Wine at California Pizza

Posted on August 13, 2015 by thewineraconteur

I will let you into a poorly kept secret, that is, I like wines, and I tend to look for them where ever we go. I also like to eat, and if one follows my writings even periodically, you will have figured out that both are true. Of course, and if you ask my Bride she will concur, that I am a pain in the arse when it comes to eating. She is much more egalitarian when it comes to food, now let me explain that she enjoys good food, but she is much more willing to try popular food venues then I will. When she goes out with her friends, they go to many more places than I will. She has favorite dishes in all sorts of assorted restaurants, and when she finds a dish that she is happy with, she will keep ordering the same dish and for the most part, she is just as happy each time. We were going out to the cinema to see a film, and it was located in a shopping mall, which is quite common in today’s world. This also allowed her a chance to do some shopping, which she very much enjoys.

Belleruche Cotes du Rhone 2014

After the shopping and before the film, we went to California Pizza, a restaurant in the complex, because she had some gift cards that she wanted to use. Now you have to realize that California and Pizza do not jive in my mind as a good blend. I have enjoyed some spectacular meals in California; in fact the finest meal that I may ever have eaten was in California. I think of California as being more Avant garde and well Pizza should come from a place called Vince’s or Sammy’s. I like the good old pizzas that I grew up with, and they should not be frou-frou. Be that as it may, my Bride ordered her Chinese Chicken Salad, which consisted of Napa and red cabbage, lettuce, chicken and wontons tossed with scallions, sesame seeds and Hoison ginger vinaigrette. I found a dish that I thought I would try called Jambalaya Fettuccine, as it has been some time since we had visited New Orleans and this dish had blackened chicken, shrimp, crawfish, Andouille sausage and Tasso ham in a spicy Cajun sauce. I was happy with my selection, it was better than I expected, though not in the league of what I would savor in the French Quarter.

Coppola Rosso & Bianco Pinot Grigio 2013

Now I shall explain my poorly kept secret, that I like wine. I always look for wine; it has become the beverage of choice for me with my meals. I also expect to find a wine that will compliment my entrée, and since most restaurants are not three and four star rated, I do not think that I need even a Fifth Growth wine, even though one would think that we Bloggers only drink premium wines. We pay for our meals and for our wines, so that is why I have such an eclectic mix of wines that I write about. We enjoyed some wine with our meals, and the first wine that we had was Coppola Rosso & Bianco Pinot Grigio 2013. This is a wine from Francis Ford Coppola’s wine holdings and is a California designated wine, so that means the grapes can come from almost any part of the state. The other thing about this wine is that it is 84% Pinot Grigio and the balance is Sauvignon Blanc. It was just a nice refreshing glass of wine, with no pretense, but was just what we needed to start the meal off with. Then we had some Belleruche Cotes du Rhone 2014 from M. Chapoutier. A Cote du Rhone wine is one of my “go to“ wines when I get the chance to have one, as most are not sexy, but dependable. This particular wine which was of Grenache and Syrah, had fruit that was harvested from four distinct parcels of land, and for its reasonable price was very good and made me think of a Rhone wine. So no matter where I venture to, I try to find a glass of wine to enjoy.

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The Caller at Tuscan Bistro

Posted on August 11, 2015 by thewineraconteur

After spending a couple of days at a Board Meeting with my Bride, along with The Caller and his wife, not to mention a whirl-wind couple of hours trying wines at assorted wineries, we went home. The Caller had other plans and made a long weekend with his wife in Traverse City, and of course he had to regale me at least once while he was having a good time.

Costa di Bussia Barbera D'Alba DOC 2013

After having two meals in a row with The Fusion, I guess he was ready for a change in his diet. They went to Tuscan Bistro in Traverse City and spent the weekend in that city, which is a wonderful resort area. Tuscan Bistro, while I have never had the chance to dine there, is one of The Caller’s favorite places in the city. While he did not give me his menu choices for the evening, I can picture him taking advantage of the Raw Bar, or some of the other appetizers that they have listed. I can also picture both of them enjoying one or more of the steaks off the menu.

