Tag Archives: Black Star Farms

Fulltime RVing, Michigan

Harvest Stompede

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It began with a limerick:

A Gerwurstraminer from Shady Lane

Can be enjoyed in the sun or the rain

It sure beats a beer 

that is brewed south of here

And the view from their deck is insane!



Last October, the Leelanau Peninsula Vintner’s Association held a poem contest on Facebook and I won with that entry.  Of course, I was the only entrant.  😉  The cool thing was that I won two free tickets to any event that the LPVA was hosting over the course of the next year.  With one event left before the year was up, we decided it was time to get on the wine trail!  The two day event was called Harvest Stompede, which kicked off with a series of foot races through one of the local vineyards on Saturday morning.  After the races, the wine trail opened with 22 vineyards featuring one of their wines along with a food pairing.  All of them offered additional tastings of between three to five pours.

Our friends Patti and Lane also had tickets. Since we all had commitments on Saturday, we decided to visit the trail on Sunday.  Lane was gracious enough to drive, which we really appreciated!

First stop was Black Star Farms.  The netting on the vineyard in the photo above is used this time of the year to keep the birds from eating the ripe grapes.  This has been one of Diana’s and my favorite wineries on the peninsula for years.  We’ve stayed at their inn as our mid-winter getaway several times during our careers, including one magical night between Christmas and New Years Day when we had the entire inn to ourselves. 

For the Stompede, Black Star was featuring tomato braised beef meatballs with a creamy parmesan polenta paired with their Red House Red.  Unfortunately,  I had to pass on most of the offerings for the day, due to my gluten allergy.

Next up, we stopped at Ciccone Vineyards.

This winery is owned by Silvio (Tony) and Joan Ciccone…known to many as the singer Madonna’s dad and stepmom…but around here as pretty darn good winemakers and a sweet couple.  Tony has been making wine since he was a kid in Pennsylvania.

One of the things I have always enjoyed about this location is walking into the kitchen area for the food pairings.  Joan usually has some Italian dish going that smells like so many of my childhood friends’ homes back in Detroit.

This time around, she made her famous Oriental salad paired with their Gerwurtztraminer.  I really missed the smell of marinara, but it never hurts to change things up.  😀

Patti wanted us to see the amazing view from Ciccone’s barn, so we walked up the hill to check it out.  Our friend, Mary, has done the flowers for weddings here and has told us how great of a venue it is.

This cavernous building plays host to wedding receptions and other events.

This is the view looking east out of one of the windows.  That’s the west arm of Grand Traverse Bay with the Old Mission Peninsula beyond it.

This vista looking west from a tent they had set up outside the barn.  They are definitely on the top of the hill.

As we were walking around, we saw Tony talking to some people who were also checking out the view.  It was a nice opportunity to speak to him one on one about his vineyard.

Here’s Lane and Tony discussing the different varieties that he grows on the property.  

This particular type of grape is used to make Gerwurtztraminer, which is one of my favorites.

Tony also told us we were welcome to come pick grapes with him in a few weeks. Hmmmm….might have to consider that one.  

He says he puts complete strangers at one end of each side of a row and that they know each other’s life stories by the time they get to the other end.

We enjoyed getting the chance to speak with him in his little slice of heaven.  😀

Next up…or should I say down the hill…was Chateau de Leelanau. 

Their tasting room is in a barn with several other businesses right alongside M-22.  I do have to say that the atmosphere is not what you would expect from a winery, but they definitely have their winemaking down pat.  

For the Stompede, they were pairing a smoked beef brisket and cheddar slider with a choice of one of their Tractor Pull hard ciders.  I thought the cider was very tasty.  The slider looked yummy!  We sampled some of their other wines and thought they were very good.  I’m glad Lane put them on our tour.   😀

From there we dropped down the peninsula to Shady Lane Cellars.


This was the subject of my limerick! Their patio is a great place to spend a summer evening, especially when they have a musician performing. 



