Michigan By The Bottle

Video Feature: Northern Wine Loop's Wine Release Weekend

Want the short version? Watch the video. Want the long version? Read the recap. Want the full story? Do both! 

Keep reading for a meandering travel diary detailing our whirlwind weekend on the Northern Wine Loop, including where we stopped and (of course) what we drank ... Then stop by our Facebook page to chat about which Northern Wine Loop wineries are your favorites!

SUPER HUGE Michigan Wine Month Giveaway: April 8

Congratulations to NICHOLAS AGOSTI! Nicholas was randomly drawn from yesterday's entrants to win a pair of tickets to the Leelanau Peninsula Vintner's Association's May 5-6 Spring Sip & Savor event. Nicholas, please email us at cort@michiganbythebottle.com within 48 hours to claim your prize. (For prizes not claimed within 48 hours, we will redraw from the original pool of entrants to determine a new recipient, so be sure to check back daily to see if you're a winner!)

This contest is closed as of 11:59 p.m. Sunday, April 8.

Today's sponsor: Gill's Pier Winery

Today's prize: A pair of Gill's Pier logo glasses — attractive 12.75 oz Libbey glassware.

Please click through for restrictions and instructions on how to enter...

Northern Exposure: Northern Wine Loop prepares for New Release Weekend

If you've only ventured as far north as M-204 on the Leelanau Peninsula, you've only seen half of the county — and, in terms of wine, half of the story.

So says a group of Leelanau Peninsula wineries, which is redoubling efforts to ensure that visitors go the extra mile — or extra few miles — and see what they're missing at the peninsula's northernmost end. The Northern Wine Loop, a recently formed "collective" of 10 wineries, all north of M-204, encourages people to venture beyond the shop-lined village of Suttons Bay and into the more rural areas to discover hidden gems.

Podcast #55: Gill's Pier 2010 Cab Franc/Merlot

In today's podcast, we're scolding you. Just a little bit. We know what you've been doing. You've been driving up to Leelanau Peninsula — with the best of intentions, no doubt — and hitting the first few great wineries ... and then running out of steam, so you head back to Traverse City to pass out at your hotel. KEEP DRIVING! If you don't venture north of M-204, you're missing out on the Northern Wine Loop, a subset of the Leelanau wineries that's trying to get the word out about how worthwhile traveling those extra few miles can be. If you keep driving, you'll get to taste this wine: the 2010 Cab Franc/Merlot from Gill's Pier. Don't you want to try it? Yeah, that's what we thought!

We Asked, You Answered: What Did You Drink for Thanksgiving?

Congratulations to ADAM AFFHOLTER! He was picked randomly from entries in our Thanksgiving Day contest that asked readers to show us which Michigan wines were gracing their holiday tables by posting pics on our Facebook page or emailing them to us. Adam will get his pick of either a Michigan By The Bottle "I Support the State with Every Sip" T-shirt, a copy of Sharon Kegerreis' and Lorri Hathaway's book "The History of Michigan Wines: 150 Years of Winemaking Along the Great Lakes," or a copy of Kegerreis' and Hathaway's book "From the Vine."

Read on to see some of the answers we received...

MBTB SUPER HUGE Michigan Wine Month Giveaway: Day 14

Congratulations to SHAWN WRIGHT DILTS! She was randomly selected from yesterday's entries to win a vineyard picnic for up to four people at Domaine Berrien Cellars in Berrien Springs.

For Day 14, we're pairing up prizes from two great Northern Michigan wineries. Today's winner will receive a polo shirt from Gill's Pier Vineyard & Winery on the Leelanau Peninsula PLUS a gift card redeemable for a free tasting for two people at any of Black Star Farms' locations!

2010 Grand Rapids International Wine & Food Festival

Relive the fun (if you were there) or check out what you missed (if you weren't) at the 2010 Grand Rapids International Wine & Food Festival! It's a foodie/wine-lover dream, with tons of booths representing wines from throughout the world, along with food samples and special seminars! We focused on the Michigan section, of course... Can't wait to go again next year!

 

Guest Blog: Leland Wine & Food Festival

Seeing as we're stranded in southeastern Michigan, MBTB fan Kathleen Swinehart volunteered to be our correspondent at the 2010 Leland Wine & Food Festival June 12 and kindly contributed a guest post detailing her experiences.

The 2010 Leland Wine & Food Festival, held near Fishtown on the Leelanau Peninsula, marked the annual event’s 25^th anniversary.  It was my first time attending and surely won’t be my last. 

After reading online that thousands of people make their way north to participate, we decided to leave early for the event, which ran 12 to 6 p.m. Being this was our first time, we weren’t sure what to expect. 

Gill’s Pier 08 Riesling Wins Double Gold

Gill's Pier Vineyard and Winery won a double gold medal at the International Eastern Wine Competition, held in Watkins Glen, NY for their 08 Riesling (semi-sweet.) 

The International Eastern Wine Competition is one of the oldest wine competitions in the United States and is held each May in the Finger Lakes region of NY. There were over 2,200 wines judged from 16 countries and 24 states.

The 08 Semi-Dry Rielsing retails for $19.95.

MBTB fan sips and savors her way through LPVA wine trail event

We at Michigan By The Bottle, sad to say, couldn't make it to the recent Spring Sip & Savor event on the Leelanau Peninsula, so Kathleen Swinehart, an MBTB fan (and recent winner of our Michigan Wine Minute video contest!), was kind enough to act as our correspondent on the scene. Check out her guest blog post on the fun-filled festivities!

The Spring Sip & Savor is a two-day wine trail event held on Leelanau Peninsula and includes all 18 wineries. I had the opportunity to go the second day of the event. I have been on tours in this area in the past: From February's “Taste the Passion," with its delicious paired wine and desserts, to the November “Toast the Season” Christmas themed tour, they all present something different that makes you want to come back and see what the next one will offer.