Summing Up the Year in Wine Tasting

During 2010, I visited nearly 50 wineries and tasting rooms. There was definitely more good than disappointment. The majority were in Michigan and California with some nice surprises in Indiana. Each winery and region has its specialties and unique character. That merits a comment. Michael Schafer, aka The Wine Counselor, told seminar guests at the 2010 Grand Rapids Wine & Food Festival that when you visit a region you should order and learn to appreciate what it is the wineries are trying to do and not hold unrealistic expectations. For instance, the Leelanau and Old Mission Peninsulas of Michigan are producing terrific whites and dessert wines. Many wineries in that area are trying hard to produce reds despite less than ideal climate. Many are now succeeding so give them credit. But don't be disappointed if you are a big red drinker and don't find something to your liking. Try the whites and learn to appreciate them. Michael suggested to do otherwise would be like going to a restaurant in Italy and ordering a Bordeaux. They would run you out of the place! The folks in northern Michigan are a lot more friendly! Again, order and appreciate the wine of the region.

What does 2011 hold? Well, first up will be taking part in the Leelanau Peninsula Vintner's Association's Taste the Passion event on February 5 & 6. I would also like to get to as many Michigan wineries I haven't yet visited. I expect there are about 25 more to go. I also want to revisit Santa Barbara's wine country in April. Hopefully, there will be a summer weekend trip to the Niagara Region in Ontario. I absolutely want to attend the 4th Grand Rapids Wine & Food Festival in November. Hopefully, there will be many impromptu events in between. That's the plan. A great 2011 ahead.

Gourmet Dinner-Sleigh Ride-Elk Viewing Experience at Thunder Bay Resort

Our family enjoyed a terrific experience on December 28th at Thunder Bay Resort in Hillman, Michigan. Hilmman is located about 20 miles from Alpena and the Lake Huron shore. Our adventure began with a horse drawn sleigh ride through the woods to a large log cabin. There, we were treated to a gourmet dinner and wine tasting. During dinner, owner Jack Matthias provided guests with some fascinating information about the elk herd located on the resort property and the challenges over the years as he has worked to maintain this unique visitor experience.

Dinner consisted of 5 courses. The first course was a shrimp cocktail and an apple torte. Next up was a hearty chicken noodle soup. The Thunder Bay Salad, a sweet mix of cabbage made up the third course. Then came the main entree, a crown roast of pork done to perfection and served with


Michigan red potatoes. Finally, the dessert, a white chocolate mousse filled pizzelle topped with raspberry & white chocolate topping. Wine from Stoney Acres Winery in Alpena was provided liberally throughout the meal and paired to match the courses. All warm dishes were cooked on a wood stove by resort co-owner Jan Matthias. Dinner was marvelous and she obviously has the system mastered to provide consistent results.






Then it was back on the sleigh to view the elk. Although the herd, which numbers about 75, is in captivity, its range is substantial due to the large amount of property owned by the resort. We were able to get an up-close view of several cows and their young out in the open as well as several bucks kept behind fencing for our protection. The sleigh drivers provided ample time for guests to photograph these magnificent animals. It was truly a unique family experience!

More photos are available in the Thunder Bay Resort Set on my Flickr site.

Christmas Day Dinner - Beef Wellington and Circa's 2007 Requisite

This was my first attempt at individual Beef Wellington using an almost fail safe recipe provided by my friend Tom and modified slightly from the Emeril Lagasse recipe on Food TV's web site. The tenderloins were a bit bigger than normal causing me to use double the puff pastry called for in the recipe. No problem with that. The masterpieces were cooked to a a perfect 140 degrees F and accompanied by grilled asparagus marinated with fresh orange juice and zest, olive oil, salt and pepper. Throw in some seasoned Michigan red potatoes and it was food heaven.

Our wine accompaniment was Circa Winery's 2007 Requisite. It paired really well and was a joy to share with family. Circa is located on Michigan's Leelanau Peninsula and is among our favorites to visit on frequent trips to the area.

This may be the first of what becomes a long holiday tradition of dining.

Favorite Bed & Breakfast in the Northeast - Willard Street Inn Bed and Breakfast

My wife and and I like to mix up our overnight stays with hotels and bed & breakfast inns. So fat, my favorite one in the Northeast is The Willard Street Inn in Burlington, VT. The Victorian mansion is comfortable and quiet but what I remember most are the breakfasts. We stayed there 3 days and had wonderful breakfast offerings each morning. The photo shows my choice on Day 1 - Scrambled eggs with tomato, spinach and feta served with toasted baguette and Vermont maple cured bacon. Yum!!

