We went to another new winery while we were up in Petoskey, and the winery was Boyne Valley Vineyards.  I mean they are really a new winery, because by the time this article is published, it will be before their Second Anniversary.  Now, if you are thinking that I am pulling a fast one on you, let me explain that I have mentioned Boyne before.  There is a Boyne, Boyne Highlands, Boyne Mountain and Boyne Falls in Michigan and while I have mentioned a couple, we have not been to them all. The winery backs up to a scenic one-hundred-thirteen-acre nature preserve. They have a beautiful tasting room, but they offer wine tastings, except on Friday afternoons and Saturday, where their wine and cider are only offered by the glass. Perhaps this is done to curtail the roving bus-loads of bachelor and bachelorette parts and group tours that at times seem to arrive en masse. They also have music concerts on the grounds, as they have a patio, lawn and a treehouse, we forgot to checkout the treehouse (a long story on its own).  Another nice feature is that they offer a few plates of assorted noshes to accompany the tastings or the concerts, or if you just want to sit out with a glass of wine on the patio and enjoy the day.

We did enjoy a wine tasting and by happenchance, we had our tasting with the owner and she was enjoyable to be with. We started the tasting with the Boyne Valley Vineyards Cayuga White Michigan AVA 2020.  Cayuga is a French-American hybrid that is a Cold-Hardy variety.  A crossing of Schuyler and Seyval Blanc back in 1945, but not released commercially until 1972; first developed on the shores of Seneca Lake in New York, but was named after the nearby Cayuga Lake. The wine was aged for eight months in plastic vats.  It was a nice soft yellow, with a nose of green melons and some foxiness, and on the palate, it was slightly sweet with a tinge of lemon zest and light acidity.  We then had La Crescent Michigan AVA 2020.  La Crescent is another hybrid developed by the University of Minnesota and released in 2002 and is another Cold-Hardy variety.  The wine was aged for eight months in plastic vats.  This wine offered notes of stone fruits, pineapple and lemon zest in an off-dry wine with some acidity.  The third white wine was “Snow Cat White” Briana Michigan AVA 2020. Brianna is another relatively new hybrid developed in Wisconsin in 1983.  Initially it was grown as a table grape, but has had success as a Cold-Hardy variety in several of the Upper-Midwest States.  The wine was aged for eight months in plastic vats.  A pretty wine that offered notes of honeysuckle, and tropical citrus fruits.

We enjoyed two red wines while we were at the winery.  The first was Boyne Valley Vineyards Hodgepodge Red Wine Michigan AVA 2018.  This wine is a blend of Petite Perle, Cabernet Franc, Cabernet Sauvignon, Marquette, Shiraz and Merlot; these varietals were from three different Michigan AVA regions, The Tip of the Mitt AVA, Traverse CityAVA and Lake Michigan Shore AVA.  The wine was aged for two years in oak. An interesting wine that offered notes of blackberry and plum, with light tannins and a medium finish.  The final wine of the tasting was their Estate Marquette The Tip of the Mitt AVA 2020 and was aged for three months in oak. This wine offered notes of Black Cherry, Currants and Blackberries with a medium body and a medium finish.  We had an enjoyable visit and they helped us decide on our last dinner while in the Petoskey area.