Taste the Passion along Michigan’s wine coast
From staff reports
The wineries of the Leelanau Peninsula Wine Trail invite you to share the love of wine and the beauty of Michigan’s wine coast in wintertime at their annual Taste the Passion wine tour the weekend of Feb. 2-3.
“Winter is an intimate time in northern Michigan and the Leelanau Peninsula is a perfect destination for a romantic weekend or simply a getaway to explore one of the nation’s fastest growing wine regions,” explains winemaker Paul Hamelin. “Our vineyards are blanketed in sheltering snow, and the tasting rooms are warm and welcoming. You’ll even find many of our vintners in attendance, pouring your wine and sharing their knowledge. It’s really the perfect winter vacation for wine lovers.”
Your ticket allows you to chart your own course, enjoying food and wine pairings at 20 wineries. Each winery offer savory or sweet food & wine pairing. Many feature the ever-popular pairing of wine and chocolate, and some wineries even open up their vineyards for cross-country skiing or snowshoeing.
Packages at area lodging hotels, cabins and bed & breakfasts are available on their website — it’s the perfect Valentine’s Day surprise for your sweetie. Tickets are just $30, and quantities are limited: LPwines.com/taste-the-passion-lodging-packages/
If you want to add a little more fun to your weekend, join LPWines at The Homestead’s Mountain Flowers Lodge on Feb. 1 from 6-8 p.m. The Homestead and the Glen Arbor Art Association will host “Art from Michigan’s Wine Country”. Art will be on display and for sale from member artists and details are available online.
Taste the Passion Food Pairings
Bel Lago will be serving Decadent Triple Chocolate Cake drizzled with Chef Hamar’s Balaton Cherry Sauce paired with Bouquet, a delightful blend of Pinot Noir and Cherry wines.
Black Star Farms will have a white chocolate cranberry lollipop with salted pistachio paired with their Sirius Raspberry Dessert wine.
In the spirit of the holiday, Blustone will serve a heart-shaped chocolate-cherry brownie paired with their 2010 Pinot Noir.
Boathouse Vineyards presents their 2009 Pinot Noir paired with a Mayan spiced brownie covered in single origin Peruvian dark chocolate from “Just Good Chocolate” based in Lake Leelanau.
Chateau de Leelanau will unveil their new release 2011 Select Harvest Riesling, paired with a Savory Chocolate Mystery.
Cherry Republic offers chocolate brownies prepared with their dried Montmorency cherries and garnished with chocolate shavings paired with their Balaton cherry wine.
Ciccone Winery will pair Italian meatballs with their 2011 Cabernet Franc.
Forty-Five North presents White Chocolate Brie phyllo shells topped with orange marmalade paired with 45 gold, an apricot dessert wine aged in Bourbon barrels and fortified with spirits.
Gills Pier will feature Mexican Hot Chocolate Mini-Pound Cakes paired with their 2011 Riesling. Semi-dry and delicious. Chef Hannah Israel creates a delightful blend of spice and chocolate to pair with this very balanced and very agreeable estate Riesling.
Good Harbor will be serving Chicken Jalapeno soup paired with their Trillium wine.
Good Neighbor Organic will be serving a culinary rustic slow cooked ham and bean soup with cornbread squares. This dish pairs well with their newly released Pinot Noir. For the real taste of passion try our chocolate cherry hard cider- it’s like biting into a chocolate covered cherry.
L Mawby will pair J’adore with chocolates from Grocer’s Daughter Chocolates.
Leelanau Cellars is pairing savory Biscotti with their just-released 2009 Baco Noir Vintage Port.
Longview will serve Chef Aaron’s Double Chocolate Cherry Brownie made with their Cherry Wine paired with their 2011 Pinot Noir.
Silver Leaf will pair their 2011 Pinot Gris with Clam Chowder and welcome cross-country skiing & snow-shoeing through their vineyard and on a two-mile trail that crosses Tyler Creek and winds through woods & cherry orchards.
Tandem Ciders will feature Chicken Mole in a Corneal Crepe paired with their Sweetheart Cider.
Verterra will be serving Leelanau Apple Tart w/Maple Mousse and Caramel paired with their Chaos White Cuvee.
For more information, visit LPWines.com.
