After we left Boathouse Vineyards, we went back to our cabin for dinner and to see the other sisters that didn’t come with us.  The enthusiasm for the winery was tremendous, and since they were having an outdoor concert the next night, everyone wanted to go there.  Those that had already been there wanted to go back, and those that hadn’t were looking forward to some wine and music.  When we got there, the owner and the staff recognized some of us, and they offered me a table on the verandah overlooking the grounds, the outdoor music stage and the piers that allowed boaters a chance to moor.  Nobody immediately took a photo of the table that we sat down at, but they all froze for a minute, as the name on the reservation that was on the table was the maiden name for all of the sisters. 

Getting back to the wines, since that is the underlying theme of all of my articles since May 2012.   Dave Albert also wanted to show me his newest wines, and his new label design.  He had been using French Road Cellars, a third-party custom-crusher in Michigan, that assists wineries, especially in the early years.  Dave told me that he finally spent the money and was going to do all his winemaking on premises going forward.  This was the reason for the new label design, and we had a chance to try his new wines:  Boathouse Vineyards Rosé Leelanau Peninsula 2022 and Boathouse Vineyards Pinot Blanc Leelanau Peninsula 2022.  The Rosé was made from Cabernet Franc and they used both whole cluster and direct pressing and the juice was left on the skins long enough to get the right hue, as per the winemaker.  Then the wine was aged in Stainless Steel to maintain the fresh fruit, and the total time from harvest to bottling was about eight months, with no chemical enhancements added (sugar, acid, or color).  The coppery-pink colored wine offered notes of strawberry and pepper.  On the palate there were tones of strawberries, pepper, and soft tannins balanced and crisp with a short finish of fruit.  The Pinot Blanc and the Rosé both came from the Amore Vineyard.  From harvest to bottling this wine was finished in about nine months.  The grapes were whole clustered pressed and the wine was fermented in Stainless Steel barrels and a Stainless Steel “egg” and it received regular batonnage, which is the stirring of the lees and any expired yeast cells creating a more “creamy” wine.  The wine was a soft-straw-yellow color and offered notes of stone fruits and tropical fruits.  On the palate a very refreshing “creamy” wine that had tones of tropical fruits, high acidity, and a nice crisp finish.    

And the concert was excellent, a young man who graduated from Hillsdale College and he said that he performs about two-hundred-fifty-shows a year as a singer, keyboard, two styles of guitar playing and the harmonica.  He performed both his own works, as well as others like Chapin, Joel, and John.  He performed for about three hours without a break.  We were up on the verandah and the others grabbed some Adirondack chairs and a large umbrella and were right across from the stage.  There were people sitting on their boats, who came and bought some bottles of wine and watched from the water.  Others sat out on chairs and I was observing that there was a definite mix of generations enjoying the evening.  As for our group, we were noshing on some cheese and crackers from the winery’s deli.  If you want to know, at our table the Pinot Blanc was two-to-one against the Rose.  Down in the grassy section the Pinot Noir was the big hit.  The sisters all had a great time, and that was what it was all about.