Their offering was a BBQ chicken flatbread paired with their 2014 Pinot Noir Rose.  We sampled a few of their other wines, including their outstanding 2013 Blue Franc. They have what we feel are the best reds on the peninsula, and their whites are also excellent.

Our next stop was Brengman Brothers Winery.

This is a beautiful location and a premier wedding venue.  As a matter of fact while we were here, we ran into our friend Julie and her daughter Maren, who is having her wedding reception here next year. 😀

The tasting room is just gorgeous!

They were serving chips and spinach dip paired with a choice of their Runaway Hen White or Brengman Brothers Vignoles.  
After Brengman Brothers, we headed over to Longview Winery.

Winemaker and owner Alan Eaker has an outstanding cherry wine and also a very interesting cherry mead.  We ended up buying a bottle of each.

Here he is serving up his son’s roasted salmon chowder which was paired with his Dry Riesling.  Lane said the chowder was simply outstanding.

From there we drove up to Bel Lago Vineyards and Winery.  

Bel Lago means ‘beautiful lake’ in Italian, as this winery sits high on a hill above Lake Leelanau.  Their winemaker, Charlie Edson, is well respected in the area for his skills in producing quality wine.

For the event, they served a smoked cherry barbecue pulled pork with cherry tortilla chips paired with Bouquetti.  Lane pointed out that someone was watching the number of people coming in the door and bringing out just enough fresh servings of food as they entered.  Very nice.

Diana and Patti were definitely having fun!

After that, we zoomed up to Laurentide Winery. Named for the continental ice sheet that shaped this region 10,000 years ago, this winery pays tribute to the earth the vines grow in.

That’s co-owner Susan Braymer holding a bottle of the day’s featured wine, Sauvignon Blanc.  Her and her husband Bill have worked very hard to perfect their wines and it shows.

Susan’s food pairing was her creamy cucumber soup, which was served chilled.  When I asked her if it was gluten free, she replied that it definitely was. Woohoo! My first gluten free pairing of the day!  Thank you, Susan…it was delicious!

At that point the clock was ticking towards the trail’s 5 pm ending, so we made one last stop at Boathouse Vineyards on the way back to Wild Cherry Resort.

This is one of Diana’s and my favorites.  Their 2014 Pinot Grigio (sold out) was my all-time favorite, and their 2015 is extremely close!  Their lawn extends down to The Narrows, which is the channel between North and South Lake Leelanau.

Their pairing for the day was a blackberry brie tartlet served with their 2013 Pinot Noir.

When we were done, we plopped into their Adirondack chairs and called it a day.

Even the clouds seemed to smile and wink at us, as if to say “great job!”

If you ever get a chance to experience a Leelanau Peninsula wine tour, by all means, do so. If driving is a concern, half price tickets are available for designated drivers (food only), or you can book a limo or van through one of the local tour services. More information on the events being held throughout the year are available at lpwines.com.

Fulltime RVing, Michigan

Our Favorite Places on the Leelanau Peninsula

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With the RV-Dreams Fall Rally happening just down the road from us in October, we thought we would publish a list of some of our favorite places on the Leelanau Peninsula.  Note that these are our favorites, and if a place isn’t listed, it doesn’t mean it isn’t worth visiting. We have yet to find any place we would recommend avoiding.  Anyone else traveling up this way in the future may want to bookmark this list also.  Enjoy!

Wineries

We have two favorites in this category:  Black Star Farms and Shady Lane Cellars.  Both are outstanding.  Black Star also boasts a beautiful inn.  If you can get in and can afford it, it’s pretty darn nice.  We’ve stayed there several times.  Shady Lane has a beautiful setting and an awesome patio.  As far as the wineries on the peninsula, they are all good.  If you possibly can, try to to get to these two.  A complete list of the area wineries can be found at the Leelanau Peninsula Wine Trail website.

