Had a lovely evening in Leelanau Wine country last night. The occasion was the Leelanau vintners small plate dinner–a progressive dinner where each small plate was served at a different Leelanau winery and paired with a house wine. At Shady Lane we sat at the vineyard's edge (in the shadow of the vineyard's charming stone buildings) and ate Asian pork buns prepared by chefs from Red Ginger, paired with a 2007 Semi-Dry Riesling. Fun to meet Gill's Pier owners Kris and Ryan Sterkenburg there, taking a break from their work in their own vineyard.

From Shady Lane we moved on to the Sterkenburg's Gill's Pier where a private tasting room was decorated magnificently in glowing red candles and Japanese lanterns to celebrate the Asian spring rolls prepared by local caterer Kristin Karam of K2 Events and Edibles. Delicious and loved having Kristin tell us about them. The spring rolls were paired with Gill's Pier's award-winning 2008 Riesling. Wonderful!

Then the drive home to Glen Arbor: M-22 on a June evening. Need I say more? Okay, I will–passed a fox, a mother deer and her fawn who could barely make it across the road on its skinny, shaky legs, the sun sinking over Lake Leelanau, wild lilies in full bloom, blue flashes of Lake Michigan through the tree, the Wyeth-esque barns of Port Oneida …

Photo: Untitled by [DennisT]

Throughout the day, there will be a comprehensive selection of artisan food and wines from Michigan with lavish appetizers of local ingredients prepared by Shiraz Executive Chef Travis Waynick. Winemakers from the Leelanau Peninsula and all around the state will be on hand to discuss their wines and provide additional information about their winery operations.

From 12:30-3:30 PM, the Showcase will be open to restaurant, retailer and distributor staff (contact Madeline Triffon at Shiraz for admission & info: 248-645-5289.) and from 6-8:30 PM, it will be open to the general public for $40 per person at the door. Members of the media are invited to attend any part of the Showcase at no charge.

Leelanau wineries in attendance will include Bel Lago Vineyards, Black Star Farms, Chateau Fontaine, Ciccone Vineyards, Circa Estate Winery, Gill's Pier, Good Harbor Vineyards, L. Mawby and Shady Lane Cellars.

Photo Credit: Untitled by Emery Co Photo

Had enough wine?? by pipefiddle

Next Tuesday (April 13, 2010) at 8 PM EST you can join Michigan by the Bottle for their Tweet & Taste with Shady Lane winemaker Adam Satchwell, a master sommelier and several Michigan wine bloggers. It's a chance to explore a select group of wines from Shady Lane Cellars and share tasting notes and impressions on Twitter. To participate, all you need to do is pick up the three wines (Shady Lane Cellars 2008 Dry Riesling, 2008 Blue Franc, 2007 Pinot Noir) at your local wine shop or online at Shady Lane Cellars (1 cent shipping through April 13) and then log on to Twitter Tuesday night and share your impressions using the #ttmi hash tag.

If you're in the Leelanau area, you can also head over to the LPVA office at The Village at Grand Traverse Commons beginning at 7 PM on Tuesday for a "tweet-in" with winemaker Adam Satchwell! We're located right next to Salon de Capelli in Building 50 (we promise Google will have us mapped soon) and you can call us at 231-421-1172 if you get lost!

We are also donating 10% of phone and email orders through the end of February. The more Shady Lane Cellars you drink, the more money we give.

Photo credit: Shady Lane Cellars by photoshoparama

“Art from Wine Country” will be a feast for the senses bringing together some of the best that Leelanau County has to offer; art, wine, and food. It’s all for a good cause. Part of the proceeds from admissions and sale of artwork will go to the Glen Arbor Art Association for class scholarships and an after school art program.

The Homestead Resort in Glen Arbor will host “Art from Wine Country” in the beautiful Mountain Flowers Lodge on Friday, February 5 from 6:00PM to 8:00PM. This event will kick off the Leelanau Peninsula Vintners Association’s “Taste the Passion” weekend and features art and wine from Leelanau County paired with fabulous tapas by The Homestead’s Chef John Piombo.

The Glen Arbor Art Association is organizing the invitational art exhibit. Some of the artists who will have artwork on display are GAAA members Jane Batteiger, Beth Bricker, Harvey Gordon, Kristin Hurlin, and Ken Peterson. The artists will be on hand and their work will be for sale. This is a good opportunity to meet them and talk with them about their work – a great night to celebrate a perfect pairing of wine and art.