The Seven Deadly Zins 2012

What he did share with me was the wines that they were having for dinner that night. One of the wines that they he mentioned were from the Michael David Winery of Lodi, and I have always smiled when I see the name of the wine; The Seven Deadly Zins 2012. Of course this is made from Zinfandel, one of the most popular varietals of California and some refer to it as America’s grape. The Zinfandel has been proven to be the same grape that is known as Primitivo in Italy, and the funny thing is that some of the Italian wineries now call their grape Zinfandel, while some of the California wineries are now calling their wine Primitivo; I guess it is all in the marketing strategy of the firms. In keeping with the theme of the restaurant they also enjoyed a bottle of Costa Di Bussia Barbera D’Alba DOC 2013. This region in the Piedmonte is very popular and it lies along the border of another great wine area of Barolo. To keep the DOC for Barbera D’Alba the wine must be at least eighty-five percent Barbera and the balance can be of Nebbiolo and/or Dolcetto. This is considered more of a masculine wine when compared to the similar sounding region of Barbera D’Asti. All I can say is that they had a grand time without us, and a fine meal to boot. There will be another time for us to get together.

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Brengman Brothers

Posted on August 9, 2015 by thewineraconteur

The last of our winery stops on a whirlwind tour of Leelanau Peninsula in Michigan was a bit abbreviated, because we were trying to get back to the resort for dinner. I have to say that Brengman Brothers requires another trip, as it was the first time that I had been there, and it will not be my last. I can’t tell you honestly if we were in a bit of a hurry, or the people that were helping us do our tasting were just going through the motions, but there was much more to discover there, and I only discovered it after the fact. Brengman Brothers has signage that says “Truth in Dirt” as a way of explaining terroir to the unknowing. They have three different vineyards and four different wine collections.

Brengman Dagudscht 2013

The largest of the vineyards is Timberlee Vineyard at thirty acres. On this property they grow Chardonnay, Sauvignon Blanc, Semillon, Muscat Ottonel, Cabernet Sauvignon and Merlot. Muscat Ottonel is a breed of Muscat that is the palest of that family in color and aroma, but it is more adaptable to the cold; hence it does very well in Eastern Europe and Canada. The next in size is Crain Hill Vineyard and is twenty-two acres in size is where the tasting room is found, and there they grow Chardonnay, Pinot Noir, Riesling, Gewurztraminer, Pinot Gris, Sauvignon Blanc, Viognier, Rotgipfler, and Muscat New York. Rotgipfler is an Austrian grape that is a cross between the Traminer and Rote Veltliner, and is high in acid and is susceptible to frost, but it is spicy and when grown and picked properly has also been used for Late Harvest wines, like Spᾂtlese and Beerenauslese. Muscat New York is a hybrid moderate Cold Hardy grape that is a cross between Muscat Hamburg and Ontario that was developed at Cornel. The smallest of the their lands is Cedar Lake Vineyards at four and one half acres where they grow Cabernet Sauvignon, Cabernet Franc, Merlot and Petit Verdot.

