Take a Tour of 2 Lads Winery
July 21, 2010
Go Behind the Scenes at 2 Lads Winery on a Public Tour
One of the area’s most unique wineries is now opening their production area for tours. 2 Lads Winery on Old Mission Peninsula will conduct regular public tours every Monday, Thursday and Friday at noon and 3:00pm. Booking is on a first come, first served basis and accommodates up to 10 people.
Cost is $20 per person and includes a vineyard tour (weather permitting), cellar tour and a premium wine and food pairing led by one of the 2 Lads crew in the privacy of our gallery.
Taking a tour of one our area wineries is a great way to expand your knowledge of wine making, and discover what makes each winery, and the wines they produce, so unique. That’s why taking a Behind the Scenes tour is one of my 50 Ways to Love Your Summer.
Wonderful World of Michigan Wine, Beer and Spirits
May 20, 2010
The beverage business is booming in Michigan. And everyone from visitors to lodging personnel to locals wants to keep up with what’s new in the world of wine, beer and spirits in Northern Michigan. So here are some highlights from our customers in the industry.
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Right Brain Brewery
90 lbs of asparagus were grilled and turned into what has become a springtime favorite at RBB: Empire Spear Beer. Don’t worry if you missed it at the Empire Asparagus Festival, it’s on tap at the brewery. And for all the gluten-free customers out there it’s time to send up a cheer for the first ever gluten-free beer at RBB. "Katy Bar the Door" is an ode to the Red Wings #1 gluten allergy advocate, Mickey Redman. It’s made with roasted chestnuts, local honey, and 100% local hops.
Black Star Farms
Just fresh from bottling is the ‘09 Riesling at Black Star Farms. The winemakers notes will tell you, "This wine presents classic Riesling aromas of delicate white flowers and stone fruit. Ripe flavors of citrus, peach and apple follow on the palate. It is a lovely off-dry medium bodied white wine." And if you’re looking for a great date night or fun place to meet up with friends, why not check out the Matterhorn Grill at Tastes of Black Star Farms inside the Mercado at The Village. Sit around a miniature grill dining on melted Raclette, meats and veggies will sipping something tasty. Yum.
Bel Lago Vineyard & Winery
Bel Lago Winery’s 2007 Semi-Dry Riesling has been judged BEST WHITE WINE at the 2010 Pacific
Rim International Wine Competition, held in San Bernardino, CA. Bel Lago 2007 Semi-Dry Riesling won a Gold Medal and the Best of Class award for Off-Dry Riesling, and then competed against all the other Best of Class White Wine varietal winners, and was judged Best White Wine overall. Stop by their tasting room across from beautiful Lake Leelanau and taste for yourself. Congratulations Bel Lago.
Left Foot Charley
Despite a challenging ‘09 growing season Bryan has pulled together an interesting vintage from their fruits of last year. The ‘09 Pinot Blanc is from Island View Vineyard on Old Mission Peninsula. In his own words, "Island View came through again in the tough ‘09 vintage. We made the crew sort the grapes into golden and green clusters then the two lots were pressed and fermented individually and carefully blended back together to form this complex bright dry wine. Great apple notes with a striking citrus finish. Very limited production – you snooze you lose." Also check out their Sparking Hard Apple Cider and The Cobbler; a double fermented cider with a cinnamon flavor. Try it served ala mode with Moomers ice cream on the side.
2 Lads Winery
Bring on the bubbly. Two Lads is ready to release their 2002 vintage bubbly. "The 2002 Dry Sparkling Wine has been in the cellar doing extended aging en tirage (on the lees). This June will be the last time you will be able to purchase and enjoy this rare and spectacular gem. A non-traditional blend exhibiting an exotic, vibrant bouquet and a seductive mouth feel. When released, this wine will have seen seven years en tirage and is exemplary of Northern Michigan’s potential to be the United States’ preeminent sparkling wine region." With less than 500 bottles left in the cage there’s no time to waste in making a trip up to 2 Lads for a bottle.
Peninsula Cellars
In case you missed it, Peninsula Cellars was among several local wineries who made the B-list according to a recent article in Food & Wine magazine. The article certainly reinforced the fact that you can’t judge a winery by it’s apparent size or location on a map. And it highlighted one of my family’s favorite easy-drinking reds; Detention. Speaking of easy-drinking, don’t leave this little schoolhouse without a bottle of Homework, their Pinot Noir Rose.
Grand Traverse Distillery
If you haven’t been out to visit the George and Kent now’s the time. At their production facility they’ve expanded the tasting room area to accommodate all the new visitors we’re sending their way. You’ll also find some new spirits that will hopefully raise yours. Check out Ole George Whiskey, 100% Rye whiskey now available in the tasting room. I also discoverd a limited bottling of Chocolate Vodka. Sounds like cocktail hour is going to get crazy this summer at Grand Traverse Distillery.