Tarte Flambe/Flammekueche

On a trip to Germany and France's Alsace region, I tried a local pub food favorite. In Germany, it's called Flammekueche and in France it's called Tarte Flambe. It tasted the same in both countries (I felt an obligation to do the necessary research). Whatever the name, it's basically a pizza crust topped with creme freche, onions and bacon. I've tried to replicate the dish back here in the States with no luck. Evidently, there is something to do with a very hot oven, good beer, and years of experience that makes it better. Maybe that is just as well. It gives me something to remember and long for in future travels.

Merry Christmas Wine Lovers

We should remember the real reason for the Christmas season, the birth of Jesus. But, as a wine lover, I also know there are many Biblical references to wine and Jesus. This holiday wine message behind the tasting bar at Ciccone Vineyard in Sutton's Bay on  Michigan's Leenanau Peninsula expresses my sentiments. Drink Up!

Best Hamburger in Michigan - So Far

One of my favorite places to visit is the Traverse City area of Michigan for its beauty, excellent wines, and its food. So, it's no surprise that I would seek out a place for a good Hamburger. As luck would have it, Boone's Prime Time Pub in Sutton's Bay, MI serves up one of the best Hamburgers I have had the pleasure of sinking my teeth into. On this occasion, it was the Western Burger, a layered masterpiece of freshly ground meat, BBQ sauce, cheddar cheese, bacon, and a sweet onion ring. Astonishingly good! Perfect after a "strenuous" day of wine tasting on the Leelanau Peninsula.

Favorite Omelette - Victorian House, Santa Monica CA

Hands down, my favorite omelette can be found at the Farmers' Market in Santa Monica, California . The omelettes are prepared by The Victorian House, a restaurant adjacent to the market. Diners can choose from among a host of fixings and have the breakfast meal prepared before their eyes (and watering mouth). Served up with a side of seasoned potatoes and it's pure heaven on a warm Sunday morning.

Favorite Place for Breakfast - Chicago

Featured on Food Network's Best Things I Ever Ate's Wake Up Call episode (Ted Allen's favorite) and on one of Rachel Ray's shows, Ann Sather is a highly rated breakfast spot in Chicago.  It is probably most famous for its cinnamon rolls. As a warm up for the main breakfast course, diners are treated to not one, but two, of these delicious treats! Come hungry as I always do. As the place mat indicates, visit them at annsather.com

Leelanau Peninsula Toast the Season 2010

I'm catching up a bit on my postings to this recently refurbished wine and food blog with a photo and commentary on the Leelanau Peninsula Vintners Association's Toast the Season event. My wife and I took part in the November 6 & 7 weekend and it was just delightful (as are all the LP Wines events). We visited 17 wineries on the weekend, tasted many wonderful wines and food pairings, and met some of the wonderful people staffing the wineries. The photo accompanying this posting is from Tandem Ciders. Some might not consider it a winery in the truest sense but, to me, if you are fermenting fruit and putting in into a bottle, that's close enough. What was more memorable about the weekend is why we keep coming back to the Leelanau Peninsula. Of course there is the wine (and in this case Smacintosh Hard Cider). But but the friendliness of the winemakers and their staff makes the whole experience of visiting this area all the more enjoyable. The photo says it all. Enjoy the hospitality of northern lower Michigan and drink up!

See the full photo set from this event on my Flickr site.

Best Steak in the Northeast - So Far, Sarducci's in Montpelier VT

Easily, one the best steak I've had in the Northeast is at Sarducci's in Montpelier, Vermont. It was a sirloin topped with gorgonzola and mushrooms. The sirloin was accompanied by organic locally grown vegetables and garlic mashed with a buttery gravy. A similar strip steak is on the current menu. Try this place. It appears everything on the menu is wonderful!

A Sunday Drive to Blue Water Winery

The notion of a Sunday drive has escaped me for what probably amounts to several years. There has always been something more "productive" to do around the house or just a routine of doing some shopping. Fortunately, I broke the habit about a year ago by taking a leisurely Sunday drive with my wife to the East Michigan shoreline. Our primary destination was the Blue Water Winery, which we had read about in our local newspaper. Although it is a recent start-up, only in its second season of production, the experience was a total delight. The owners, Steve and Connie, were the perfect hosts. Steve gave us an informative 30 minute tour of the vineyards and production area. Connie then served us 5 tastings of their wine in a cozy makeshift tasting area that serves as the crush pad during weekdays. The serving area consisted of two oak wine barrels and a barn wood bar top but that was all that was needed. Their gracious hospitality extended to plates of cheddar cheese and crackers and leftover chocolates from Halloween the night before (no doubt a seasonal benefit). The wines were delightful and the experience made even better by the crisp fall air and the semi-private time we spent with the hosts. We purchased two bottles at $14 each - a Pinot Gris and slightly sweet red called Sunrise Coast.