Brengman Riesling Beerenauslese 2013

They have four different labels, each with a different goal. The pentagon label Brengman Brothers Label is where their best clusters of grapes are used and are there Estate wines. In this series that offer a Block 65 Blend 2013 of Sauvignon Blanc, Viognier and Pinot Gris. Dagῢdscht 2013 which they pronounce as Da Good Shit is a blend of 14 grapes and since they have fifteen grapes that they grow, it is a proprietary blend. They had three different vintages of their Gewurztraminer, and three different Riesling wines, a dry, a medium and a Beerenauslese. The Runaway Hen Label is named for the guinea hens that patrol the vineyards and are considered good and reliable. In this collection there was a Pinot Gris 2013, a 2013 White Wine that is a blend of Chardonnay, Sauvignon Blanc and Verduzzo, and a 2012 Red Wine that is a blend of Refosco, Cabernet Sauvignon and Merlot. The Nathaniel Rose Private Label features artistic labels and are small batch artisan wines using older winemaking techniques. Here they offered a 2013 Chardonnay “unoaked” and an oak version, and a 2013 Pinot Noir. They also carry the Valpanera Label made with Refosco grapes from their sister winery located in Friuli- Venezie Giulia wine region in Italy. The Refosco grape is a very ancient and dark grape that goes back to the times of the Romans and for years was harvested as a table wine, but it is starting to make some inroads in the wine world again. In this collection they had a 2008 Riserva Refosco , a 2008 Alma DOC a blend of Refosco, Cabernet Sauvignon and Merlot, a 2010 Superiore and a 2012 Refosco Classico. So as you can see from all the different wines that they offered I could not really do this winery justice, though we did some tastings and more importantly, we did not leave empty handed, and I look forward to the next I can spend more time there.

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Willow Vineyards

Posted on August 7, 2015 by thewineraconteur

While we were still in Suttons Bay in the Leelanau Peninsula of Michigan we stopped at another winery on our mad dash through the area. We made a stop at Willow Vineyard and Winery. This winery was established in 1992 by John and Jo Crampton and it is a hilly area with an awesome view. The wine maker is Chris Guest who has over thirty years experience and was the founder of another winery Seven Lakes Vineyard in Fenton, Michigan, which I have to admit, I was not aware of, and rather close to where I live. The winery tasting room and guest facilities are very quaint and blend into the beauty of the area.

Willow Pinot Noir Rose 2013

The view of the west side of Traverse Bay is lovely on the grounds and it is easy to understand why this winery gets so many visitors. Also because of the vista, Willow Vineyard has become an ideal location for local and destination weddings on the grounds. This has become a popular side business for several of the wineries in this part of Michigan. I can see how a Bride could fall in love with the setting.

Willow Chardonnay 2013

The wine tasting was short and sweet, as they have only four different grape varietals and offer two different wine flights. The first wine flight was of sweeter wines. The Pinot Gris 2013 was a bit different from what I usually expect from this grape, but it was agreeable. The Roadtrip Riesling 2014 which is an apt name, considering the drive from the Detroit area to get there and it was a good Michigan Riesling wine. The last of the sweet wines was Sweet Rain 2013, which was a Chardonnay, and this wine was also offered in splits. The three dry wines in a different flight were more of what we look for in a wine, since we are not overly fond of sweeter wines. The Chardonnay 2013 showed that it had been aged in French Oak, but still crisp, instead of real buttery or oakey. Pretty in Pink 2013 is a Pinot Noir Rosé with nice color and a bit of pepper and spice and was a nice wine for the summer day that we were there. The last wine that we had there was the Pinot Noir 2013 and to be truthful, maybe it was the day, but I preferred the Pinot Noir Rosé to the more classic interpretation of the Pinot Noir, which can be a finicky grape. With six wines being offered, it was a short, but fun tasting.

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A Fifth Reunion

Posted on August 5, 2015 by thewineraconteur

Woodrow Wilson Junior High School was an amazing school and holds a fond memory for the majority of the students that attended there, and I am sure, even for the faculty. We just had our fifth non-year reunion as a way to get the alumni all together to relive past memories and a way to reacquaint new friendships. The first reunion was kind of a casual get-together at a local watering hole, but it led the way to bigger and better events each year. I had the privilege of chairing the second event, and now there is a good group that makes sure that the party keeps going and one has to give accolades to the committees that work tirelessly to accomplish the goals. In the last couple of years, there has been a movement to also include others from the neighborhood that did not attend Wilson, but that attended some of the parochial schools. With an attendance of around three hundred people, the party was a huge success. The biggest drawback is that it is hard to see everyone in one evening, spend any real time catching up, and then there are some people that you just missed seeing. One of our alumnae even takes it upon herself to take group pictures by the year of graduation, and the oldest graduate was from the class of 1952. Another poignant moment, that started from the second reunion, but it was done at the end of the event, and has now been moved to a time after the dinner time, is the releasing of all the balloons that are used as table decorations earlier in the day. People write the names of relatives and friends that have passed away, and the balloons are all released at one moment, and it is quite stirring and emotional.