Last year this event raised $350 all of which was used to provide scholarship assistance for those who could not otherwise afford art classes. Each year many children are benefited by the GAAA’s scholarship program and after school art classes. There is a display wall at the GAAA for children’s artwork and on it is a poster that says, “Art is a place kids travel to where they feel good about themselves. Keep their passports current.” Please join us at The Homestead on Friday, February 5 to help make this happen.

An entrance fee of $20 per person includes tickets for two glasses of wine and food from multiple food stations. Additional wine tickets are available for purchase ($4/ticket or 3 tickets for $10). Parking is available in the Homestead’s Village parking lot.

Photo credit: -75 by Emery Co Photo

“This is a great time for families and friends to gather to celebrate the upcoming season and even get started on their holiday shopping,” says Adam Satchwell of Shady Lane Cellars. “Wines and other items from Leelanau Peninsula tasting rooms are the perfect gift for the holidays. Our wines compliment holiday meals, cocktail parties or any gathering and they make great gifts!”

A statistic to keep in mind while shopping for holiday gifts and planning get-togethers is that if every Michigan resident increased their weekly purchase of local products by $10.00, it would keep $37 million circulating in the Michigan economy each week.

Some of this year's offerings include:

Bel Lago

New this year they offer gift certificates for those hard to shop for friends and relatives. Want to take a bottle home in your suitcase? They have Bottle Skins- wine bottle-size bubblewrap bags that double seal. Your wine will be cushioned and your clothes will be protected!

They offer free gift wrapping for your purchases. All tasting is complimentary. And they are open 12-5 everyday except December 24, 25, and 31. Visit them online or cal (231) 228-4800

L. Mawby

They offer gift certificates in any amount, have a wine club named Fizz and have an online store featuring an assortment of accoutrements.

Vist the L. Mawby website or call them at (231) 271-3522

Leelanau Wine Cellars

Has gift certificates available in any amount. Visit them online or call them at (231) 386-5201.

Gill's Pier

Shipping on all wine shipments in Michigan for the months of December and January for only 5 cents! Visit them online or call them at (231) 256-7003.

Black Star Farms

Black Star Farms has their ice wine on sale for $79.50 regular price $92.50. Visit their online store for wine and other merchandise or call them at (231) 944-1270.

Shady Lane Cellars

The Holiday Season is in full swing so don't overlook that wine-lover on your list. Or better yet treat yourself to some much deserved savings on Shady Lane wines. To help with those savings they are offering 1 penny FedEx ground shipping in Michigan, Florida, and Minnesota until the end of the year. Contact our Tasting Room to place your order or call them at (231) 947-8865.

 Have a safe and happy holiday season from all of us here at Shady Lane Cellars

Some of their specials include:

2007 Riesling Package $24-Save $6
Two great Rieslings, One great price. Our Semi-Dry is full of lush apricot and honey while our Dry, yes it's bone Dry, offers a beautiful citrus minerality. Both wines pair perfectly with a wide range of Holiday fare.

2006 Pinot Noir Package $38-Save $10
If you are looking for that perfect Red wine for your Holiday dinner, look no further than Pinot Noir. This pair of Pinots were separated in the vineyard and the result is astounding. Our Pinot Noir is lush and elegant while the Reserve is earthy and powerful.

2006 Late Harvest Vignoles $22 (375ml)-Save $6
Why wash down all of those time-honored desserts you look forward to all year with anything but the perfect wine. Our Late Harvest Vignoles has a symmetry unlike other dessert wines. A harmonious union of fruit, sugar, and acid complements any of your after dinner treats.

Silver Leaf Vineyard

Silver Leaf Vineyard is offering Holiday Specials on all of their wines.

• Buy 2 bottles of any kind and any additional bottles at 30% off retail price.

Join the Silver Leaf Case Discount Club

Sign up to get a case discount of 30% off retail price.

