Traverse City Area Wineries Participate in Passport Program to Benefit Local Charities

Wine lovers can now enjoy some of the beautiful award-winning wineries of Northern Michigan at a discount with the Old Mission & Leelanau Winery Passport. Launched by 9&10 News, Fox 32, Fekete Knaggs & Burr Agency, and Central Insurance Companies, the passport includes exclusive discounts towards purchases at 13 local wineries. The passports are valid for 2 people and can be reused at each winery as often as desired. Any passport completed before December 31, 2014, can be exchanged through 9&10 News for a complimentary wine tote.

The passports are on sale now for only $59 on milocalwinepassport.com and directly through migreatdeals.com For each passport sold $5 will be donated to each of the following organizations equally:

*Feeding America West MI Food Bank
*Father Fred
*Tip of the Mitt Watershed
*Grand Traverse Area Literacy Council
*Traverse Bay Children's Advocacy Center

“Northern Michigan is home to beautiful, award winning wineries. We wanted to create this opportunity to support our local wineries, promote tourism, and at the same time give back to the community through charitable contributions. This passport can give locals and tourists a chance to experience more for less,” says Jennifer Gingras, VP of Sales and Digital Sales Manager of 9&10 News/Fox 32.

For a list of participating wineries or for more information visit www.milocalwinepassport.com.

Michigan's Award-Wining Left Foot Charley Winery Expands Distribution into New York

The 2011 Dry Riesling from Left Foot Charley Winery in Traverse City has been placed on the “Summer of Riesling” wine lists at Paul Grieco’s Hearth Restaurant and three Terroir Wine Bar locations throughout Manhattan. The promotion kicks off June 21 (the first day of summer) and runs through September 21 (the first day of autumn).

"We been honored to receive numerous medals and trophies in competitions for our wines over the years, but the market is the real competition and in a city with such a vibrant wine scene as New York, earning a spot with the world's best is the ultimate gold medal,” says proprietor/winemaker Bryan Ulbrich. “Having a restaurant with quality and vision like Paul Grieco's choose your wine for their list is humbling and exhilarating. Our farmers work diligently for quiet satisfaction and a splash like this is a great recognition of their close relationship with their vineyards."

Grieco created the “Summer of Riesling” concept in 2008. That year, the ONLY white wine that customers to his restaurants could get was Riesling – 30 different wines by the glass and 100 by the bottle – a radical move that has paid off handsomely. Now, more than a dozen other restaurants have jumped on board with the promotion.

With only 500 cases produced, Left Foot Charley’s 2001 Dry Riesling it is a rare find for anyone in NYC. It is being distributed by Bonhomie Wine Imports – a well respected importer and distributor of fine wines in Manhattan.

The fruit for this award-winning wine is grown in three vineyards that exemplify viticulture in Northern Michigan. Spread out along Old Mission Peninsula, Leelanau Peninsula and Antrim County, these vineyards surround the deep water of Grand Traverse Bay.

Ulbrich says he’s also in discussions with distributors in Chicago and Minnesota interested in showcasing Left Foot Charley wines. With wines that consistently sell out, many may question Ulbrich’s reasoning for looking outside of Michigan when it comes to placement.

"We are telling a story that is bigger than a single wine or economic event,” Ulbrich says. “It requires patience to make wine and grow markets. A small step like this is really about the next five to seven years, not this quarter's financial statements. We want our wine to be tasted on the real-world stage because it reflects the beauty of our land and environment. As the world gets their opportunity to taste rare Michigan wine, they will begin to seek us out and reputation will grow. Like most decisions in the winery, this is about the future. We can survive without multi-state distribution but where's the fun in that? Michigan swings above its weight and it is time to let the world know it."

With more than a dozen years of winemaking to his credit at a handful of Northern Michigan wineries, Ulbrich launched his first 200 cases of Riesling under the Left Foot Charley label in 2004. He and his wife, Jennifer, opened Northern Michigan’s first urban winery in tasting room in 2007 on the grounds of the historic Northern Michigan Asylum, now known as The Village at Grand Traverse Commons – noted as one of the largest historic re-use and re-development projects of its kind in America. Today, Left Foot Charley produces about 4000 cases of wine from small vineyards in the Grand Traverse region.

