Chateau Grand Traverse Wine Guide

Check out the 2007-08 Winter Wine Guide (PDF) from Chateau Grand Traverse for descriptions of each of their wines, suggested food and wine pairings, tips for serving wine, and more.

Tastes opens at GT Commons

The Village at Grand Traverse Commons recently welcomed TASTES, a tasting room from Black Star Farms with a twist.

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A Northern Michigan Wine and a Good Read

Continuing along in the local gift giving vein, why not pair a local wine with a copy of the new book From the Vine: Exploring Michigan Wineries, written by Sharon Kegerreis and Lorri Hathaway, both raised in northern Michigan and now living downstate. To learn more about the book, check out this recent review by Eleanor & Ray Heald, Appellation America's regional correspondents for Michigan. "Every state with a small but growing wine industry needs significant grass roots endorsement," note the Healds. "Michigan has it now."

Four Soups

Chef Myles Anton entertained a full house Thursday night at the first class of the "Soup to Nuts" cooking series offered by Left Foot Charley winery. Deftly whipping up four delicious soups while passing along his methods for doing so, Trattoria Stella's executive chef blended humor, technique and his penchant for "matching foods," as in, using parsnips instead of carrots in a chicken soup because "white goes with white." He can put together whatever he wants, because it all tasted great, including his surprise soup in honor of the night, Riesling Apple. Rounding out the evening were three wines from Left Foot Charley, the 2006 Pinot Grigio, 2006 Riesling and Murmur 2006. Chef Anton kindly agreed to let us share his recipes here.

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Finding the ideal grape variety for Northern Michigan

Cari Noga writes in her column the November Traverse City Business News about two new research projects underway, led by the new head of viticulture at Michigan State University, Paolo Sabbatini. The goal is to identify grape varieties best suited to Michigan's cool climate and short growing season; and to map potential places to plant them.

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Toast the Season Tickets Going Fast

A number of restaurants in the Leelanau & Traverse City area will be participating in the Toast the Season wine tour by donating 5% of your meal cost to charity when you show them your Toast the Season ticket stub. Get a great meal and support some wonderful charities! The first weekend has sold out, but limited tickets remain for the second weekend - November 17 & 18, 2007. Order yours now. The weekend event features holiday gift basket with each ticket and an ornament, special wine pour and holiday-themed gourmet food at each of the 13 wineries that are members of the Leelanau Peninsula Vintners Association.

The Winemakers roundtable in TC Business News

Four area winery owners sat down with Traverse City Business News publisher Luke Haase to talk about the 2007 harvest, trends and their observations about the regional winery scene. Their conversation is captured in "The Winemakers," an interesting article in the October 2007 issue of Traverse City Business News.

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