Today we rose around 7 something and relaxed and enjoyed the time together. We had the fireplace running until it got too toasty and made coffee in the Keurig. The Hotel Saugatuck is lovely, offering a selection of coffees for the Keurig in our room, and I have also purchased Trader Joe’s capsules. We had plenty of coffee. Breakfast is served a bit late, 9:15 or so, and despite all the time, we managed to be a few minutes late for our wine tour guide, Jason, with Bottle Run. My colon, revised by colon cancer repairs, decided to surprise me a bit. But all was good, and Jason was fine waiting. It was Deborah and me for his run today.
We would do four vineyards today, maybe one too many, as I was totally sloshed by the time we were done. I do not spit out wine, but there were a few glasses we did not finish. Deborah stopped finishing the wine about halfway. I had ordered a glass of wine with lunch; in hindsight, maybe a bad choice. Still, the wines were terrific, and Michigan did even give Oregon a run on some Pinot Noirs, I thought!
Jason, an excellent leader and driver in a comfortable suburban, took us first to one of the area’s first vineyards, and Dianna led us through seven tastes of their wines at Fenn Valley Vineyard. I had no wines that I would not drink from them. Their sparkling Premier Cuvée was a great start. I tried the True Chardonnay (no oak) and thought it an excellent wine, reminiscent of California wines. I had their reds and was surprised that Michigan could produce such high-quality reds, with their Zweigelt being particularly wonderful and their Cabernet Franc a soft, approachable red. Dianna let us know that they do not always get a Late Harvest Riesling, and last year’s drier fall produced what we all agreed was a great wine. The Traminette was a perfect summer day wine, and the Moscata was a sweet white wine that was perfect for a summer evening. I had their port, which, while good and served with chocolate, was just OK. Deborah loved one of the ciders and got some to go.
Modalef was a few minutes away and is one of Jason’s favorites. This is a leading-edge place trying to make wines as good as anywhere, and I think it is being quite successful. Their notes were provided in two different sets, one with a traditional write-up and the other more of a story: “The First leaf has fallen in the cool breeze, yet summer sings offering up her lushing blooms,” for 2024 Gamay Noir, which was an excellent wine with almost no tannins. Kieth led us through five of their wines, which was a dream, though Deborah is not a fan of heavier reds. Kieth told stories about himself and the wines and was great behind the bar. Deborah bought a bottle of the 2024 Pet Nat, and I thought their 2022 Pinot Noir La Esperanza was a model of a near-perfect version. But their 2022 Pinot Noir La Garcia was subtle and engaging, and the better wine. Kieth was proud to have an Oregonian praise their wine. I was surprised that Michigan, with its snow and Arctic blasts, could make such an excellent wine. Deborah reminds me that Michigan is not as cold as it was during my last winter there in college.
Veritas Estate was next, and Jason brought us lunch there, too. We picked out a sandwich and chips with a pasta salad a few days ago and emailed him our selection. Sherry, the owner and wine maker, was the guide for five more tastings (and a glass I bought) before lunch. The whites were less sweet and had stronger flavors. There were more subtleties in these whites and less sugar, but I thought them less likely to be loved. The 2023 Barrel Aged Chardonnay was good, with a nice balance between oak and fruit. However, Deborah skipped these; the 2022 Merlot could be confused with any good California Merlot. I was surprised that Michigan could make a Merlot. I loved the 2022 Tannat, so I ordered a bottle and a glass for lunch. I hope it makes it through the flight.
Sherry and I discussed Artificial Intelligence over lunch, as she was utilizing a neural network to analyze some of her data. Another group daughter found a chicken hatching an egg and soon was holding a fresh egg, and reluctantly surrendered it to Sherry. A beautiful cat was also sort of ignoring us, like cats do.
Jason packed up lunch for us and added more wine to our collection in his vehicle. We drove longer this time to the Michigan Wine Company. We had a table in the vines, where we even picked a small bunch of grapes. They bring you wine in small stemless glasses. The 2024 Noir-Yay!, a sparkling red, was terrific. Other sparkling wines were one-dimensional in flavor, but this one had a bright red finish that made it stand out. There, the whites, I am afraid, were uninteresting, but we were on our fourth vineyard, I was sloshed, and we likely did not fairly judge them. So I would suggest, dear readers, you ignore my rating of the Michigan Wine Company and try it. The 2022 Petite Foch should have stood out for me, but was eclipsed by Veritas Estate’s heavy yet excellent reds. Deborah loved the Plum Cider and got some to take home. It was excellent. Recommended and in short supply, we were told.
Jason got us back to the hotel and even carried the wine for us to our room on the second floor. Deborah was concerned about my balance. I was fine, but the world kept moving! We enjoyed Jason’s company and his stories about himself and the local wine scene. Highly recommended: Bottle Run. He does a winter snow sledge trip that I would suggest to folks here in the winter.
With Jason on his way, I did spinner in the bed, and woke a few hours later with a slight headache (painkillers were taken). We recovered and we found dinner at The Southerner, which was busy, and I had grits and shrimp (but not as good as I think I made in NOLA, but still good). Deborah had a braised beef sandwich. It was all good. Fried chicken looked like the house specialty.
Sleep was hard to find after the lovely day, and some coffee at dinner for me. I woke a few times, but managed to rest.
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