Uncorked Wine Bar
If you’ve stepped inside the Cherry Stop lately you can’t miss what’s going on with Uncorked. In order to create two separate spaces for visitors to enjoy they are remodeling and moving the wine bar up front. When they’re finished with the upgrade customers there to visit Uncorked will come in a separate entrance that leads straight to the bar, located under a pergola inside the building. The seating and beautiful Grand Traverse Bay views are still in the back. And plans for another Meet the Winemaker event in June are in the works. So stop in for a sample or pick up a bottle of your favorite local wine while you’re shopping downtown Traverse City.
Upcoming Festival and Events
One of the best ways to enjoy summer in Michigan is spending an afternoon at a Wine Festival, or Beer Festival or a combination thereof. So here’s a list of some of the upcoming festivals in Northern Michigan and throughout the state.
May 21-22 | World Expo of Beer, Frankenmuth, Michigan
May 29 | Michigan Beer & Brat Festival, Crystal Mountain Resort in Thompsonville, Michigan
June 12 | Leland Wine & Food Festival, Leland, Michigan
June 26-27 | Michigan Wine & Brew Festival, Michigan International Speedway, Brooklyn, Michigan
July 23-24 | Michigan Summer Beer Festival, Ypsilanti, Michigan
August 6 | Old Mission Peninsula Wine & Food Celebration, Bowers Harbor Park on Old Mission, Traverse City, Michigan
August 14 | Leelanau Peninsula Wine & Food Festival, Northport, Michigan
August 21 | Traverse City Wine & Food Festival, The Village at Grand Traverse Commons, Traverse City, Michigan
August 27-28 | Traverse City Summer Microbrew & Music Festival, The Village at Grand Traverse Commons, Traverse City, Michigan
Uncorked Wine Bar, Mealtickets Latest Addition
May 3, 2010
Love Michigan Wines, Then You’ll Love Uncorked!
Did you know that Downtown Traverse City has a wine bar dedicated to promoting Michigan wine, beer and spirits? Uncorked, a Northern Michigan Wine Bar is located on Front Street and you may not have known it was there. That’s because it’s inside The Cherry Stop. And it’s home to an amazing opportunity for you to unwind, unplug and sip on some fabulous cocktails.
There is no where else in Traverse City you can step up to the bar and order a flight of riesling for a side-by-side taste test, and be able to walk out the door with a bottle of your favorite label. Whether you want to order a wine sample, sip on a Michigan microbrew draft, or savor a cocktail made from local spirits, the options are endless at Uncorked.
The Cherry Stop has been with Mealtickets from the day we opened for business. And we’re very excited to welcome another great idea from Nick and Jamie Roster into Mealtickets service. Stop in for a glass, sign up for one of their Meet the Winemaker events or enjoy happy hour. And tell them we said hello!
Welcome Bel Lago
March 19, 2010
Bel Lago…Beautiful Lake: Beautiful Winery
If your wine tasting tour has never lead you along the western shore of Lake Leelanau then you’ve missed one of the area’s best wineries. Bel Lago Winery, a recent addition to the Mealtickets little card family, sits across from Lake Leelanau with views of vineyards and crystal blue waters. But the vista pales in comparison to the wines.
Known for their amazing choice of varietals and blends, Bel Lago has won awards for nearly every wine entered in competition in the last five years! They began planting grapes in 1987 on the family-owned property, and opened the tasting room in 1999. And still it’s amazing how many people have not heard of this diamond on the shore. We’re hoping to change that.
So next time you’re headed out on a wine tour, or perhaps you’re picking up a bottle for dinner tonight, check out Bel Lago Winery. You can find a map to their off-the-beaten-path location on our Dining and Wineries page. And take a trip to the website for more information, www.bellago.com.
In case you’re wondering, the photo on the card is their view. Not bad, eh?
Virtual Wine Tasting with Black Star Farms
February 21, 2010
Tweet & Taste Michigan brings wine lovers together on Twitter for a virtual wine tasting
Have you ever wanted to taste wines with the winemaker and compare notes? What if you could sip and savor at home, in your jammies if you like, while discussing Michigan wine with other fans from across the country? On March 8, 2010 you can do just that. Thanks to the folks at Michigan By the Bottle all you need for this fun event are a few bottles of Black Star Farms wines, a computer and a Twitter account.
Black Star Farms Winery is participating in a virtual wine tasting with Tweet & Taste Michigan. Created by Shannon Casey the event brings wine bloggers, winemakers, master sommeliers and wine lovers together to learn and share wine notes online in real time.
The event on March 8th starts at 8pm and will feature three Black Star Farms wines:
- 2008 Black Star Farms Arcturos Dry Riesling
- 2007 Black Star Farms Arcturos Pinot Noir
- 2007 Black Star Farms Arcturos Barrel Aged Chardonnay
Interested participants can search twitter using the hashtag #ttmi to find all relevant info on Tweet and Taste Michigan. To RSVP for the event find them on Facebook here.
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