2 Lads Winery to Open in May; Circa Estate Winery this Summer

Sandra Silfven writes in the Detroit News about 2 Lads Winery, set to open May 3 on the Old Mission Peninsula. The winery is "edgy in everything from architecture to wines, where the emphasis will be on reds and bubblies," she writes. The "two lads" are Chris Baldyga and winemaker Cornel Olivier, who are joined by Baldyga's father-in-law, Dick Quartel, as partners in the venture.

And on the Leelanau Peninsula, Circa Estate Winery is slated to open this summer. Owners David and Margaret Bell moved to Leland Township from the Chicago area 16 years ago to pursue their dream of opening a winery. See Silfven's write-up in the Detroit News.

Michigan Wine Show

The Michigan wine industry is featured on this special live edition of WNMC's Radio Anyway. Host Rebecca Davis talks with Bryan Ulbrich, winemaker and owner of Left Foot Charley, and journalist Cari Noga, who writes about the wine industry. April is Michigan Wine Month, so celebrate the industry and explore what local wineries have to offer!

Longview Announces Rustic White

Longview Winery and Vineyard recently announced that their 2007 Rustic White is bottled and ready for you to drink. You can order online, but might want to act fast. The last vintage of this wine sold out in only 3 months. Visit their tasting room and find out why.

Black Star Farms feature on Appellation America

Be sure to check out Appellation America's feature and interview with Black Star Farms' operating partner Don Coe and winemaker Lee Lutes titled Black Star Farms: Wine Agritourism Grows Up by Eleanor & Ray Heald.

The Black Star Experience

Looking for a way to spend a saturday afternoon? Check out the Black Star Experience. You'll board a bus at the Village of Grand Traverse Commons to take a four-hour tour of northern Michigan wine country, with wine and food samples along the way. The first two dates are February 2 and March 1. Cost per individual is $75 and per couple $125 and includes all day transportation, wine and food samples, and a souvenir glass.

2007 Ice Wine Harvest Video from Black Star Farms

Check out this video, narrated by Black Star Farms winemaker Lee Lutes about the 2007 ice wine harvest. After two hours of pressing, the grapes must be removed by hammer, pickax and chisel. Talk about a labor of love!

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Ice wine, liquid gold and the biggest gamble in wine

Winemaking is known to be an expensive game of chance. No matter how much control we can develop in the winery, we are still at the mercy of weather. Among the things that we cannot control are how fast the fruit will ripen, how much precipitation, and how cold or hot the air temperature outside will be. This final variable of temperature is the name of the ice wine game.

It is truly a gamble, because you leave your beautiful crop out to the elements in the vain hope that it might get better. So there it sits for months, it was ripe and could have been picked to make a fine wine on its own, but now we have decided to see how much abuse it can survive and avoid, should the weather comply.

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Ice Wine Harvest

Black Star Farms and Chateau Chantal each saved a few acres of grapes this harvest, hoping conditions would be right for ice wine, a sweet wine made from grapes that have frozen while still on the vine. The gamble paid off last week for Black Star when they harvested about 8,000 pounds of grapes.

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Chateau Grand Traverse Wine Guide

Check out the 2007-08 Winter Wine Guide (PDF) from Chateau Grand Traverse for descriptions of each of their wines, suggested food and wine pairings, tips for serving wine, and more.

Tastes opens at GT Commons

The Village at Grand Traverse Commons recently welcomed TASTES, a tasting room from Black Star Farms with a twist.

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A Northern Michigan Wine and a Good Read

Continuing along in the local gift giving vein, why not pair a local wine with a copy of the new book From the Vine: Exploring Michigan Wineries, written by Sharon Kegerreis and Lorri Hathaway, both raised in northern Michigan and now living downstate. To learn more about the book, check out this recent review by Eleanor & Ray Heald, Appellation America's regional correspondents for Michigan. "Every state with a small but growing wine industry needs significant grass roots endorsement," note the Healds. "Michigan has it now."

Four Soups

Chef Myles Anton entertained a full house Thursday night at the first class of the "Soup to Nuts" cooking series offered by Left Foot Charley winery. Deftly whipping up four delicious soups while passing along his methods for doing so, Trattoria Stella's executive chef blended humor, technique and his penchant for "matching foods," as in, using parsnips instead of carrots in a chicken soup because "white goes with white." He can put together whatever he wants, because it all tasted great, including his surprise soup in honor of the night, Riesling Apple. Rounding out the evening were three wines from Left Foot Charley, the 2006 Pinot Grigio, 2006 Riesling and Murmur 2006. Chef Anton kindly agreed to let us share his recipes here.

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Finding the ideal grape variety for Northern Michigan

Cari Noga writes in her column the November Traverse City Business News about two new research projects underway, led by the new head of viticulture at Michigan State University, Paolo Sabbatini. The goal is to identify grape varieties best suited to Michigan's cool climate and short growing season; and to map potential places to plant them.

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Toast the Season Tickets Going Fast

A number of restaurants in the Leelanau & Traverse City area will be participating in the Toast the Season wine tour by donating 5% of your meal cost to charity when you show them your Toast the Season ticket stub. Get a great meal and support some wonderful charities! The first weekend has sold out, but limited tickets remain for the second weekend - November 17 & 18, 2007. Order yours now. The weekend event features holiday gift basket with each ticket and an ornament, special wine pour and holiday-themed gourmet food at each of the 13 wineries that are members of the Leelanau Peninsula Vintners Association.