Send them your name, address, telephone number and email address to info@silverleafvineyard.com

When 10 or more customers sign up they'll send you a coupon for 30% off retail prices. (Case orders only.) Cases can be mixed or matched. Orders will be taken over the telephone. You can use your coupon at a later date when visiting our winery or we'll ship it to you (Michigan only, cost plus shipping). ]]> http://www.lpwines.com/wine/holiday-shopping-specials-from-the-lpva-wineries/feed/ 0 http://www.lpwines.com/wine/tasting-leelanau-wine-experts-visit-some-lpva-wineries/ http://www.lpwines.com/wine/tasting-leelanau-wine-experts-visit-some-lpva-wineries/#comments Fri, 04 Dec 2009 14:17:13 +0000 lpwines http://www.lpwines.com/wine/?p=1190 In November, Master Sommelier Claudia Tyagi, retired engineer and avid wine aficionado David Rusnell, and Kim Adams and George Heritier of Gang of Pour visited the Leelanau Peninsula to taste at a number of our wineries. In the first post of a fantastic series, George begins:

Picture driving back roads through the hills of the Leelanau Peninsula in a bright red, souped-up Dodge Charger for three days, with weather more beautiful than anyone has a right to expect in mid-November, bouncing from winery to winery and tasting some of the very best wines the appellation has to offer, and you’ll get some idea of what our adventure in northern Michigan was like last month.

Click through to Gang of Pour to read their tasting notes and perceptions about the wines and the region. To check out the videos, start with the one below and then use the related ones at the end or click to gang of pour on YouTube!
Photo by Kim Adams: David Rusnell,Claudia Tyagi, George Heritier & Charlie Edson at Bel Lago.

It was just Kelly, the long bar, and me.

I was on a solo cycling tour of the Leelanau Peninsula wine trail in north-west Michigan. The Ciccone winery, a few miles south of the arty village of Suttons Bay, is one of around 20 on the peninsula, which offers the greatest concentration of wineries in Michigan.

It sits on the 45th parallel that cuts through some of the world's greatest wine-producing areas, including Alsace, Bordeaux and Burgundy in France, and is surrounded by lake water, giving it a moderate year-round temperature.

Click to read on!

Photo: Ciccone Vineyards by photoshoparama

At just $15 for a lifetime membership, you can’t beat the price for this unique gift for the Michigan wine lovers on your list. Vintage Michigan members receive discounts on their purchase of Michigan wines at wineries, retailers and restaurants throughout the state. They also receive a quality Michigan Wines corkscrew or Michigan bottle stopper as their free gift when you sign them up.

Want to be more creative? Put together a Michigan wine-themed basket, with a bottle or two of your favorite Michigan wines, a couple of glasses and a Vintage Michigan membership tucked in.

Visit www.michiganwines.com for more information about the Vintage Michigan club and to purchase a membership online, or contact the Michigan Grape and Wine Industry Council at (517) 241-4468.

Photo credit: Heightened Senses [Dennis]

Pinot Noir’s alluring spectrum of flavors and potential to be drank young or aged for decades elicits the obsession of winemakers, collectors and casual drinkers all. Pinot favors cooler climates and mineral-rich soils, which allows it to thrive in the vineyards of Leelanau County and Old Mission, delivering a delicious complexity unique to our land. Look to some of our fine local pinots for a versatility that accompanies the many flavors of autumn.

Check out his review of the Pinot Noirs on MyNorth.com.

"We think that our Second Fridays will give folks in the area a chance to have a little fun at the end of the work week by visiting their friendly local wineries," said Larry Mawby. "Leelanau is a short drive from Traverse City, so pop on out!"

Ciccone Vineyards Tasting Room Manager Jaclyn Eikey added "This is not business as usual – I think we're all looking forward to creating an exclusive opportunity for intimate evenings at our tasting rooms. We have so much variety that I know everyone will find something new & fun!"

The schedule and list of participating wineries for the next several months is:

Friday, July 10th come and taste the "Fruits of Leelanau": Leelanau County produces some of the finest fruit in the world and this night will provide a showcase for our wines, meads and ciders.

Participating wineries are:

• Bel Lago Vineyard & Winery
• Black Star Farms
• Chateau Fontaine
• Cherry Republic Winery
• Ciccone Vineyard & Winery
• Forty-Five North Vineyard & Winery
• Gill's Pier Vineyard & Winery
• Good Neighbor Organic Vineyard & Winery
• L. Mawby
• Leelanau Wine Cellars
• Shady Lane Cellars
• Silver Leaf Vineyard & Winery
• Tandem Ciders

Friday, August 14th come celebrate the Dog Days of Summer: We'll have outside fun for your 4 footed friend and hot deals in our tasting rooms.

