Looking out at the misty, gray day, noting yet another day of rain and cool weather, Emily Goodall mused, “Well, it’s good to have one of those years once in a while to show the whole range. If it continues this way, it will be a great year for bubbly, and dry, crisp whites. But we wouldn’t be upset if the weather took a turn towards the hot and dry soon.”
Coming full circle to his new home on M22, Nathaniel Rose is looking to revitalize the vines planted by Warren Raftshol, upon which you could say Nathaniel cut his wine-making teeth. Neglected over the past 10 years, the Raftshol vines (which line a portion of the western side of M22 between Suttons Bay and Omena) are in need of Nathaniel’s skill and his assistant Riley’s careful pruning.
In northern Michigan’s vineyards and orchards, ablaze with fall colors, migrant farmworkers are known to sing corrido ballads and folk songs as they pick grapes and apples from sunrise to sundown. But their voices fell silent this autumn when targeted roadside arrests by U.S. Customs and Border Patrol and workplace visits by Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) increased starting in late September.
Michigan’s leading cherry retailer is changing gears, driving from a hectic summer season right into a busy fall with customer-friendly events scheduled throughout September and October.
The July 2018 Wine on the Water Festival that was postponed due to lightning and thunderstorms has been rescheduled. The organizers are excited to host the festival on Saturday, Aug. 18, in its same location at Marina Park in Suttons Bay.
The next wildly popular Small Plates—an intimate progressive dinner along the Leelanau wine trail—is Thursday, Aug. 16, starting at 6 p.m. Enjoy a glass of wine paired with a gourmet tapas dish in the tasting rooms of up to three wineries during this unique dinner event that happens just twice per year.
This summer, for the first time, Verterra Winery is opening its Swede Road vineyard near Northport for public wine tastings and tours. Guests will have a chance to see unparalleled views of Grand Traverse Bay and Lake Michigan, surrounded by vineyards on the Leelanau Peninsula.
Leelanau vintners will hold a Boskydel Tribute on Saturday, July 7, from 6-10 p.m. at Aurora Cellars in Lake Leelanau. The event is a collaboration between Good Harbor Vineyards, Mawby and Bel Lago Vineyards to honor Bernie Rink, pioneer of the region’s wine industry.
Lissa Edwards can remember Glen Arbor before it had sidewalks, or much asphalt. “Everything smelled like hot sand and sumac,” she laughs, over a glass of Chardonnay. “Every once in a while a certain smell takes me back to those days. I spent every summer in Glen Arbor in the 1960s. This town is deep in my DNA.”
Leelanau Peninsula Wine Trail’s Harvest Stompede event is an exciting time to explore the region’s wineries. Rolling hills of lush grapevines cover the countryside providing a stunning backdrop to wine tasting fun during the weekend wine tasting event that takes place Sept. 12 and 13.