bigLITTLE Winery

As I have gotten to know the Michigan wineries over the past few years, I have realized that they are like a big family. Each appellation (Approved Viticultural Areas or AVA) works together to create events for common support. bigLITTLE Winery exemplifies this tradition. I met vintner Mike Laing (the big brother) at a Grand Rapids tasting, and he graciously invited me for a sneak-peek of the upcoming bigLITTLE tasting room on the Leelanau Peninsula. bigLITTLE is a Laing family business and a great example of the mentorship between Leelanau Peninsula Vintners.

The tasting room is under construction on Larry Mawby’s property. Mawby has been making wine since the 1970s and specializes in sparkling wine. Mike and his brother Pete are transforming Mawby’s former house into the tasting room. I loved the DIY rustic feel of the project. Keep track of the progress on their Facebook page. It is passive solar and will seat 15 people. The bar is reclaimed materials; the wood came from the former loft in the building. And, the metal is from the roof of a barn that collapsed on property across the street.

Mike started working at Mawby Winery six years ago; he now makes the M. Lawrence line. His brother Pete joined in 2010. Pete manages the winery's computer systems, purchasing, distributors, and labeling. All of the grapes used in the bigLITTLE wines are grown on the Leelanau Peninsula at their parents’ farm. In a few years they will expand to the grape vines that Mike’s father-in-law recently planted.

Mike and Pete are using Mawby’s extra tank equipment and capacity. Larry is also mentoring them on the art of wine making. Most of the wines are still, but they have one sparkling wine.

The wines are named for the childhood memories that Mike and Pete share. Mike said, “We used to hunt for Crayfish in the creek next to our house.  We had a Treehouse and Tire Swing in our backyard.  Our generation made Mixtapes for each other to share music.” These are the names of the wines; unique and fun.

The tasting room is scheduled to open Thursday May 23rd. Below are the wines available.

Crayfish
Blend: 100% Pinot Gris
Flavors: Concentrated Dried Fruits; Coating Mouthfeel, Rich Finish
Pairings: Earthy Cheeses, Fish, Roasts

Treehouse
Blend: 100% Pinot Noir
Flavors:  Oak and Bruised Red Fruits; Silky and Full Bodied
Pairings: Pizza, Nutty Cheeses, Bacon

Tire Swing (Sparkling)
Blend: 75% Riesling, 10% Gewurztraminer, 10% Pinot Gris, 10% Pinot Noir
Flavors: Green Apple & Citrons; Bright Acid, Subtle Yeast
Pairings: Oysters, Salads, BBQ

Mixtape
Blend: 50% Riesling, 30% Pinot Gris, 20% Pinot Noir
Flavors: Pink Grapefruit, SweetTart;  Uniquely Refreshing
Pairings: Spicy Foods, Sushi

If you cannot wait until the opening, you will find the wine at Plum Market in West Bloomfield or Ann Arbor, Art of the Table and Siciliano’s in Grand Rapids, and Everyday Wines in Marquette. It is also served at Salt of the Earth restaurant in Fennville.  

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The Local Feed on WYCE

Starting the week of May 20th, MI Local FoodBeet and Community Media Center in Grand Rapids are partnering to bring weekly, brief segments about local food on WYCE - 88.1 FM on your Grand Rapids dial. Stream on WYCE. Below is our introductory promo.



This and other special, locally-produced shows will air at 8:30 am and 5:30 pm daily. I don’t have the days that The Local Feed will be on the air, but I will keep you posted.

Kudos to Matt Jarrells from the Community Media Center for the vision, production, editing, and patience.

Special thanks to my friend Brad Miller. We reactivated his public radio voice for the Intro and Outro for the shows. In the early to mid-70s he worked for WCMU-FM in Mt. Pleasant, MI. Prior to that he was with college radio stations: WFRS in Big Rapids (Ferris State University) and WMHW (Central Michigan University).

Fauxgrass has graciously lent us some background music for the shows.

Thanks to all of the above, to my loyal readers, and to future listeners.

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Go for the Wine – Stay for the View

Michigan’s Old Mission Peninsula is well known for its agrarian, bay-side beauty. Located at the 45th parallel, it happens to be perfect for growing grapes, cherries, and even hops. There are now eight wineries on the peninsula. The newest – which had a soft opening last fall – is the Hawthorne Winery. The winery is a partnership between the Hawthorne family and Chateau Chantal. You know if the 20 year old Chateau Chantal is involved, there will be attention to detail and an abundance of hospitality.

The approach is off of Peninsula Drive. As you turn onto the property there is a spectacular view of the fieldstone and wood tasting room. The view from the building is the stunning view of the West Bay of Lake Michigan.  The building also features a private tasting room and a deck with a fieldstone fireplace.

