Harvest Stompede Vineyard Run & Walk celebrates flavor of Leelanau Peninsula
The 11th annual Harvest Stompede Vineyard Run & Walk and Wine Tour is a great way to experience the beauty of the Leelanau Wine Trail at harvest time, with local food pairings and wine from the exceptional 2011 vintage. The event takes place the weekend of Sept. 8-9 and is considered one of the most scenic running & wine touring events in the Midwest.
“Harvest on the Leelanau Peninsula is an exciting time,” said Matt Gregory, of Chateau de Leelanau. “As vintners, we have literally waited all year for this moment. We have watched our grapes go from tiny green marbles to the perfectly ripe fruit that makes our region’s wine stand out from the rest. We want to share this excitement with you at this year’s Harvest Stompede. Stop by any one of our 20 Leelanau Peninsula wineries and see how the harvest is going. I’m sure you won’t be disappointed!”
The weekend’s festivities kick off at 9 a.m. on Saturday morning at Ciccone Vineyard with the Harvest Stompede race. While race registration is not included with your wine tour ticket, it’s a great event for spectators. The one-of-a-kind course meanders through rolling vineyard rows that will be heavy with ripening wine grapes that are soon to be picked. The race is designed for both serious and recreational runners or walkers, with options for a 5K walk, 5K run, or 7-mile run.
The Harvest Stompede Wine Tour starts at 11 a.m. on Saturday following the race and continues on Sunday. It features a special wine pour and food pairing at each of the 20 Leelanau Peninsula Vintners Association member wineries. To highlight our region’s culinary excellence, each winery will be partnering with farmers and restaurants to feature local ingredients in their food pairings. Lodging packages and tickets are on sale now at www.lpwines.com.
Harvest Stompede Food Pairings
Black Star Farms will serve Roasted chicken, mozzarella and basil rotolo with a smoked tomato coulis paired with 2010 Arcturos Barrel-Aged Chardonnay.
Chateau Fontaine dishes up its Cincinnati Style Dixie Chili “3 Way” on spaghetti topped with cheese featuring Candy Onions from the M-204 Farmers Stand.
Cherry Republic will serve its Great Hall Reisling paired with Brie and apples and a house made nut sampler.
Ciccone serves Gazpacho — wonderful cold spicy soup full of fresh herbs and vegetables from the Ciccone family garden paired with its Riesling.
45 North serves locally grown heirloom tomatoes with fresh mozzarella and basil drizzled with Fustini’s olive oil and a dollop of pesto with its crisp 2011 Pinot Gris.
Gill’s Pier will pour Royce, a dry Pinot Gris blend complimented by a Poultry Pasta Primavera.
Good Harbor will go local with Carlson’s of Leland fish pate served with grapes and crackers and paired with their Fishtown White.
Good Neighbor Organic offers grilled brats then simmered in smoked beer, served naked with hummus and pita. The outfit will serve this with cold cider and draft beer.
L. Mawby has a Michigan Corn Arepas with spiced venison sausage, paired with Conservancy.
Silver Leaf will have an early Oktoberfest celebration with bratwursts & sauerkraut served with their Riesling.
Verterra serves Vol au Vent Baked French Brie with Verterra Jam (preserves made from wine grapes) and Granny Smith matchstick apples paired with their award-winning Pinot Gris.
Willow serves Local Apple Crisp with caramel topping along with its 2011 Semi dry Pinot Gris.
The event routinely sells out and advance tickets are required. Tickets are $40 and include special food and wine pairings at each tasting room. They are available online at www.lpwines.com. Tasting hours on Saturday are 11 a.m. to 6 p.m.; Sunday hours are noon to 5 p.m. All ticket holders receive a commemorative event wine glass as well.
The Leelanau Peninsula Vintners Association was formed in 2000 with a goal to help spread the word about all the wonderful things the Peninsula has to offer including a growing number of award-winning wineries, excellent restaurants and a rich agricultural history. Today, it is the largest and strongest of the four organized wine trails in Michigan, which promote the state’s nearly $790 million grape/wine industry.