Banfi Centine Toscana 2012

I did mention that there was a dinner and when you think of how affordable the ticket is, there is lot of value in attending. For twenty-five dollars, not only is there a hall for us to congregate in, this year there was a disc-jockey playing the music or our era and there is a buffet dinner and beer and soft drinks for everyone to enjoy, and later on in the evening, there is a huge delivery of pizzas as well, as this was a staple party food from our day. The dinner was set up on a couple of long tables in a buffet manner starting with salads and progressing through the meal, including three different dinner entrée choices. I have to say, that I always eat prior to most parties, including weddings, because I have a problem with most institutional caterers and their use of MSG, so rather than take a chance, I avoid eating, but I did enjoy watching the majority enjoying their dinner.

Santa Margherita Pinot Grigio 2013

There was plenty of beer being consumed as that was the beverage of choice for students back in the day, and still is today. I also had a chance to try a couple of Italian wines while I was there. The first wine that I tried was Banfi Centine Toscana IGT 2012. This is a wine that is grouped together and referred to a “Super Tuscany Red.” Ever since Sassicaia in 1984 was granted an IGT instead of a Table Wine designation, other wineries have taken advantage of it. The major varietal for a Toscana IGT is still Sangiovese, the grape of Tuscany, but then most also add Cabernet Sauvignon and Merlot for a more Continental taste. This blend has been copied by other wineries around the globe as well, due to the success of this designation. The other wine that I will discuss is Santa Margherita Pinot Grigio Valdadige DOC 2013. I know that a lot of people consider this to be one of the finest makers of Pinot Grigio in Italy, and they offer two varieties, one being the Valdadige DOC and the other being Delle Venezie IGT. Valdadige is the northern part of the Trentino province and the DOC designation is actually for three different varietals; Enantio, Casetta and Pinot Grigio. There were others that believed in BYOB for the party as well, and as they say “a good time was had by all.”

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Shady Lane Cellars

Posted on August 3, 2015 by thewineraconteur

The next stop on our whirl-wind tour of wineries in the Leelanau Peninsula was to Shady Lane Cellars. The winery was founded by Dr. Joseph O’Donnell, a neurosurgeon from Grand Rapids in 1987. It recently changed hands to Richard Fortune from Indianapolis, Indiana; whose family has been visiting the area for the last fifty years or so. This is another winery that I have found out has been mentored by Lawrence Mawby of L. Mawby Vineyards and from my further studies appears to be the un-official “Godfather” to the other wineries in the area. I can appreciate his concept, because for years in retailing the concept of a strong neighbor (competitor) makes the entire area better.

Shady Lane Cellars Franc n Franc 2012

I also was surprised to discover later on that the winemaker for Shady Lane Cellars is Adam Satchwell, who I would have liked to have seen, though I am not sure that either one of us, would recognize each other, after all of these years. Adam used to be the General Manager of a great wine shop that used to be directly across the street from the store that I worked at for around thirty-five years in Dearborn, Michigan. He left the wine shop to go and work for Shady Lane Cellars, which was probably a dream job and a more idyllic lifestyle, especially for having the chance to live in that area. The winery also has a very unique outdoor wine tasting area, and the people that were there were full of fun and passion. It was a great way to try the wines on a beautiful day.