Hawthorne opened for their 2013 season (May through October) on May 1st. I popped in May 4th for a private tour and tasting. My host was Marie-Chantal Dalese. The wines convey the identity of the property owners, Bruce and Cathleen Hawthorne. Brian Hosmer, a vintner at Chateau Chantal, is also the Hawthorne vintner. They made 2,500 cases of wine in 2012. Their goal is 5,000 cases annually within five years. The wine has its own identity; it is site specific, and the styles differ from those at Chateau Chantal. The wines are mostly dry wines, and the Pinot Noirs are aged in former Mondavi Opus One barrels. Here are some wines available with my personal notes:

2012 Pinot Grigio – Remember that long, hot 2012 summer? Well, here it is in a bottle: dry and fruity.

2012 Chardonnay – An un-oaked wine that is melon forward with a spice finish.

2012 Rose’ – This blend is made from free-running juices rather than pressed grapes. It has light tannins and is quite refreshing.

2010 Cabernet Franc / Merlot – These were co-fermented rather than separately fermented then blended. I found it to be baking spice forward with a jammy finish.

The other wines available are the 2012 Pinot Blanc, 2010 Barrel Reserve Chardonnay, 2012 Semi-Dry Gewurztraminer, 2012 Gamay Noir, 2010 Pinot Noir, and 2012 Select Harvest Riesling. The 2012 Pinot Noir will be available later this summer.

The grand opening is May 25th, and they are offering free wine tasting, light snacks, and live music for the event. After tasting these wines I can recommend them for your enjoyment.

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Essayists on the WGVU Morning Show

This is a quick announcement that the interview of the three essay contest winners will air on WGVU 88.5 FM on the Thursday May 9th morning show. The contest was sponsored by the West MI Sustainable Business Forum. Michelle Van Houten won the contest and Theresa Hogerheide and Anne Reynolds were awarded Honorable Mentions. Listen to Shelley Irwin’s show; we are schedule to be on around 10:00 AM.

Spring 2013 Grand Traverse Photo Album

It was lovely to travel last weekend from Grand Rapids to Traverse City. I watched the spring colors wake up at 70 miles per hour. There was a marked difference in the trees from just Friday to Sunday.

As I prepare two winery blog posts to be posted soon, I am sharing photos of the whole trip below.

Always an excellent lunch at Spaghetti Jim's on Airport Rd.

A trip to Leelanau Cheese Company is always on my schedule.

The vineyard for the newest winery on Old Mission Peninsula - Hawthorne Winery.

I had a sneak preview of one of the new wineries on Leelanau Peninsula. 

Got my zzzzzzz on at the Bellaire B & B.

Looking forward to reading the book that The Chocolate Lady gave me. It is The Guide to Chocolate in the Grand Traverse Region by Barbara Disborough. It is a comprehensive guide to area chocolatiers and includes recipes and coupons. Awesome!

Chocolate ice cream at the Chocolate Festival.

It's always nice to see a tower of chocolate, isn't it?

My first trip to Om Cafe will NOT be my last. Great food - lots of local!

I hadn't been to Right Brain's new location until last weekend.

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The Traverse City Chocolate Festival

Chocolate AND Traverse City – What’s not to LOVE?  The third annual Traverse City Chocolate Festival is Sunday, May 5th 1:00 – 4:00 at the City Opera House (106 East Front Street). I am pleased to be involved as media for the event. Here’s what’s going on.

EVENTS
Food Drive for Northwest Food Coalition - First floor lobby at the check-in area.

Door Prizes - proceeds to benefit the Northwest Food Coalition.

Chocolate Sculpting with Chef Michael West

Hands-on Chocolate Sculpting Workshop – visit the website to purchase the class

Music by Jim Hawley


SCHEDULE
12:45 PM - Ticket Office Opens

1:00 PM - Doors Open

1:15 PM - 3:45 PM - Door Prize Drawings

4:00 PM - Event Ends


TICKET SALES AND MORE INFORMATION
Visit the chocolate festival website.

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Quick Beet Appetizer

As I wrote last summer, I canned a LOT of beets. I needed to be creative about how to use them. I was out with friends one night in Holland, MI and had a delicious appetizer at Butch’s Dry Dock.

The recipe below was inspired by that appetizer. Enjoy!

1. Toast raw walnuts in a dry cast iron skillet.
2. Slice cooked beets about ¼ inch thick.
3. Layer goat chevre cheese between two slices.
4. Drizzle with a citrus vinaigrette such as The Hotel Kitchen Citrette dressing.
5. Top with chopped, toasted walnuts.

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