Friday, September 11th sail with the Pirates of the Peninsula: Celebrate the Maritime Heritage Alliance's Inaugural Michigan Schooner Festival and hunt for treasure all day long on the Leelanau Peninsula.

This very special night in the series, "Premium Pour", takes place Friday, June 12th – the night before the popular Leland Wine Festival. It's called "Premium Pour" because it gives you a chance to tune up your palate with some top shelf and library wines from Leelanau wineries.

Wineries participating in "Premium Pour" include:

• Bel Lago Vineyard & Winery
• Black Star Farms
• Chateau de Leelanau
• Chateau Fontaine
• Cherry Republic Winery
• Forty-Five North Vineyard & Winery
• Good Neighbor Organic Vineyard & Winery
• Gill's Pier Vineyard & Winery
• L. Mawby
• Leelanau Wine Cellars
• Shady Lane Cellars
• Silver Leaf Vineyard & Winery
• Tandem Ciders
• Willow Vineyard

"We think that our Second Fridays will give folks in the area a chance to have a little fun at the end of the work week by visiting their friendly local wineries," said Larry Mawby. "Leelanau is a short drive from Traverse City, so pop on out!"

About the Leland Wine Festival

On Saturday, June 13th one of Michigan's oldest and largest wine festivals takes place from noon to 6 PM in Leland. The day features over 20 wineries and food vendors and music from The Fabulous Horn Dogs. It's a great chance to taste wine and food from Leelanau and kick off the summer.

Thank you to everyone who wore pajamas on Saturday, and even Sunday! Here is the list of winners of the PJ Contest from the 2009 Spring Sip and Savor Event:

Bel Lago's winner for the Most Eye Opening PJs Mary R

Chateau de Leelanau's Most Outrageous winner is Megan Q

Chateau Fontaine's Playboy Mansion winner Gary K, the Bagpiper

Cherry Republic's Most Cherry or Reddest is Jordan M, in the Jordan jersey

Ciccone's Most Awesome 80s winner is Charles U

Gill's Pier Ugliest Flannels winner is Diana W

L Mawby's Most Adorable Couple is Karen and Kirk H

Longview's Best Historical (or in this case Hysterical) Gary V

Silver Leaf's Most Worn winners are Christina B and Jason R

And the BIG winner, with prizes from Good Harbor, Shady Lane, Black Star Farms, and Willow Vineyard, as well as the People's Choice, is Jan R The Lady in the Green Robe!

Congratulations to all of our winners!

Make sure to check out this set of photos of the 2009 Spring Sip and Savor event at the LPVA flickr group.

Paradise Shuttle is offering $25 per person from 5 – 8 on Friday, May 8. That is $10 off the normal rate for wine tours, pick up anywhere in Traverse City – (231) 218-2317

New York Luxury Limos is offering 10% off per person – (231) 935-1933

Wine Country Luxury Limo & Trolley Wine Tours is offering $39 per person with an 11 person minimum, pick up at The Vineyard Inn – (231) 271-VINE

Above The Bay Limousine is offering a 10% discount – (989) 426-7454

Participating wineries are:

• Bel Lago Vineyard & Winery
• Black Star Farms
• Chateau de Leelanau
• Chateau Fontaine
• Cherry Republic Winery
• Ciccone Vineyard & Winery – Will feature an old Hollywood movie theme! Kellie Hammond doing mini-makeovers, movie snacks and more!
• Forty-Five North Vineyard & Winery
• Gill's Pier Vineyard & Winery
• Good Neighbor Organic Vineyard & Winery
• L. Mawby
• Leelanau Wine Cellars
• Shady Lane Cellars
• Silver Leaf Vineyard & Winery
• Tandem Ciders
• Willow Vineyard

Coming up this weekend – May 2&3, 2009. Get all the details and tickets from our Sip & Savor page.

The tasting includes 6 wines paired with hors d’oeuvres for

Just $30.00/ person (tax and gratuity additional)

Reservations Required / Seating is Limited

Positive Vibration Wine Bar

3631 S. Baldwin Road at Maybee Road, ½ mile North of I-75

Orion Township, MI 48359 Voice (248) 393-4337

positivevibrationwinebar@hotmail.com

More Info: positivewinebar.com

Parties
A Friday night benefit mixer to kick off the Taste the Passion weekend will be held in the loft at Nonna's Italian Restaurant at The Homestead on Friday, February 6 2009 from 6-8 PM.

