I am finally getting ready to discuss our little getaway back in August, that my Bride always ties into my birthday, which is OK, as the celebratory season keeps getting longer.  I also don’t like announcing to the world that my house will be empty, as I show live photos of us away.  It seems that we always start our up north trip with dinner at the Walloon Lake Inn.

We arrived at the Walloon Lake Inn early, but I knew that they offer a Wallon Wine Time period before the restaurant opens, out on the lawn looking at the boats and a marina. It began as a quaint country inn on the shores of Walloon Lake, back in 1891.  Originally called Fern Cottage, it was a haven for the travelers, who enjoyed northern Michigan by carriage, train, or steamboat. In 1981, it became the Walloon Lake Inn, as a “bed and breakfast” and a restaurant.  In 2014, there was a total renovation, and it became the current Walloon Lake Inn.  We decided to start the evening off with some bubbles, as we enjoyed some of the locals who wanted to share their “crack” with us of the famed Truffle Fries with herbs, Reggiano Parmesan and Truffle Aioli.  We began by enjoying Charles Ninot Methode Traditionelle Brut France NV from Famille Piffaut.  From what I can gather, this wine is made at a young winery in the Languedoc region, in a vineyard with a high altitude.  It is a French alternative to Italian Prosecco, made from Chardonnay grapes that are picked early in the season to maintain freshness and then produced under the classic method compared to the bulk method for sparkling wines.  A soft-golden colored wine with plenty of medium-sized bubbles that offered notes of citrus and exotic fruits.  On the palate this medium-bodied crisp wine displayed tones of citrus, pineapples, lemon zest with a touch of brioche, ending with a medium-count finish of fruit and candied lemon zest.

It was finally time to enter the restaurant for dinner. Of course, we were there to take advantage of their early bird (Senior’s Special) which is fine, because going back to almost the earliest days in retail, back in 1972, I was the low man on the totem pole and I was appointed to have my dinner break at 4:30 and to this day, it is a hard habit to break.  My Bride as her norm had their Caesar Salad which was Romaine lettuce, croutons, Heirloom cherry tomatoes, a Parmesan crisp and Anchovy Caesar dressing.  Then she surprised me and had the Lamb Shank with Roasted Brussel Sprouts, Sweet Potato Smash, Shallots and a House-made Demi-Glace.  She then had their Chocolate Mousse.  I started with the Mussels in a Garlic-herb Butter, Smoky Chorizo, Linguini and Crispy Shallots.  For my dessert I went with a classic Crème Brule.

We also enjoyed a bottle of Stephane Aviron Chenas Vielles Vignes Beaujolais Villages 2020 and imported by Frederick Wildman and Sons, Ltd.  Stephane Aviron has adopted an almost radical return to tradition in Beaujolais, with sustainable viticulture, extremely old vines and classic Burgundian techniques.  The vines used for this Chenas wine average about one hundred years of age, planted from 1900 to 1923, on a 13.6-acre parcel where the soil is light and made of mostly sand and small pebbles over a layer of clay and quartz.  This wine is pure Gamay.  The fruit is vinified using whole bunches, macerated for seven days in temperature controlled Stainless-Steel vats and then aged for twelve months in a cement tank to maintain the purity of the fruit.  This deep dark purple colored wine offered notes of black cherry, followed by violets, black pepper and Sous-bois.  On the palate this medium-to-full bodied, well-balanced wine displayed tones of rich dark cherries, raspberries and plums, blending with medium acidity and soft tannins to end with a medium-to-long finish of fruit, black pepper and terroir.