Shady Lane Cellars Cabernet Franc & Merlot Rose 2014

The winery has a good mix of wines starting with the whites. The first wine was a Semi-Dry Riesling 2013, and a Coop de Blanc 2013 and the rest of the white wines were considered dry whites. The Coop de Blanc wine was made from the Vignoles grape, a hybrid that works very well in colder climates like The Finger Lakes and Michigan. There was a Dry Riesling 2013, a Muscat 2013, a Gewurztraminer 2013 and a Gruner Veltliner 2013. There were three Rose wines as well; a Cabernet Franc/Merlot Rose 2014, and Pinot Noir Rose 2014 and a Coop de Rose 2014. They also had some red wines and as you can see most of the wines were simply labeled and straight forward, without any fancy names. In the red wines there was a Pinot Noir 2012, a Merlot 2012 and a Coop de Rouge 2010 which was made from the Regent, Cabernet Franc and a small percentage of unlisted varietals. The Regent grape is another hybrid that is considered one of the best at being anti-fungal and ideal for colder climates. Then there were two red wines that had more “fun” names and that is probably because the one varietal would not be readily recognizable by most of the public and may not even get much acceptance or tastings. The last two wines use the Blaufrankisch varietal that is used quite a bit in Austria and some of the Easter European countries as well and is known by several different names, and most of them allude to the blue color of the grape, and has been tagged as “the Pinot Noir of Eastern Europe.” The two wines that use this varietal was Blue Franc 2013 and Franc ‘n’ Franc 2012, which is a blend of Blaufrankisch and Cabernet Franc. They also offered a Hard Cider called Coop de Pomme. We also had more wine to load into the trunk and this was a fun way to do a tasting, especially in great weather.

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Big Little Wines

Posted on August 1, 2015 by thewineraconteur

We had just walked out of L. Mawby Vineyards loaded up the car with our purchases, and proceeded to try the wines at Big Little Wines. Their tasting room was right off the same parking lot. Big Little Wines are a small batch winery, that started off with two acres of land that were planted with Pinot Noir and Pinot Gris by the parents of the two sons Peter (Big) and Michael (Little) Laing. The family was complete novices to winemaking, but they discovered a great mentor in Lawrence Mawby. Michael has now worked for Mawby for about five years and has elevated himself to the position of Assistant Winemaker there, while his brother Peter is the Operations Manager at Mawby, and both brothers still have time to follow their dream of making their own personal wine, and through the mentoring of Lawrence Mawby, also use his equipment for making their wine as well. There first wine was produced in 2011.

Big Little C3Pinot NV

The tasting room was not large, but it suited their needs at this time. Their stated goal one finds out from visiting the tasting room is to produce unique wines and ciders in styles that are not so ordinary. All the grapes are grown on the Laing family farm in Lake Leelanau, Michigan. The vineyards are dry farmed, hand pruned and hand harvested.

Big Little Mixtape 2013

The wines that were offered that day were varied and some of them were whimsical in their naming and their approach. The 2013 Crayfish is Pinot Gris that starts in Stainless Steel and moved to Oak for fermenting; there was a hundred and seventy-five cases produced. The 2013 Treehouse is a white wine produced from Pinot Noir grapes, starting in Stainless Steel and then to Oak for fermenting, with a hundred cases made of this wine. The 2014 Dune Climb is made from Sauvignon Blanc that also starts in Stainless Steel and aged for five months in Oak for a dry, crisp finish and they produced one hundred and fifty cases of this wine. The 2013 Mixtape was a blend of Riesling, Pinot Gris and Pinot Noir, to produce an off dry wine, and this wine produced a hundred and fifty cases as well. Tire Swing is a sparkling wine that is a multi vintage blend of Riesling, Gewurztraminer, Pinot Gris and Pinot Noir and is a brut finish, of which they produced two hundred cases. My final wine that they made and my favorite name is C-3Pinot, another sparkling wine of Pinot Gris, Pinot Noir and Pinot Blanc that starts off fermenting in Stainless Steel, and then the second fermentation is done in bottles for eighteen months of additional aging; a very light and crisp brut wine with a production of one hundred cases. They also produce a cider, but I have to admit that I passed on it, as I am not a cider fan. The cider is called Recess and is a blend of Ida Red, Liberty, Golden Delicious and Golden Russet apples. The cider begins cold fermentation in stainless steel, with a second fermentation in a pressure tank, with an apple spirit dosage added, and they produced one hundred and seventy cases of the cider. So in total, this small but proud winery has produced from their own acreage eight hundred and seventy-five cases of wine, plus the cider; not bad for newcomers that have a lot of passion and a willingness to start a new dream.