Attractions

The best attraction, by far, is Sleeping Bear Dunes National Lakeshore.  Within the park boundaries, don’t miss the Pierce Stocking Scenic Drive.  When on the drive, make sure to stop at the Lake Michigan Overlook.  Special note this year:  the drive will be closed for repaving from September 29 through October 5, and the weather could push that back.  Go to http://www.nps.gov/slbe/planyourvisit for updates.

To the north of the scenic drive, if you are up to it, climb the Dune Climb.  Just make sure you bring plenty of water, if you decide to go all the way to Lake Michigan…a two to four hour trip!

Another attraction is the Grand Traverse Lighthouse, on the northern tip of the peninsula.  It is within the boundaries of a Michigan State Park, so there is a daily entrance fee for visitors, on top of the lighthouse admission.  If you like lighthouses, this one is very nice.

Kilcherman Orchards is a special treat, if they happen to be open.  It is located just off of County Road 640 on Kilcherman Road.  They have multiple varieties of antique apples….the kind your grandma used to have. And the grower also has an amazing  pop bottle collection.  We are talking thousands of bottles, all in alphabetical order.  He will ask you your name and, in most cases, will show you a bottle with it on it.  🙂

Cherry Republic in Glen Arbor sort of falls into the shopping/ winery/restaurant categories, but it is an attraction in itself.  It is hard to describe and delightfully good.  

Shopping

There are four towns we would recommend for shopping:  Suttons Bay, Leland, Northport and Glen Arbor.  All have unique shops.  For groceries, we like Hansen Foods in Suttons Bay the best.  There is also NJ’s Grocery in Lake Leelanau, and the Leland Mercantile in Leland.  The IGA in Glen Arbor is a ways away from where we are at, so we’ve never been in it.  

Laundry

This one is a clear cut winner:  Suttons Bay Laundromat.  Clean as a whistle, and reasonably priced.  I challenge you to find a cleaner restroom in a laundromat.  🙂  Located in the same plaza as Hansen Foods, on the south end of Suttons Bay.

Driving Range

Well, I have to throw this one in here:  Wild Cherry RV Resort.  I know the rally is being held at Lake Leelanau RV Park, but we have a driving range at our place that is perched way up on a hill.  The view is fantastic.  Stop by anytime.  A bucket of balls is $5.  And check out our RV park for future reference.  It is very nice!

Restaurants

For a burger, we recommend either Art’s Tavern in Glen Arbor, or Dick’s Pour House in Lake Leelanau.  Both have good menus, with Art’s being a little more extensive. For something a step up from that, we recommend Hearth and Vine at Black Star Farms. It is Mario Batali’s favorite restaurant when he summers on the peninsula. It is outstanding. Even a little more upscale, Martha’s Leelanau Table in Suttons Bay is very nice.  In the town of Omena, Knot Just a Bar has delicious lake perch and an outstanding view of Grand Traverse Bay. With that being said, the other restaurants in the area are all very good.  People up here take their food seriously.

Bicycling

There are two bike trails on the peninsula.  The Leelanau Trail runs south out of Suttons Bay and connects up to the TART trail, once it gets to Traverse City.  The other trail on the peninsula is the Sleeping Bear Heritage Trail.  Parts of this trail are still under construction, but the section between the Dune Climb and Glen Arbor is of special interest this year.  The area suffered tremendous straight line winds on August 2, and we understand that section of the trail really shows off just how much timber came down.  We have yet to ride it, but we are told that it is amazing.

Hiking

The best bang for your buck is the Pyramid Point trail.  The hike to the overlook and back is 1.2 miles of moderate hiking on a gravel trail.  There is a tremendous view of the Manitou Passage from the overlook.

Beach

The beach on the north end of Bohemian Road is really nice.  There is a dog friendly beach at the north end of Good Harbor Road also.  Both of these beaches are within the National Park boundaries.  The waters of northern Lake Michigan are crystal clear, and some of the beaches are perfect for rock hunting.  A good listing of all the area beaches can be found here.

