We received the following article from Promotion Specialist Karel Bush of the Michigan Grape and Wine Industry Council and wanted to share it with visitors of our site. Enjoy!
Celebrate the Holidays and Toast the New Year with a Michigan Sparkler!
Whether you call it champagne, bubbly or just plain fizz, sparkling wine is just the thing for holiday celebrations. Serve it to guests, give it to friends, or take it as a thoughtful gift to someone else’s party … wines that fizz and bubble really are perfect for any occasion. Here are a few sparkling ideas; and best of all, they come from right here in Michigan.
The top sparkler at the 2008 Michigan Wine & Spirits Competition was made by Bel Lago Vineyard & Winery, near Cedar. Their semi-dry “Brillanté” is made primarily from cayuga grapes and garnered a Double Gold award at the competition. It also received a Concordance Gold at the Indy International Wine Competition, one of the largest international wine competitions in the country.
Chateau Chantal, on Old Mission Peninsula, won a Gold medal for their sparkler “Tonight” at the Michigan competition. Riesling is the predominant grape, which lends an appealing aromatic quality to this brut bubbly.
Larry Mawby at L. Mawby Vineyards in Suttons Bay is Michigan's most well-known maker of sparkling wines. He has a style for nearly every taste. “Consort” is a semi-dry sparkler that received a Gold medal at the Michigan competition. It’s made primarily from chardonnay grapes that are hand-picked and carefully whole-cluster pressed. Larry also makes an extra-dry sparkler called “Conservancy” that benefits the Leelanau Conservancy.
Then there's the fun stuff … sparkling wines with a twist. Topping the list of the most popular holiday bubblies are Sparkling Raspberry and Passionate Peach from St. Julian. You get the true taste of the fruit and moderate sweetness. Just plain delicious.
There’s a Michigan sparkler to satisfy every taste. Celebrate the holiday season and ring in the new year by serving and sharing one of Michigan's award-winning sparkling treasures.
For information on the wines and wineries of Michigan, or to receive a complimentary Michigan Wine Country magazine, contact the Michigan Grape and Wine Industry Council at 517-241-1207 or www.michiganwines.com.
The Michigan Grape and Wine Industry Council is a 10-member panel that supports the growth of the grape and wine industry in Michigan. The Council office is housed in the Michigan Department of Agriculture, which is the official state agency charged with serving, promoting and protecting the food, agriculture and agricultural economic interests of the people of the state of Michigan.
Photo credit: sparkling wine by zakzorah
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