Left Foot Charley & Robert Parker

Bryan Ulbrich's Left Foot Charley is named one of the top producers east of the Rockies in Robert Parker's Wine Buyer's Guide (7th ed).

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Great Macaroni & Cheese Bake-off Tickets On Sale

Tickets for the Great Mac & Cheese Bake-off, to be held November 29, are now on sale at the wineries on the Old Mission Peninsula and at the Traverse City Convention and Visitor's Bureau.

A look at NW Michigan Wine Industry

Joel Goldberg's blog entry on the state of and prospects for the wine industry in NW Michigan.

Vineyard prices up; TC’s Cherry Stop offers Michigan wine tasting

The cost of vineyard real estate is on the rise in northern Michigan, Cari Noga reports in the September Traverse City Business News. She also writes about downtown Traverse City's Cherry Stop where you can stop in and sample wines from multiple Michigan wineries all in one place.

Short Takes from The 45th

Brief interviews with Spencer Stegenga of Bowers Harbor Vineyards and Sean O'Keefe of Chateau Grand Traverse about the awards their wines won at the International Eastern Wine Competition.

2007 Cab Franc ready at 2 Lads

2 Lads' 2007 Steel Cabernet Franc will be released on Labor Day Weekend (Aug 30).

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Michigan’s Rieslings

Read up on the buzz about Michigan's Rieslings, which have earned than 120 medals so far this year.

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More on Michigan wine competition

Results from last week's Michigan Wine and Spirits Competition were a bit of a surprise, according to judge and Detroit News wine columnist Sandra Silfven. Read her coverage of the event, where the usual Rieslings, Gewurztraminers and Pinot Blancs were overshadowed by Frontenacs and Traminettes.

Michigan Wine Competition Winners

Ornery judges, no best of class for sparkling, and an ice wine with low sugar content garnering best of its class...it all spells out great news for Michigan wines according to Michwine founder Joel Goldberg, who helped judge. Check out his roundup of the annual competition held this week in East Lansing. And congrats to all the Northern Michigan winners!

Forty-Five North’s Tasting Room is Open

Forty-Five North opened its temporary tasting room earlier this month at its production facility at 8580 E. Horn Rd., northeast of Lake Leelanau. Their "real" tasting room is a 120-year-old barn that was disassembled in Wyoming, Michigan, transported to the vineyard and, as owner Steve Grossnickle blogs, "is now in the process of being raised as a rustic, nostalgic remembrance of the past." It should be ready to welcome tasters this fall. Check out the new wines they're offering! Sounds like there's something for all tastes.

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Life is Just Bowl of Cherries

Black Star Farms writes on their blog: "It's cherry wine time at Black Star Farms on the Old Mission Peninsula. View the photos of fresh cherries being pressed into the sweet ruby red juice that is soon to become our famous Cherry Wine!" Now that's something to look forward to!

Epicurean Classic Schedule Posted

The folks at the Epicurean Classic have posted an updated schedule online, with details about cooking demonstrations, wine tastings, receptions and dinners taking place during the September 11-13 event.

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Michigan poised well for Riesling market

Sandra Silfven writes in today's Detroit News about Michigan Rieslings getting some love around the country. Three of our local Riesling producers will attend the second annual Riesling Rendevous later this month in Washington state. They are Adam Satchwell of Shady Lane Cellars, Sean O'Keefe of Chateau Grand Traverse and Lee Lutes of Black Star Farms. Silfven also includes a compilation of gold-medal Rieslings from Michigan. Rieslings are the fastest-growing white wine in the country.

Paid tastings in the future?

Cari Noga reports on the small distillers bill recently passed by the Michigan Senate and forwarded on to Gov. Jennifer Granholm, which amends state liquour code to give small distillers the option to charge for tastings. Traverse City's Grand Traverse Distillery would benefit from the bill, and is considering a new facility on Old Mission peninsula. Noga reports that Black Star Farms' Don Coe is asking WineMichigan to seek similar legislation for wineries.