Kayaking

If you like river paddling, we recommend the Lower Platte River.  Riverside Canoe Trips will set you up, if you don’t have your own equipment.  They rent kayaks, canoes, tubes, rafts and stand-up paddle boards. For a nice secluded lake paddle, we recommend School Lake. It is within the National Park boundaries, so you will need a park pass.  You also will have the western shore of Lake Leelanau (the calm side) right at Lake Leelanau RV Park.

Hospital

Munson Medical Center in Traverse City is a nationally ranked facility.  They will take excellent care of you in an emergency.  There is also Leelanau Urgent Care in Suttons Bay.

Major Services

Most national chains are located in Traverse City.  With that being said, the town is extremely busy.  We try to avoid going there unless we absolutely have to, as it is not what we consider ‘relaxing’.  But there are times that we need to venture into town, and they always seem to have everything we need. Traverse City also has unique shops downtown, along with several craft breweries.

A note about the weather

Early October weather on the Leelanau Peninsula is quite often different than what is found inland.  This is due to the moderating effects of Lake Michigan.  Frosts and freezes tend to come later here. As a result, the trees change color a little later than they do inland.  That being said, come prepared for crisp, cool nights.  Layering is recommended, as is rain gear….not so much for the rain, but for the wind.  More often than not, there is a fresh breeze blowing up here.

  

 

We hope this list is helpful to those of you coming to this area for your first visit. Once you are north of Traverse City, slow your pace down and take it all in. Above all, have a wonderful time. The fall colors should be tremendous! In our opinion, Leelanau is a pretty great place to be.  🙂

Fulltime RVing, Michigan

 Workin’ Hard and Playin’ Often!

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It is remarkable how a simple answer to a question can be the impetus to overcoming an obstacle.  So it was with Site 94 at Wild Cherry Resort.  A project to build an upscale Class A site had reached the point of laying the pavers.  None of us had ever done that sort of work before, and not much was happening as a result.  When our newest work campers, Rod and Mary, showed up in mid-June, the question was asked if Rod knew how to do pavers. Mary replied “Yes he does”, and Rod was immediately appointed to be the foreman.  🙂

  
First day on the job, Rod started rounding up the tools needed and put us to work.  Here he is manning a rake, with Paul on the compactor.

  
Jim S. (the owner) started running sand with the Truckster.

As the week wore on, the crew kept at it.  I missed part of the work when we made our previously scheduled trip to St. Louis.  Our goal was to have the site finished for the July 4th weekend.

  
Rex, our longtime mower, kept the rest of the park looking great while we were tied up on the site.  Rex celebrated his 91st birthday last week with happy hour at his and Nellie’s place.  The only thing that keeps Rex from mowing is an invitation to go salmon fishing on Lake Michigan.  🙂

  
After the pavers were laid, we spread a sand/concrete mix over the top and Rod shook it in with the compactor.  

  
We then swept off the excess and Rod sprayed the site with water to set the mix and the pavers in place.

  
The site also features a lower patio, which Mary did the landscaping on.

   

 
From left: myself, Dave, Rod, Mary, Rex and Paul….
  
…and the owner of Wild Cherry, Jim.

After working our tails off, we welcomed the first motor home onto Site 94 on July 2nd.  🙂  Time to play!

One of the many things we took in since then was Paddle for Pints, which I have previously posted about.  A few days later, Diana’s cousins Reed and his wife Emily, and Nancy and her husband David came over from Luzerne to visit.

  
We took them to Sleeping Bear Dunes National Lakeshore and hiked up to Pyramid Point.  Here is Reed and I looking out towards North Manitou Island.  After we completed the hike, we had a nice lunch at Hearth and Vine at Black Star Farms.

And then there are evenings on the patios of the local wineries, which feature local musicians.