Leelanau winery representatives will be in attendance and the evening will include a tasting of chocolates and cheeses with a cash bar featuring Leelanau wines. A $5 entry fee will be donated to the Glen Arbor Artists Association Scholarship Fund, and there will be art on display from member artists as well.

Ciccone Vineyards will be hosting another one of their famous cocktail parties! After Taste the Passion on Saturday night 6-8pm. Taste our premium wines, mingle with the owner/winemaker Tony Ciccone, appetizers and shop to your hearts content! No charge!

Things to do Outdoors
Silver Leaf Vineyard & Winery invites you to cross country ski or snowshoe through our vineyard and follow our trails through the woods. Find your way back to enjoy our wine and treats! Unguided trail time will be available from 10am to 5pm on the event weekend. Bring your own equipment. View a map of their ski/snowshoe trail.

Good Neighbor Organic is planning snow shoeing and cross country ski trails as well as be ice skating (we may have 3 x 3 Hockey games going) – The farm is 66 acres so plenty of room for winter fun – - The sledding hill will be groomed and sleds provided for those who want to play – There will also be outdoor fires going to keep you warm!

Gill's Pier is offering an unguided, one-mile morning snowshoe hike through the vineyard and adjoining orchard at 10am on Saturday and 11am on Sunday, with danishes and hot mulled wine for participants. Participants must bring their own snowshoes.

L. Mawby will once again host the North American Snow Angel Championships. You may bring accessories and this competition is open to professionals and amateurs alike.

Tandem Ciders will be hosting a dart game called Legs.

Warm up at Bel Lago! Shoot hoops in the Barrel room with Charlie Edson, our winemaker! 11:00AM-3:30 PM Saturday, 11:30-2:30 Sunday. Make 5 out of 10 free throws and get a certificate for $10.00 off purchases over $20.00. Charlie may even show up with a wine thief!

Regrettably, the chili event and dinner at Black Star Farms have been canceled.

Visit our 'Taste the Passion' page to purchase tickets and also be sure to check out the special lodging packages that are available (tickets are included in these packages).

Photo credit: lpwines

Bel Lago Vineyard & Winery
For the 2008 Toast the Season Event they will feature 2006 Bel Lago Pinot Grigio paired with delicious Greek spinach and feta triangles called Spanakopita.

The 2006 Bel Lago Pinot Grigio pairs beautifully with this hors d’oeuvre. The bright pear, peach and tangerine notes of their stainless steel fermented Pinot Grigio compliment the lemony flavor of the feta and spinach. And the creamy, full on the palate feel of their Italian style Pinot Grigio brings out the subtle honey-kissed flavor of the flaky phyllo crust.

Chateau Fontaine
Fontaine is serving focaccia with grilled beef loin and two sauces: blue cheese or basil butter. Wine will be Woodland Red because it compliments the beef loin so wonderfully.

Gill's Pier Vineyard & Winery
Gill’s Pier will be serving their famous Meatballs – back again by popular demand. These meatballs will be a hit at holiday parties and we will be posting the recipe to lpwines.com very soon. They are pairing them with a blend of their Icebox Apple and Cherrio Cherry wines…to show how to get creative with wine!

Good Harbor Vineyards
Good Harbor will be serving White Chili and 2007 Pinot Grigio because they compliment each others flavors very well.

L. Mawby
At L. Mawby you will be treated to a delicious Cheddar Dill Scone paired with Blanc de Noir.

Shady Lane Cellars
Shady Lane Cellars will be serving a creamy potato corn chowder with a hint of thyme with the 07 Pinot Grigio. A comforting, warm meal for the season and the Pinot Grigio goes well with corn chowder.

Silver Leaf Vineyard & Winery
Turkey with Cranberry Sauce paired with Pinot Noir. This Pinot Noir is their first vintage made by Silverleaf owner and winemaker Mark Carlson under the supervision of John Fletcher (Château de Leelanau).

Willow Vineyard
Willow's food for the event is a apple peach crunch with 2 fondues, Ginger caramel and a vanilla. Pairing with our Pinot Gris Reserve. The sweet of the fruit and spice of the ginger will pick up the spice in the wine.

Photo credit: Pour by Autumm