Left Foot Charley also functions as a custom crush facility, producing wine for other area wineries. Since 2004, the winery has expanded is custom case production from 170 cases to 11,000 cases in 2012. Working with 25 regional farms, Ulbrich has continued to reinvest in equipment and personnel over the years – doubling their full-time staff to seven in an effort to provide a more consistent hospitality experience for tasting room visitors.

www.LeftFootCharley.com
www.facebook.com/LeftFootCharleyWinery
www.twitter.com/LeftFootCharley

Brys Estate Vineyard & Winery Recognized at Top Wine Competitions in the US, Internationally

It’s been an exciting spring season for Brys Estate Vineyard & Winery, located on Old Mission Peninsula in Traverse City. The estate winery has been recognized in the recent weeks with top honors at some of the world’s most esteemed wine competitions – including the International Wine and Spirits Competition in London.

In London, Brys Estate was honored with a “Gold” medal for its 2011 Gewurztraminer – one of only 15 such awards presented to the U.S. The Northern Michigan winery was also among only 17 “Best of Class – Silver” medal winners for its 2011 Pinot Noir and the 2007 “Dry Ice” ice wine. Brys Estate also took two “Bronze” medals for its 2007 Artisan Cabernet Franc and their 2007 Artisan Merlot.

"This is truly an honor to receive these awards. For many winemakers, this would be the highlight of their career, but for me, it's just another example of what can be achieved by proper vineyard management and winemaking," says Brys winemaker, Coenraad Stassen.

The International Wine and Spirits Competition is one of the most prestigious wine competitions on the globe. Entries include more than 15,000 wines from the Northern and Southern Hemispheres. Wines are put through a blind judging, with the winners continuing onto a chemical analysis to verify that all wines are true to varietal, provide longevity and overall health. If the wines pass the chemical analysis, they then move to London for the final judging.

In another recent competition, Brys Estate garnered three “Best of Class” awards for its 2012 Pinot Blanc, 2012 Riesling and 2011 Merlot, from among the 2000 entries at the 2013 Pacific Rim International Wine Competition, held in Orange County, CA.

"Winning a Best of Class is really a great accomplishment," says Stassen, "but winning a ‘Best of Class’ for a Merlot in California is pretty exciting!"

During the 2013 Riverside International Wine Competition, Brys Estate received “Gold” and “Best of Class” for its 2012 Pinot Blanc, as well as the “Chairman's Award” (Unanimous Gold) and “Best of Class” for its 2011 "Dry Ice" ice wine. There were more than 3500 entries in a variety of categories.

This year’s Tasters Guild International Wine Competition hosted wines from 10 countries and 28 states. Brys Estate was awarded a “Double Gold” for its 2012 Riesling and three “Gold” medals for its 2011 Pinot Noir, 2012 Pinot Blanc and 2012 Naked Chardonnay.

Brys Estate Vineyard & Winery is centrally located in the heart of the Old Mission Peninsula-situated on 80-acres with breathtaking views of the East Grand Traverse Bay-in Traverse City, Michigan. This boutique winery began with the planting of 38 acres of European vinifera grapes in 2001 and opened the tasting room in May of 2005. Using the highest quality standards, Brys hand picks its grapes and hand crafts its small batch, single vineyard, estate grown and bottled wines.

BRYS ESTATE VINEYARD & WINERY
3309 Blue Water Road • Traverse City, MI 49686
231.223.9303

www.BrysEstate.com
www.facebook.com/BrysEstate
@BrysEstate

Left Foot Charley Winery Earns Coveted Jefferson Cup for Riesling – Seventh Hill Farm (2011)

Left Foot Charley Winery in Traverse City has recently been awarded a prestigious Jefferson Cup for its 2011 Riesling – Seven Hill Farm, Old Mission Peninsula in the “White Vinifera Wine” category. It was the only Michigan wine to make the list this year.

The 30th Annual Jefferson Cup Invitational took place in mid November in Kansas City, MO. This noted competition features wines that are pre-selected to exemplify viticultural and winemaking in America. The invited wines have all proven their excellence in competitions and tastings throughout the year, and according to organizers, are extremely deserving of the nation’s attention.

From the original 700 invited wines, came 79 which were selected as nominees for the Jefferson Cup – and only 29 wines made that final list – including LFC’s Riesling.

"Earning a Jefferson Cup for Left Foot Charley has been on my radar for years,” says owner/winemaker Bryan Ulbrich. “This was the first time we had enough wine to enter into the invitational competition.”

The grapes for the 2011 Left Foot Charley Riesling were grown by Tom Scheuerman in a small, two-acre vineyard on the Old Mission Peninsula called Seventh Hill Farm. Only 310 cases of this medium sweet Riesling were produced, and fewer than 100 cases remain. It sells for $23.

“This is an excellent example of Riesling that will age gracefully over the next decade – truly one of the great vintages for this vineyard,” Ulbrich says. “I am so proud of Tom and our cellar staff's commitment to excellence – it has been a team effort 14 years in the making. Riesling loves Michigan!"