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L. Mawby Vineyards

Posted on July 30, 2015 by thewineraconteur

While up north at Crystal Mountain for a board meeting, the afternoon session is abbreviated so that many of the members can go golfing. I could hear the Siren call of the vineyards calling, so along with my Bride, came The Caller and his charming wife and we set out for some wineries and some tastings. In my book, it trumps golf every time, and we set off to the farthest winery from us and then we planned on working our way back to the resort.

M Lawrence Sex Brut Rose NV

L. Mawby Vineyards is a serious winemaker, and one of the wineries that my Bride would never forgive me, if we didn’t go there on the trip to Suttons Bay, even though they now have the Ann Arbor Vin Bar. This winery only makes sparkling wine, and notice that I did not say Champagne or even American Champagne, since there is almost a universal trade agreement that only allows Champagne from the Champagne district in France to be called it, though there are a few wineries that are “grandfathered” in that can still label their wine as “American Champagne.” Even though the winemaker is very serious, the winery is a fun place, and as we went to one of the tasting areas, our host for moment grabbed a hammer and hit a gong to announce that a tasting was going. They produce quite a bit of bubbly and the winery has two labels to differentiate the winemaking process that they use.

The M. Lawrence line is division is made using the bulk process, also referred to a “cuve close” or the “Charmat Process.” I will mention this group of wines from Brut to Demi-Sec, or the level of sweetness. The US label is a Brut wine made from Pinot Noir and Chardonnay grapes. Sex and if that is not a catchy name, I don’t know what is, but it was approved and I think that it is a pure marketing genius on their part, this is a Dry Rose wine made with Pinot Noir, Chardonnay and Muscat varietals. Green is a Dry wine made from the Cayuga and Riesling grapes. Sandpiper is a Semi-Dry wine that is a proprietary blend and that is all I was told. Freestyle is the label they use for trying different blends and this was the second series for this wine which is listed as Sec in the taste scale. Redd is a more fruit forward blend of Regent and Marechal Foch grapes, which are both Cold-Hardy varietals. Fizz is a Sweet wine made from Pinot Noir and Chardonnay grapes. And the last of the M. Lawrence line is Detroit, which they refer to as a “Floral Hip-Hop Diva” and is a Sweet wine made from Riesling, Muscat and Traminette grapes.

M Lawrence Sandpiper Extra Sec NV

The L. Mawby line is the “Traditional” line of Sparkling Wine, which used to be referred to as “Methode Champenoise,” but that is now a protected phrase, so the new term is Methode Traditionelle. I shall list these wines also from Brut to Demi-Sec. Talisman is a special wine made from Vignoles, Pinot Noir, Pinot Gris and Chardonnay, aged in a “Solera System” of oak barrels of blended vintages. Cremant Classic is a Brut wine from their “Cremant Vineyard” as is entirely of the Vignoles varietal. Blanc de Blancs is a Brut wine made from the Chardonnay grape. Blanc de Noirs is a Bruit wine made from Pinot Noir. Tradition is a Brut wine made from Pinot Noir and Chardonnay blended from multi-vintages. Sandpainting is a Brut wine made from Pinot Noir, Chardonnay and Vignoles varietals. 2005 Mille is a Brut wine made from Chardonnay and aged for seven years, before degorgement and bottling (I did not try this wine). Conservancy is an Extra-Sec wine, which is a proprietary blend that contributes two dollars for every bottle sold to the Farmland Preservation Fund of the Leelanau Conservancy. Consort is a Blanc de Blanc Sec wine made from the Chardonnay grape. Jadore is a Demi-Sec wine that they call an “Adorable Sweety” made from Vignoles, Pinot Noir, Pinot Gris and Chardonnay.

