Traverse Traveler Food & Drink

In Season: Traverse City Cherries, Michigan’s Power Fruit

Cherry Festival is over, but the cherry season has just begun. Local cherries are the gems of the northern Michigan summer. Each year, we anxiously await the arrival of Traverse City cherries— the ruby fruit that brings visitors to the area and keeps many of our businesses running.

Whether you like sweet cherries by the pound, tart cherries for your pies, dried cherries for snacking, cherry wine, or cherry products, you can find it in the Cherry Capitol of the world…Traverse City.

Cherry Fun Facts

  • Michigan grows 75 percent of the US crop of tart cherries and about 20 percent of sweet cherries.
  • Northern Michigan is responsible for 90 percent of the state’s sweet cherry production.
  • There are close to 7000 cherries on the average tart cherry tree, enough for 28 pies.
  • The World Record for spitting a cherry pit is 93 feet 6.5 inches, held by “young gun” Krauss, son of 10-time record holder “pellet gun” Krause.
  • It takes 100 cherries to produce an 8 oz. glass of cherry juice.
  • Ease arthritis pain and inflammation naturally with cherry juice, thanks to the anthocyanins, which give tart cherries their color.
  • Michigan cherry wine is made primarily from Montmorency cherries.
  • Peninsula Cellars is the only area winery to produce a white cherry wine, made from the Emperor Francis cherry.

U-Pick Farms & Farm Stands

Some of my favorite childhood memories are from roaming the U-Pick farms. We’d lug around our galvanized buckets and climb the rickety old wooden ladders to carefully select the largest, juiciest, ripest cherries. When the buckets were full or too heavy to carry, we’d know it was time to go home. It took a long swim in the lake to get rid of the purple stained fingers, but it was worth the memories.

For a list of local U-Pick farms where you can find Traverse City cherries, check out LocalDifference.org.

Buy Traverse City Cherries

If you’re looking to pick up some fresh cherries on your visit up north, there are plenty of options. A drive along the Old Mission or Leelanau Peninsula will offer several roadside opportunities to buy direct from the grower. And you can’t beat the scenic views along the way. Eating fresh-washed cherries from a roadside stand always makes my summer to-do list.

For those of you who prefer your cherry products without the pits, Benjamin Twiggs in Traverse City has everything you could ever need. From cherry-themed merchandise to cherry products of all kinds, you’ll find all your cherry dreams come true at Benjamin Twiggs, the oldest cherry purveyor in Traverse City. And they’ll even ship if you’re craving a taste of Michigan from far away.

Tips and Tricks

  • Cherries with the stems attached will stay fresh longer.
  • To remove cherry stains from fingers and clothing, try a little lemon juice, and rinse with water.
  • For an inexpensive cherry pit remover, try placing a metal pastry tip on your finger and pushing them out. A bobby pin or a bent paper clip can be used to scoop out the pit and only leaves one hole.
By |2024-12-05T15:33:18-05:00July 18th, 2014|Community, Food & Drink, News & Events, Travel Tips|1 Comment
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Wonderful World of Michigan Wine, Beer and Spirits

The beverage business is booming in Michigan. And everyone from visitors to lodging personnel to locals wants to keep up with what’s new in the world of wine, beer and spirits in Northern Michigan. So here are some highlights from our customers in the industry.

right brain breweryRight Brain Brewery

90 lbs of asparagus were grilled and turned into what has become a springtime favorite at RBB: Empire Spear Beer. Don’t worry if you missed it at the Empire Asparagus Festival—it’s on tap at the brewery. And for all the gluten-free customers out there, it’s time to send up a cheer for the first ever gluten-free beer at RBB. “Katy Bar the Door” is an ode to the Red Wings #1 gluten allergy advocate, Mickey Redman. It’s made with roasted chestnuts, local honey, and 100% local hops.

black star farmsBlack Star Farms

Just fresh from bottling is the ’09 Riesling at Black Star Farms. The winemaker’s notes will tell you, “This wine presents classic Riesling aromas of delicate white flowers and stone fruit. Ripe flavors of citrus, peach and apple follow on the palate. It is a lovely off-dry medium bodied white wine.” And if you’re looking for a great date night or a fun place to meet up with friends, why not check out the Matterhorn Grill at Tastes of Black Star Farms inside the Mercado at The Village.Sit around a miniature grill dining on melted Raclette, meats and veggies while sipping something tasty. Yum.

bel lago winery

Bel Lago Vineyard & Winery

Bel Lago Winery’s 2007 Semi-Dry Riesling has been judged BEST WHITE WINE at the 2010 Pacific Rim International Wine Competition, held in San Bernardino, CA.  Bel Lago 2007 Semi-Dry Riesling won a Gold Medal and the Best of Class award for Off-Dry Riesling, and then competed against all the other Best of Class White Wine varietal winners and was judged Best White Wine overall. Stop by their tasting room across from beautiful Lake Leelanau and taste for yourself. Congratulations, Bel Lago.

Brian at left foot charley Left Foot Charley

Despite a challenging ’09 growing season, Bryan at Left Foot Charley has pulled together an interesting vintage from their fruits of last year. The ’09 Pinot Blanc is from Island View Vineyard on Old Mission Peninsula. In his ownwords, “Island View came through again in the tough ’09 vintage. We made the crew sort the grapes into golden and green clusters then the two lots were pressed and fermented individually and carefully blended back together to form this complex bright dry wine. Great apple notes with a striking citrus finish. Very limited production—you snooze youlose.” Also, check out their Sparking Hard Apple Cider and The Cobbler; a double fermented cider with a cinnamon flavor. Try it served ala mode with Moomers ice cream on the side.