In all, LFC submitted five wines to be judged. The 2011 Missing Spire Riesling earned a Medal of Excellence (gold equivalent), while the Blaufrankisch 2011, Pinot Blanc 2011 and Pinot Gris 2011 each received a Medal of Merit (silver equivalent). Several other Michigan wines also showed well in this esteemed competition, receiving the equivalent of gold and silver medal status).

With more than a dozen years of winemaking to his credit at a handful of Northern Michigan wineries, Ulbrich launched his first 200 cases of Riesling under the LFC label in 2004. He and his wife, Jennifer, created Northern Michigan’s first urban winery in the center of the historic Northern Michigan Asylum – now known as The Village at Grand Traverse Commons. Ulbrich is quietly gathering the region’s top small vineyards and is showcasing them in the new LFC facility, which has been open since July 2007.

Left Foot Charley Winery & Tasting Room
806 Red Drive – Traverse City, MI 49684
231-995-0500

www.LeftFootCharley.com
www.facebook.com/LeftFootCharleyWinery

Northport Dog Parade & Wine Festival Planned for Saturday, August 11

Fine wine, food and fun will be the focus on August 11 in Northport when the 16th annual Northport Dog Parade’s Old Un-Salty Dog parade takes to the streets followed by the opening of the 25th annual Northport Wine Festival. The fun begins at 1 p.m. when the Northport Dog Parade takes off from the Mill Pond on Third Street in Northport. The Northport Wine Festival will begin at 2 p.m. and run until 6 p.m. in Northport’s Haserot Park, located at 105 Rose Street.

The Northport Wine Festival and the Northport Dog Parade are sponsored by the Northport-Omena Chamber of Commerce. This year the wine festival will exclusively feature the wines of the Northern Wine Loop, 11 wineries and cideries located in the northern tip of the Leelanau Peninsula.

“We’re delighted to pair with the Northern Wine Loop this year to create a new and different wine festival for Northport,” says Northport-Omena Chamber of Commerce President Lisa Drummond. “We’re excited about the great wines they offer and we’re looking to a fun day in beautiful Haserot Park listening to the music of the Windy Ridge Boys and enjoying all that Northern Michigan has to offer.

“We’re also pleased to be able to continue the Northport Dog Parade, which was started by and run since 1997 by Old Mill Pond Inn owner David Chrobak,” Drummond said. “Each of these events are a unique part of Northport’s summer celebration.”

The dog parade participants – both canines and their human handlers – will take to the streets in costumes representing this year’s “Old Un-Salty Dog” theme. Prizes are available to those participants who pay the $5 pre-registration or $10 day of registration to be in the parade. Winning costumes will be judged at the parade’s start – Northport’s Mill Pond – from 11:30 a.m. to 12:45 p.m. Prizes will be awarded at the parade’s end – the pavilion at G.M. Dame Marina Park.

At the wine festival the Chamber is starting a new tradition with a People’s Choice award for favorite wine and food pairings. Each winery will serve wines that pair especially well with the food offerings of participating restaurants and visitors will be asked to vote on their favorite wine and food pairing.

The wineries of the Northern Wine Loop include Bluestone, Boathouse Vineyards, Circa Estate Winery, Forty-Five North Vineyard & Winery, Gill’s Pier Vineyard & Winery, Good Neighbor Organic Winery, Leelanau Cellars, Raftshol Vineyards, Silver Leaf Vineyard, Tandem Ciders and Verterra Winery.

Great food will be provided by area restaurants including The North End Eatery, knot Just a Bar, Stubb’s, Deep’s Corner Store and the Bluebird restaurant.

Leelanau Cellars, one of the first wineries in established in Leelanau County and based in Omena, is the gold sponsor of the Northport Wine Festival. Leelanau Cellars owner Mike Jacobson, a long time Northport summer resident and the founder of Leelanau Cellars in 1974, has participated in all of the 25 Northport Wine Festivals. “This is a wine festival that has been so well received by residents and visitors alike,” says Jacobson. “Focusing on wineries that are geographically located in the northern end of the county creates the opportunity for a unique tasting experience for wine lovers at a festival that is a significant local event.”

During July members of the Northern Wine Loop are raising funds for A.C. Paw through their Pours for Paws campaign. Funds raised for A.C. Paw will be presented at the Northport Wine Festival.

Northport-Omena Chamber of Commerce was organized in 2005 to help develop, enhance, sustain and serve commerce in Leelanau Township. To learn more about the Chamber and the Northport-Omena area, please visit the website at northportomenachamber.org. For more information on the wine festival, please visit http://www.northportomenaevents.com/search/label/Events%20in%202012