You may have at least heard of or seen our Michigan wine app for iPhone, iPad, iPod Touch and Android — hopefully, you own it, use it and love it! Now, you have a chance to be IN it.
Welcome to Feedback Friday, our weekly feature that works like this: We solicit comments about a specific winery or wineries. You supply them. We pick some to include in our app. You become famous (at least in the Michigan wine community). The end.
Today's featured wineries:
Uncle John's Fruit House Winery Forty-Five North Tabor Hill
Send your comments on these wineries to cort@michiganbythebottle.com or post them as a reply to today's Feedback Friday thread on Facebook. We'll be accepting Feedback Friday comments for these featured wineries until next Friday, when we'll introduce a new set. (Of course, feel free to come chatter on Facebook about the wineries you love just for fun any old time. We dig that.)
You may have at least heard of or seen our Michigan wine app for iPhone, iPad, iPod Touch and Android — hopefully, you own it, use it and love it! Now, you have a chance to be IN it.
Welcome to Feedback Friday, our weekly feature that works like this: We solicit comments about a specific winery or wineries. You supply them. We pick some to include in our app. You become famous (at least in the Michigan wine community). The end.
Today's featured wineries:
Silver Leaf 2 Lads Tabor Hill
Send your comments on these wineries to cort@michiganbythebottle.com or post them as a reply to today's Feedback Friday thread on Facebook. We'll be accepting Feedback Friday comments for these featured wineries until next Friday, when we'll introduce a new set. (Of course, feel free to come chatter on Facebook about the wineries you love just for fun any old time. We dig that.)
States like California are known for their wine, but did you know Michigan is becoming a contender too?
"It's a really popular thing to do," says Mike Merchant. He's been the winemaker for Tabor Hill, a Buchanan, Michigan winery for over 25 years. When he got his start, the winery was one of only two in the state.
"Really, the mentality at the time, in the early 80's, was competing for the Chicagoan driving through Michigan with $20 dollars to spend."
Today, there are several wineries in southwest Michigan. The area has become a hotspot for tourists. "Now, you can spend a weekend here and still not see all the wineries, not to mention all the rest of the tourist stuff."
Moscato, the wine with the Italian name and long European heritage, is making its mark in the mid-priced sweet, aromatic wine category according to recent media reports (The Wall Street Journal 1/14/2012). Moscato is made from Muscat grapes, several varieties are grown commercially in Michigan for Moscato and other styles of Muscat wines. Michigan State Universityresearchers are evaluating Muscat varieties for expansion of acreage in what is now a minor wine grape category.
Michigan wines and wineries have been in the spotlight throughout the summer; and it's not just in Michigan, it's happening across the country. The reason? Michigan wines have been winning a significant number of top awards at regional, national and international wine competitions.
In January, Chateau Grand Traverse won a Best of Class award at the San Francisco Chronicle Wine Competition for their 2009 Lot 49 Riesling. This off-dry wine was produced from grapes harvested from a single vineyard -- located on a steep, west-facing slope on Old Mission Peninsula, in northern Michigan.
Judges evaluated more than 2,000 wines from around the world at the Pacific Rim Wine Competition, held in San Bernadino, Calif., in April, and declared a tie for Best Gewurztraminer: Tabor Hill Winery, in Buchanan, for their 2009 vintage, and Chateau Fontaine, on Leelanau Peninsula, for their 2010. Chateau Fontaine went on to win Grand Champion honors as Best White Wine of the competition.
Still, the bulk of Michigan wineries dabbling in the dynamics of the Bordeaux blend have chosen to go the thrifty route and coin their own handle—and thus continue to handle their own coin. Domaine Berrien uses ‘Crown of Cab’, since they consider it the ‘crown jewel ‘of their portfolio. Pentemere’s goes by ‘Le Griffon’ for reasons known only to the untamed savages of Boondockia; i.e., Tecumseh. Wyncroft Cellars calls theirs’ ‘Shou’—Chinese for ‘longevity’ which the wine indeed displays. Accurately, if somewhat less imaginatively, Raftshol’s label reads simply ‘Red’.
The St. Joseph Wine Festival is a festival of music food and fun at the Silver Beach Shadowland Pavilion in St. Joseph. It will feature 7 wineries both local and State of Michigan based, reds, whites, roses and sparkling varieties of wine will be features, participating local wineries include Tabor Hill Winery, White Pine Winery, Contessa Winery, Domaine Berrien and Lemon Creek Winery other Michigan Wineries include Chateau Chantal Grand Traverse and Leelanau Cellars from the northern regions of Michigan.
Austria's signature red wine grape, Blaufrankish, has been gaining popularity in Michigan. Also known as Lemberger (not to be confused with the cheese, Limberger), Blaufrankish is currently grown and/or made into wine by at least five Michigan wineries: Shady Lane, Circa, Silver Leaf, Tabor Hill and Domaine Berrien.
Could Blaufrankish become one of Michigan's premier red wines? Some winemakers think it has a good shot.
After becoming executive chef at Tabor Hill five years ago, John Paul Verhage had the delicate task of retaining menu favorites while adding his own flair to the menu. "Although we change our menu often, there are certain dishes that I don't think you'll ever see go," says Verhage, a graduate of the Culinary Institute of America in New York. "Those being, of course, the famous Raspberry Chicken and our Grape Leaf Wrapped Salmon."
When he does create new menu items, Verhage gains inspiration from the fresh produce local farmers bring to the restaurant's back door, including unique heirloom varieties grown specifically for Tabor Hill. "When a farmer is proud of their crop, I know I'll be happy with how I'll serve it," Verhage says, noting that he has a very talented team that works well together. "We enjoy researching new ingredients and flavors to bring a variety of flavors to our menus. The owner, Linda Upton, is continually motivating us to seek out new and interesting ingredients and preparations. If that doesn't work, I fast for three days and everything sounds good."
2010 was a great year for Michigan wine. New wineries opened, the national press has started recognizing the region, and Michigan By The Bottle has been flourishing. On a more personal note, it was a year of learning and discovery for me. Here are five things that I learned/realized in 2010:
Michigan is a great sparkling wine region. We all know that Larry Mawby reigns supreme in this venue, but I was pleasantly surprised to learn more about other Michigan wineries putting up some great Michigan sparklers. In addition to the classics from L. Mawby, we had some fantastic sparklers from Tabor Hill (Grand Mark is to die for!), 2 Lads, Black Star Farms, and Brys Estate (although their “Bubbly” was so popular that it sold out).
The Southeast and Southwest Michigan wineries play second fiddle to no one. We were more than impressed with some of the red wines coming out of this region. Domaine Berrien blew us away with its Crown of Cab and Syrah. I would argue that Lone Oak’s Merlot is one of the best in the state. Fenn Valley and St. Julian Braganini Reserve Meritage were some of our favorite wines all year. The Cabernet Franc from Free Run Cellars deserved the Harding’s Cup it won earlier this year.