The Blue Water Winery can be found at 7131 Holverson Road in Carsonville, Michigan and on the web at bluewaterwinery.com

We followed our tasting experience with a gourmet pizza at Smackwater Jacks in Lexington, Michigan about 7 miles south of the winery. We then proceeded to take the long way home, meandering through pastoral farmlands as the sunset created that beautiful warm glow on red barns and field corn stalks yet unharvested. The day was a complete delight. The Sunday drive is back on my regular agenda.

Food Truck Frenzy

There has been quite a bit of buzz about food trucks lately. The Food Network's "The Great Food Truck Race" hosted by Tyler Florence likely to added to the craze. On a recent trip to Southern California, I took in First Fridays in Venice which is essentially a street social with food. Stores are open late and food trucks from all over the area descend on Abbot Kinney Boulevard and an adjacent parking lot. I would estimate there were about 20 trucks on the scene and enough variety to suit anyone's palette.

The fare is best described as comfort food with large portions and, for the most part, contains ingredients you wouldn't (shouldn't) eat at every meal. But hey! It happens on a Friday! I tried Frysmith's Sweet Po Fries, I concoction of sweet potato fries smothered with chicken stewed in tomatillo-tamarind sauce and topped with jack cheese and nuts. Heaven! For dessert, I tried Coolhaus's brown butter and candied bacon ice cream cookie sandwich. After all, doesn't everyone think of bacon when they want ice cream?

Is there a chance decent food truck fare will come to my little slice of Michigan anytime soon? Doubtful, but it give on more reason to make a trip to California special.

Oliver Winery - Bloomington, Indiana

Oliver Winery, located about 5 miles from Bloomington, is Indiana's oldest winery and a delight to visit. Many of their wines are made with grapes purchased from California but the home grown grapescare terrific as well. While I prefer reds, I really like their Gewurtztraminer and Traminette, both priced to enjoy at any time. The folks at Oliver are knowledgeable and display the Indiana hospitality I have come to treasure in my visits here. Can't wait to enjoy some of Oliver's Port at Christmas. I've been hoarding it for a decade! Time to break down and crack open the bottle.

So much attention, and rightfully so, is going toward the fine wines being turned out on Michigan's Old Mission and Leelanau Peninsulas in Northern Lower Michigan. I visit there often. In a an effort to zig rather than zag, my wife and I took a tour along the Lake Michigan Wine Trail in Southwest Michigan this past Labor Day Weekend. We visited 6 wineries; Domaine Berrien, Lemon Creek, Free Run Cellars, Round Barn, Tabor Hill, and Karma Vista. It was a perfect day for a ride and wine tour with sunny skies and 72 degrees. As would be expected on Labor Day weekend, crowds were heavy at times. That didn't deter us or the gracious hosts at each of the wineries. Mix in some fruit and chocolate and it was a perfect day!

It was harvest season so some varietals were at their peak and ready for harvest with others just waiting for a kiss of sunshine and a few more days of warm weather. With each trip we make to wineries around the state, it becomes increasingly clear that Michigan wines are pleasing to our palette. As noted on the sign above the entrance to Tabor Hill, "Drink Wine, Laugh Often, Live Long."

A Great Quote on Wine

"There are no standards of taste in wine... Each man's own taste is the standard, and a majority vote cannot decide for him or in any slightest degree affect the supremacy of his own standard."

Mark Twain.

Best Burger in Indiana (So far)

I had the pleasure of indulging in a great hamburger while traveling through Bloomington, Indiana. The place was the Upland Brewing Company's Bloomington Tap Room and, yes, this burger goes well with one of their famous craft beers. The burger itself is their "Classic" made with Fischer Farms beef and topped with smoked Gouda. I highly recommend a stop at this terrific brew pub and restaurant.

I had not heard of Fischer Farms but a quick look at their web site made me realize why the burger made from Premium/Natural beef was so good. Check it out:

Premium

Our beef is premium (Restaurant Quality). This means that only young Angus cattle are chosen to be processed for Fischer Farms Natural Beef. The cattle are fed an all vegetarian diet of grain and high quality grasses. All excess fat is trimmed for a lean healthy meat. Finally, beef is aged for 14 days to achieve a premium taste and tenderness only found in fine restaurants. Like a fine wine, the process of aging meat will enhance the flavor as well as tenderize the beef to achieve a premium meat. The meat is hung in a temperature controlled environment that allows the natural enzymes to break down the muscle fibers. This natural process substantially tenderizes and adds flavor to the meat.

Natural

Our beef is natural. Natural means no added hormones or antibiotics. Fischer Farms Natural Beef and Pork is hormone free and antibiotic free. Hormones are used as a standard practice in the beef industry to promote fast growth in the cattle. Many heath experts are concerned about how these hormones are affecting humans.

Here is the link to Upland

http://uplandbeer.com/