Must-Visit Wineries in Traverse City: Part One
Carol Wolniakowski
I had the chance to spend a few days near Traverse City in the peak of fall colors. WOW. It truly is a stunning area. Northwest Michigan is home to a thriving wine region, offering a variety of red, white, sparkling, sweet, and dry wines. There are a fair amount of fruit wines (especially cherry, as the cherry capital of the country), but I focused on tasting the wines made from grapes. The climate is cooler than many other U.S. wine regions - it actually sits on the 45th parallel, the same as prominent wine regions such as Bordeaux, Côte du Rhône and Piedmont. The result are wines that are bright, fresh and lively.
Many of the producers I visited were recommended by Jennifer Bingham of Cru Cellars, a wine bar and boutique wine shop. Jennifer knows where to find the very best wineries in Northern Michigan, as she owned a location of Cru Cellars in the area. (Jennifer and her husband are now focusing on their shops in Tampa, Florida, where they are opening their 3rd Cru Cellars location. https://crucellarstampa.com).
I tasted at wineries located on the Leelanau Peninsula and Old Mission Peninsula. Each is designated as its own American Viticulture Area (AVA), having distinct climate, soils and other features. All the wineries were located in beautiful settings and offered interesting and inviting tasting experiences. Here is Part One of my summary of top picks:
2 Lads Winery - 2 Lads was one of the highlights of the weekend for both the wines and the tasting experience. Upon arrival, 2 Lads immediately made an impression with its striking, contemporary tasting room on a hill overlooking Lake Michigan. I reserved a seated tasting in advance, which was well worth the $12/person (waived with $35 purchase). The tasting included a choice of 5 wines served with small bites - breadsticks, dips and almonds. I tasted through all available wines and was quite impressed. The wines were reminiscent of world class wines from regions around the world. The stand out wine for me was the Cabernet Franc Reserve, a 100% Cabernet Franc made from 10 rows of their vineyard that are specifically designated for this wine. This wine reminded me of classic Cabernet Franc made in its spiritual home of the Loire Valley, France: not over-saturated with fruit and oak but also not overly green - just right.
In addition to dry red wines, 2 Lads specializes in quality sparkling wines. I had the chance to talk to Chris Baldyga, the owner of 2 Lads, who said they will be further enhancing their bubbly portfolio. The focus will be on age-worthy wines made from the traditional Champagne grapes of Pinot Noir and Chardonnay. A second production facility is in the works with state of the art equipment to take advantage of modern advances in winemaking. However, Chris and his new winemaker, Caleb Bancroft, are committed to more traditional methods as well, combining the best of both modern and old world techniques. Their Rieslings, for example, are created with a hands-off approach, allowing more time on the lees and resulting in a wine with depth and interest.
With renewed energy and perspective in the cellar, you can expect some exciting offerings such as a new rosé made from Pinot Noir, more site-specific reserve offerings and of course, more bubbly!
Aside from the wonderful wine, the 2 Lads tasting experience itself was really fabulous. Starting with a stunning view certainly helps, but what sets 2 Lads apart is their focus on seated, more educational and in-depth tastings. Our wine steward was knowledgeable and passionate - we had a great time chatting about the different qualities of the wines and terroir. This is what I love about wine - the true experience lies in slowing down, savoring with all your senses and sharing with others. In fact, Chris remarked that his ultimate goal is for guests to not just enjoy a stellar experience at the winery, but to bring a part of wine country home to share with others. I could not agree more. 2 Lads is a must-visit in Traverse City.
Black Star Farms - Black Star offers a large, rustic tasting room as well as a farm-to-table café, inn, and equestrian facilities. The tasting room was full of energy, jammed with people tasting at the bars. In fact, I waited in line to enter, paid for my tasting at the door and had some trouble finding a spot at one of the bars - quite a popular spot! My server was very friendly and shared a lot of knowledge on the wines and the winery. The wines were well balanced and pleasant, and I especially enjoyed the Sauvignon Blanc. Black Star Farms certainly has no shortage of award-winning wines, which were proudly displayed with their medals around the tasting room. Black Star actually won the most prestigious award at the 19th Annual Canberra International Riesling Challenge for its 2017 Arcturos Dry Riesling. This was only the second time in the competition's 19-year history that an American wine had come out on top.
After the tasting, I walked across the road to the Hearth and Vine Café for lunch where I enjoyed a delicious spinach salad with berries, almonds and lemon vinaigrette as well as fantastic chicken chili soup. The café is open from May through October; expect to wait during busy weekends. The Inn at Black Star Farms is a lovely Bed and Breakfast located right on the winery estate among the hills lined with vineyards. Guests enjoy a gourmet breakfast, nightly hospitality hour with wine and hors d'oeuvres, VIP tastings and discounts on winery purchases. With hiking trails and fire pits in summer and complimentary snow shoes and fireplaces in winter, Black Star Farms makes for a fantastic year-round getaway.
Blustone Vineyards - Blustone takes its name from the Leland Blue Stone, the beautiful blue stone found on the beaches of Leland and unique to Northern Michigan. The stone is actually a by-product of iron ore from the 1800's that was pushed into Lake Michigan and then shaped and polished by waves and sand, creating smooth stones in spectacular shades of blue.
Blustone's tasting room is impressive, with floor-to-ceiling windows overlooking the hillside vineyards. It has a modern, fresh feel as well as a fantastic outdoor patio with seating around fire pits. The tasting room definitely has a hip vibe and with the incredible vistas from inside, it makes for an inviting visit during any season. Blustone produces red and white wines as well as ciders and a port-style wine made of cherries. The Pinot Noir was a standout for me but all the wines were high quality and delicious. I will definitely be back!
Mawby - Mawby is truly unique in that it produces only sparkling wine. Larry Mawby started planting vines back in 1976, making it one of the oldest commercial vineyards in Northern Michigan. All of their wines are made with a second fermentation, and five wines are made in the Méthode Champenoise, the same process as fine wines from Champagne. This is an important point, as some less quality sparklers are simply made by adding carbonation, like soda. Mawby sparkling wines come in a range of different styles, from dry to sweet, and are made from traditional grapes like Pinot Noir and Chardonnay but also from Riesling, Pinot Gris, Chambourcin, and Muscat.
The tasting experience at Mawby can simply be described as fun (their wine club members are called "Bubbleheads" after all). Great music created a light-hearted, upbeat vibe which continued with three complimentary pours and a friendly, engaging staff. Many visitors were enjoying flights of bubbly with crackers and artisan dips indoors as well as on the patio. Tasting at Mawby gives the visitor a unique opportunity to try different sparkling wines side by side - share a flight with a friend and you can try twice as many!
I opted to try a flight of wines along with some potato chips (one of my favorite pairings). Although Mawby offers a nice selection in all price ranges starting under $20/bottle, I personally loved CA2012 the most, which - naturally - was the highest priced wine at $55/bottle. If you like bubbly, this is the place for you.
Traverse City is a hugely popular wine region to visit and it is easy to see why. All of the wineries I visited had really great tasting rooms with a variety of tasting experiences. You can pop in and taste at the bar, get a tour of a production facility, or enjoy a glass by the fire pit. Like most things in the Midwest, so much of the experience depends on the weather. When it’s 45 and raining you cannot sit outside to enjoy the gorgeous views. But in the summer, you miss out on arguably the most spectacular fall colors in the country. I was pleased to see that no matter what the weather, you can have a wonderful wine experience. Stay tuned for Part Two of Must-Visit Wineries in Traverse City!
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