   
Here we are with Camilla at Aurora Cellars, listening to Drew Hale.

  
Mary noted on a later visit that Drew has a Zac Brown influence.  I also detected a little Keith Urban in his voice.

  
And here is singer/songwriter Blake Elliott at Shady Lane, an event we also attended with Camilla. Blake is often compared to Traci Chapman but, per Robert Downes from Northern Express, is as “hard to pin down as liquid mercury”.  Crazy good, for sure!

  
And here are The Accidentals at Blustone.  We showed up later here with Rod and Mary after listening to Drew Hale again with Paul and JoAnn.  Camilla is out in the crowd already.  🙂   If you haven’t heard of The Accidentals, chances are you will someday.  Fresh out of high school and Interlochen, their list of accomplishments is amazingly long.  The girls play 12 instruments between the two of them. Best described as indie/folk/bluegrass….uh, well…they really defy description.  🙂

And it is cherry picking time!

  
Before the mechanical shakers came in, we were told we could pick some for ourselves.  Here is Diana picking some black sweet cherries.  Oh, my….they are delicious!

  
And while Jim S. and a few others were picking cherries, I was driving the Truckster around, picking up golf balls.  Always a nice way to spend an hour.  🙂 I’ve also been tackling a fence painting project, along with my normal duties on my work days.  Diana has been very busy with the office, which is a huge job.  As is evident, we are working hard and having fun!  We are fortunate to be part of a great group of people, both workers and seasonal residents.  The weather is outstanding…low humidity and temperatures just below 80 for highs.

If you are looking for a place to spend a nice vacation, come on up and see us!

  

Fulltime RVing, Michigan

Traverse City Wine and Art Festival

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One of the things Northwest Michigan is known for is its wines. On Saturday, we were fortunate to be able to spend the afternoon at the Traverse City Wine and Art Festival.  A friend of ours who works with one of the local vintner’s associations, helped us to secure tickets.  Thank you, Camilla!

 

The annual festival is a combination of wine tasting and education, local gourmet foods, area artists, and music.  One of the bands on this year’s slate was The Verve Pipe, an alternative rock band that is fairly well known.

On the way into the event, we saw this cute, little Airstream trailer.

  
There were three young women there who have been traveling around the state to different festivals, collecting postcards created by people on why they love Michigan.  Diana created a lakeshore scene, and I did my best to recreate Old Mackinac Point Lighthouse, which my great-grandfather built.  They will be displayed along with thousands more at a large art exhibit to be announced later.

  
 The event was held at the Grand Traverse Commons, formerly the Traverse City State Hospital.  This sprawling complex, built in 1884, was one of three psychiatric institutions in the state.  When it closed in the 1980’s, it appeared to be headed for the wrecking ball.  Local visionaries took over and turned it into a conglomeration of shops, coffee houses, restaurants and such.  Talk about repurposing something!

  
There was a good crowd at the festival, right from the start.  As the afternoon headed towards evening, even more people streamed in.

  
 Lee Lutes, head winemaker at Black Star Farms, had the honor of kicking off the festival with a champagne saberage, basically opening the bottle with a saber.  He was surrounded by fellow winemakers from the region.

  
Success!

  
There were three large tents with local wineries represented.  Our tickets included four free wine pours each,  with additional pours available for purchase. Another tent was dedicated to wine education.

  
There were several artists practicing their crafts at the event.  We spoke with a few of them about their work.  It is interesting to hear how they view their subjects and how they convey those images through their artistry. 

   
And the music was outstanding!  Here is saxophonist Phil Denny, cranking out the jazz tunes.  They had two alternating stages, so the sounds flowed as freely as the wine  🙂

It was great to have all of these artists and vintners in one location. If you happen to be in the area next summer, we highly recommend attending the Traverse City Wine and Art Festival. If you can’t make it, try to catch a wine trail event, as they are all very well done and are always a lot of fun. They are held throughout the year. You won’t be disappointed!