is comparable to last summer. “I think people realize that this is such a fun tour to do out here,” she said. “You can go around, spend two days, and try some wines out for not a lot of money, and have a really awesome time.” Dalise compared Michigan’s cool-weather wine region to those in Germany and Alsace, France — the result of sheltering bays. “It keeps us a little more insulated from spring frosts, and also extends our growing season in the fall so that we can actually ripen the fruit and really make some world-class wine,” she said. New wineries continue to pop up, and in neighborly fashion, no one appears to have qualms about praising another venue. When one winery is successful, said Hartwig, it bodes well for others in the vicinity. “We really don’t compete with one another, because it’s a global market,” he said. Alyson Olivier, tasting room manager for 2 Lads Winery, agreed. “When there’s just one winery, it’s not a destination,” she said. Much of the appeal, said Owen, stems from each establishment’s distinctive character. While Peninsula Cellars is based in an 1800s schoolhouse, just a few miles north, 2 Lads’ contemporary facility is undeniably modern. Affordability also is a major factor. Old Mission wineries offer limited free tastings; on the Leelanau Peninsula, fees, if any, are nominal. And most of the more than 30 wine varieties at Leelanau Cellars, for instance, are under $10 per bottle. Many of the wineries are venturing beyond the traditional tasting room experience of swirl, sniff, sip and leave. Chateau Grand Traverse, Chateau Chantal and Black Star Farms tout their cozy, home-style inns. Black Star boasts a creamery, farmers market and petting farm. Chantal hosts free live jazz shows and extensive tapas tours. Several have launched satellite tasting rooms closer to Traverse City, such as TASTES of Black Star Farms, which pairs a tasting bar with a tiny dining room where meals revolve around raclette cheese, a specialty of the Leelanau Cheese Co. within Black Star’s main Suttons Bay compound. The peninsulas’ vintners’ associations put on periodic celebrations, and many wineries hold parties heralding new releases. The region’s draw isn’t limited to metro Detroiters. Hartwig said L. Mawby gets crowds from Grand Rapids, Ohio and Chicago, and Peninsula Cellars sales associate Tom Kowalczyk has mingled with people from as far away as Australia. Yet, Lopez said it can be a struggle to persuade even local restaurants to carry Michigan wines because there’s “a lot of misperception” that the farther-flung a wine’s origin, the higher its quality. Nonetheless, the wine world is beginning to take notice. It’s not unusual to see bottles draped in medals at the area’s wineries. Kowalczyk said Peninsula Cellars’ Select Riesling received a favorable write-up in Time magazine; Lopez noted that Black Star’s ice Riesling was served at the Obama White House’s first state dinner. “Obviously, our whites are really nice,” Owens said of the region, “but we’re starting to actually make really nice reds, which I think really puts us on the map.” And the busiest days are still ahead. Fall brings tourists in droves; Lopez said October Saturdays are most hectic, and Hartwig said L. Mawby’s tasting room staff triples to accommodate the traffic. Winery reps insist expertise is optional for visitors, and employees relish the chance to enlighten newbies, said Lopez. Those already in the know won’t be let down either: Many wineries offering reserve tastings of “more complex” wines for seasoned palates, said Dalise. “Each winery out here has a different style, of course; even though the vines are planted a couple miles apart from one another, they’ll taste completely different,” she said. “So it’s always a unique experience for everybody.” Blaga advised newcomers to ask for assistance, and “just throw your intimidation out the window.” “Don’t be afraid, just dive in,” he said. |
