Samantha Tengelitsch of the Leelanau Peninsula Vintner’s Association wrote a review of the popular “Taste the Passion” wine-tasting event and we’ve republished it here with permission.
The Leelanau Wine Trail’s Upper Loop by Samantha Tengelitsch
Hybrid grapes were a theme of this year’s Taste the Passion tour, which featured some new and exciting blends to tempt the palate. Area vineyards paired their selections with delectable dishes for flavor combinations that celebrated all things vino and local.
Our first stop on the tour was Leelanau Cellars in Omena. The established winery featured their 2009 Baco Noir Rose’, made with a French hybrid grape. Though the winery has been growing Baco Noir for several years, they’ve only recently discovered its use in a blush. The wine offers fruity overtones joined with some of the traditional characteristics of a dry red.
“Baco Noir is a highly pigmented grape; it has a lot of fruit flavors, like tart cherry, and it’s slightly off-dry with just a hint of sweetness to it. It’s also lower in alcohol,” said Carrie Hanson, Tasting Room Manager with Leelanau Cellars. Hanson said the French grape grows well in northern Michigan’s cooler climate. “The rootstock is hardier and better suited to growing in cooler climates,” she said, making it an ideal grape for our more temperate environment. Leelanau Cellars paired their selection with a Minnesota wild rice soup, inviting tasters to enjoy the compliment of a slightly sweet wine alongside a creamy, rich broth.
In addition, the winery featured their Vignoles. Said Hanson, “Our vintage 2009 is a sweeter style Vignoles. It’s a later harvest taste and has a really distinct grapefruit flavor.”
With its dynamic citrusy overtones, the 2009 Vignoles was reminiscent of breakfast in bed.
Our next stop took us to a little vineyard tucked away in the hills just west of Northport. Good Neighbor Organic is the only USDA certified organic vineyard in northern Michigan and the atmosphere was as delicious as the wine. Known for their hard ciders, Good Neighbor is nestled in among the apple trees and vines that support the success of the operation. Tasting Room Manager, Benjamin Crow, said he values the farm’s philosophy, “It’s a nice process outside. We like to keep things simple; we like to keep things natural and just let nature take care of itself for a nice product in the end.” Crow said we can expect some new and exciting blends this season. In addition to their hard ciders, Good Neighbor also features a Riesling and Gewurztraminer. While tasting the vineyard’s smooth Chocolate Cherry cider, Crow suggested with a grin, “Hold the glass up to your ear and take a listen. Do you hear the Oompa Loompas singing?”
Good Neighbor paired their selections with candies and a tangy cherry jalapeño chutney. “We try to get the most out of any product we make,” added Crow, who said the chutney was made with cherries left over from producing Cherry Cheer. Good Neighbor Owner, Stan Silverman, opened the winery in 2007.
“When I came up here, I was surprised there weren’t organic wineries,” he said. “I wanted an organic farm.” Silverman said the real challenge in going organic is not in the cost; it’s in the process of producing the wine. Sulfites, which arrest fermentation, are not added to Good Neighbor’s wines, which means the process of producing the wine is tricky. Silverman said, “As a vintner, when you’re organic, it’s going to be a moving taste, so we try to take advantage of cold weather.” Cold weather slows fermentation and allows the Good Neighbor time to capture and preserve the flavor without the additives.
From Good Neighbor, we wound down the center of the Leelanau to Circa, a vineyard reminiscent of a Spanish estate. Owners Margaret and David Bell have carefully blended Old World style with a sophisticated atmosphere to rival the most upscale vineyards in Napa Valley. The dark interior was lightened with the bright tones of Circa’s 2007 Pinot Grigio. A dry white with a hint of fruit; the color is that of sunlight on water.
Just around the corner, you’ll find Forty-Five North, a 100-acre farm that, as the name suggests, intersects the 45th parallel. Owners Lori and Steve Grossnickle have operated the farm for the past five years. Medical professionals who have vacationed in the region for years, the Grossnickles wanted to retire as vintners. The farm is a family affair and as we arrived, dogs greeted us with happy tails and led us to a fire pit, where people gathered outside to enjoy the view of the vines interwoven into the Michigan landscape. The property features a reconstructed century-old barn from Grand Rapids alongside a newly built tasting room with loads of personality. Stepping inside Forty-Five North was something akin to coming home.
Forty-Five North also offers miles of cross-country trails and land not currently being farmed was donated to the Leelanau Conservancy. Said Lori, “We’ve cut cross country trails through the vineyard, and the trails are mapped.” Lori calls herself a “country girl” and said she is happy to see people enjoying the land as much as the wine.
Leonard Baron from Plymoth, MI said he and wife Marsha enjoy the genuine hospitality of the vintners, “We’ve been to about four or five of the tours. The wine is fantastic.” Added Marsha, “It’s been fun. Everybody’s friendly and outgoing.” A stop at Black Star farms led us to converse with some horses before moving into the tasting room, where we were greeted with one of the best pairings of the day: Chocolate and candied ginger drizzled over fine cuts of beef.
Black Star Farms is also home to a creamery, and samples of the traditional European style cheeses brought to you by the Leelanau Cheese Company, were paired with the vineyard’s 2009 Arcturos Sur Lie Chardonnay. It was a brilliant combination that spoke to the origin of the name Leelanau, which means “delight in life.”
From Black Star Farms, we travelled west to Glen Arbor, where we sat beside folks from Detroit, Chicago and Grand Rapids, to Cherry Republic where we sampled their Conservancy 100% cherry wine, a blend of Montmorency and Belaton. The flavor is reminiscent of a white, with all the darker characteristics of a dry red.
Amy Batch, on the tour from Lake Orion, MI said she enjoyed the Taste the Passion so much last year, “We decided to come again, and this year we brought friends.” Batch commented, “Everyone is so friendly. We had such a great experience. It’s fun to see the upper part of Michigan and taste some different wines.” Though the Batch’s prefer the sweeter Rieslings, they said of the tour, “It’s a great way to try out some different wines without spending a lot of money.” Our tour of the upper loop of the Leelanau wine trail during this weekend’s Taste the Passion, was an experience worth the harvest and capture, with all the fruity overtones of pure satisfaction, blended exquisitely with a desire to return.
Photos by Samantha Tengelitsch
The Leelanau Peninsula Vintner’s Association is an organization that promotes eighteen wineries and vineyards on the Leelanau Peninsula. The Leelanau Peninsula has a reputation for producing award-winning wines and is a popular destination for wine-tasting fun. The association sponsors annual wine-tasting events in every season of the year. Along with fine wines, Leelanau is a beautiful place to visit because of the miles of Lake Michigan shoreline, quaint small towns, vineyards, cherry orchards, and Sleeping Bear Dunes National Lakeshore.
The next event is “Spring Sip & Savor,” another annual event you won’t want to miss. Call The Homestead for special “Spring Sip & Savor” weekend package reservations today at 231.334.5000 or visit our Calendar of Events page of our website.
With nearly 20 wineries gracing the rolling hills of Leelanau County, this Northern Michigan tourist destination is now being billed as the wine country of the midwest. 
