During the sister’s getaway up in the wine country of Michigan, we had a chance to buy tickets to see Frankie Valli and the Four Seasons at Interlochen, at the main Kresge Stage.  Four of us went, and the others went out for dinner that night. I might add that this was the real deal, we didn’t go see a production of “The Jersey Boys.”  Francesco Stephen Castelluccio or Frankie Valli is the front man for the Four Seasons since 1960.  Though almost at the beginning of the show, he paid homage to the most famous Jersey Boy, and that is Francis Albert, when he sang Cole Porter’s “I’ve Got You Under My Skin.”  At 89 years of age, he entertained and sang for two hours straight.  He had a full band behind him, and he allowed almost every one of the musicians there moment in the spotlight.  The audience from the youngsters to the oldsters that predate my Bride and me, were swaying and singing to more songs that they made famous.

We were all having a wonderful time at the Interlochen Center for the Arts, its official name of the twelve-hundred-acre campus on two lakes near the community of Interlochen.  It is a non-profit corporation which operates arts education institutions and performance venues.  It was established in 1928 by Joseph E. Maddy.  We have been to two of the theatres there, once to see a student production of The Music Man, and now for this concert.  The assortment of productions that one can see at Interlochen rival almost any other fine arts center around.  One would also be amazed to see the names of graduates in an assortment of the arts. 

Of course, I have to mention that I went and bought some drink tokens to take back to the seats, and the beer tent and also the wine tent were doing a good business.  I noticed that Black Star Farms of Old Mission Peninsula and Leelanau Peninsula was a major contributor and advertiser for the school.   Black Star Farms is rather unique in that it has vineyards and tasting room facilities on both peninsulas, so that they are kind of surrounding Traverse City which is kind of the focal point for all of the wineries in the area.  In 1998 Black Star Farms purchased Sport Valley Farm which was a one-hundred-twenty-acre equestrian facility, and the stylized black star was part of the architectural décor in the main house.  In their Twentieth year, they were honored to receive the 19’th Annual Canberra International Riesling Challenge (CIRC) -Best Wine of the 2018 Challenge and only the second time an American wine came out on top.  My Bride and I had a glass of Black Star Farms Arcturos Pinot Gris Michigan 2021.  The wine carried a Michigan AVA, because eighty-two percent of the fruit was from Old Mission Peninsula and eighteen percent was from Leelanau Peninsula. The soft straw-yellow colored wine offered notes of citrus and white florals.  On the palate there were tones of citrus, and melon, with balance acidity and a medium count finish of fruit and some terroir.  The wine, if I had to choose, leaned a bit more Alsatian compared to Northern Italy.  The wine was fruit forward, but was still on the dry side.