2 lads winery2 Lads Winery

Bring on the bubbly. 2 Lads is ready to release their 2002 vintage bubbly. “The 2002 Dry Sparkling Wine has been in the cellar doing extended aging en tirage (on the lees). This June will be the last time you will be able to purchase and enjoy this rare and spectacular gem. A non-traditional blend exhibiting an exotic, vibrant bouquet and a seductive mouth feel. When released, this wine will have seen seven years en tirage and is exemplary of Northern Michigan’s potential to be the United States’ preeminent sparkling wine region.“ With less than 500 bottles left in the cage, there’s no time to waste in making a trip up to 2 Lads for a bottle.

peninsula cellarsPeninsula Cellars

In case you missed it, Peninsula Cellars was among several local wineries that made the B-list according to a recent article in Food & Wine magazine. The article certainly reinforced the fact that you can’t judge a winery by its apparent size or location on a map. And it highlighted one of my family’s favorite easy-drinking reds; Detention. Speaking of easy drinking, don’t leave this little schoolhouse without a bottle of Homework, their Pinot Noir Rose.

grand traverse distilleryGrand Traverse Distillery

If you haven’t been out to visit the George and Kent, now’s the time. At their production facility, they’ve expanded the tasting room area to accommodate all the new visitors we’re sending their way. You’ll also find some new spirits that will hopefully raise yours. Check out Ole George Whiskey, 100% Rye whiskey, now available in the tasting room. I also discovered a limited bottling of Chocolate Vodka. Sounds like cocktail hour is going to get crazy this summer at Grand Traverse Distillery.

uncorked wine barUncorked Wine Bar

now closed

If you’ve stepped inside the Cherry Stop lately, you can’t miss what’s going on with Uncorked. In order to create two separate spaces for visitors to enjoy, they are remodeling and moving the wine bar up front. When they’re finished with the upgrade, customers who are there to visit Uncorked will come in a separate entrance that leads straight to the bar, located under a pergola inside the building. The seating and beautiful Grand Traverse Bay views are still in the back. And plans for another Meet the Winemaker event in June are in the works. So stop in for a sample or pick up a bottle of your favorite local wine while you’re shopping downtown Traverse City.

Upcoming Festival and Events

One of the best ways to enjoy summer in Michigan is spending an afternoon at a Wine Festival, Beer Festival, or a combination thereof. So here’s a list of some of the upcoming festivals in Northern Michigan and throughout the state.

May 21-22  |  World Expo of Beer, Frankenmuth, Michigan

May 29  |  Michigan Beer & Brat Festival, Crystal Mountain Resort in Thompsonville, Michigan

June 12  |  Leland Wine & Food Festival, Leland, Michigan

June 26-27  |  Michigan Wine & Brew Festival, Michigan International Speedway, Brooklyn, Michigan

July 23-24  |  Michigan Summer Beer Festival, Ypsilanti, Michigan

August 6  |  Old Mission Peninsula Wine & Food Celebration, Bowers Harbor Park on Old Mission, Traverse City, Michigan

August 14  |  Leelanau Peninsula Wine & Food Festival, Northport, Michigan

August 21  |  Traverse City Wine & Food Festival, The Village at Grand Traverse Commons, Traverse City, Michigan

August 27-28  |  Traverse City Summer Microbrew & Music Festival, The Village at Grand Traverse Commons, Traverse City, Michigan

By |2024-12-06T10:53:49-05:00May 20th, 2010|Food & Drink, News & Events|1 Comment
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Corks vs. Screw Caps, Local Winemakers Open to New Closures

When it comes to protecting their precious vintage some local wineries are making the switch from corks to screw caps. What it lacks in drama, it makes up in efficiency.

According to Lee Lutes, winemaker for Black Star Farms, the Stelvin closure, otherwise known as the screw cap, does a better job of protecting the wine from spoiling than does a traditional cork. When they opened their new winery on Old Mission, Black Star Farms added the ability to bottle with screw caps. The first of their wines to utilize this closure is their ’07 Arcturos Late Harvest Riesling, which is now available in the tasting rooms.

Another winery utilizing the screw cap option is the newcomer Forty-Five North. Winemaker Shawn Walters is enthusiastic about the use of metal closures on their wines. In fact 90 percent of their wines are under screw caps, including their sparkling rose, cider, peach and cherry.

But there are two sides to this story. Bryan Ulbrich of Left Foot Charley has bottled only one wine, the 2007 Pinot Blanc, with this closure. “Using this closure requires some subtle changes in winemaking. I am doing this as an experiment. Cork is a very sound closure and it is the most environmentally friendly choice,” said Ulbrich.

Peninsula Cellars is not currently set-up to handle screw top closures. Owner John Kroupa explained it may be several years before they make the investment in the necessary equipment to bottle in this way. And there’s also the factor of consumer acceptance to consider. When asked his opinion on the use of the closure he replied, ” I am for their use. However, mentally there is something much more romantic about popping a cork on a nice bottle of wine, rather than twisting the cap off.”

It sounds like the jury is still out on this one. As the wine industry grows in Northern Michigan I expect we’ll continue to see the technology follow. I’m a bit more of a traditionalist. I love to see the graphics and logos that wineries tattoo on their corks. It’s a fun and inexpensive souvenir of a memorable wine event or a special dinner. And frankly, I won’t be keeping a bowl of plastic caps on my coffee table. So my vote is to keep the cork! But decide for yourself. And in the end, it’s not about the closure, it’s what’s inside that counts.

By |2024-11-28T10:36:22-05:00May 27th, 2008|Archive, Food & Drink|0 Comments
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