L Mawby Domaine Leelanau Leland Brut Rose NV

There was also another wine that was a special product of limited production that they offered to us and it was Domaine Leelanau “Leland” a Brut Rose made from Chardonnay, Pinot Noir and Vignoles varietals. This wine is made from fruit of the vintage of 2012, and a dosage of 2014 red wine to produce the color of the wine. When they periodically make one of these wines, they name for another of the towns in the Leelanau Peninsula. Since we have had most of the wines before, and have some of them in stock in the cellar, we ended up buying a case of the “Leland.” The Caller and his wife took four bottles, and my Bride was thrilled with the other eight. Of to our next adventure.

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Crystal Mountain

Posted on July 28, 2015 by thewineraconteur

Getting to tag along for board meetings is a nice getaway, as I get to enjoy a resort with none of the work. Crystal Mountain is one of several year-round resorts located up in the northern part of the lower peninsula of Michigan. The resort is located in Thompsonville and if you did blink, you would have missed the center of the town. Depending on the time of year there is golf or there is skiing, and besides offering some great accommodations, they will also sell you a condo, if you are so inclined. They are also family oriented with plenty to do for the children as well as for the adults. There was a spa to get the old body back in shape, and bicycles and hiking trails as well. We had a little condo unit for our stay, and you can tell that it is geared for the skiers, as there was a large jetted hot tub, as well as a shower, as part of the facilities, not to mention a kitchenette for a bite after the slopes, and you don’t even have to bring plates, as it is a little cabin for your stay. Did I also mention that there were wine glasses and a refrigerator, coffee maker and a toaster. Some great creature comforts, but it is a four hour drive, and since I am neither a skier nor a golfer, I was not interested in the real estate side of the resort, but I am sure that it is very appealing to others that enjoy both of those sports.

McManis Family Chardonnay 2013

There was an excellent restaurant on the grounds called the Thistle Pub & Grille, which I took advantage of for a quick burger and a glass of wine. In fact when I got there around ten o’clock one evening they were still packed with guests and more were coming in. The rest of the time that we were there, I was able to appreciate the quality of their catering department for the meeting that my Bride was attending. The first morning breakfast was Eggs Benedict with potatoes, bacon, and sausages, plus a large spread of fresh fruit. Lunches were a simpler affair of salads, and make your own sandwiches. The dinner that evening was a very nice meal, though we arrived to late to enjoy the appetizers that were arrayed during the cocktail hour, and the reason that we missed that part of the evening was because we had the afternoon off, while some of the members golfed, we went to six different wineries for some wine tasting and shopping. Our dinner that evening was a twist on “Surf and Turf” as it was a Queen Size filet and a parmesan encrusted White Fish along with vegetables and the proper starch for a filling meal.

Menage a Trois Cabernet Sauvignon 2012

During our dinner we enjoyed a couple of wines. There was Ménage a Trois Cabernet Sauvignon 2012, which is a very popular wine that is found in most venues. The “Trois” for this wine is that the fruit is harvested from three different counties in the North Coast AVA, namely Sonoma, Lake and Napa and aged in French and American Oak. The other wine that we had was McManis Family Vineyards River Junction Chardonnay 2013. McManis Family Vineyards is from the Central Valley of California, which is the major agricultural center of the state for both grapes and for food. There is no Central Valley AVA, but there are nineteen small AVA designations for the area, and the biggest crops for grapes are Chenin Blanc, Colombard, Barbera and Chardonnay. McManis Family Vineyards is in the River Junction AVA, which may be the smallest AVA designation both for California and the United States of America, as the AVA is the entire McManis Family Vineyards, which they petitioned for and were finally approved in 2001. It is amazing what one learns doing some research on the wines after drinking them.

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The Fusion in Frankfort, Michigan

Posted on July 26, 2015 by thewineraconteur

I got another chance to tag along with my Bride as we were going to another board meeting and this time it was going to be out near the wine country of Michigan and I was excited. We got there the night before the board meeting was to begin, and my Bride and some of the other people decided to have dinner away from the resort that evening, as they were hoping that the evening away would curtail “shop talk.” I just go with the flow and try to make the most of the occasion. I was also looking forward to seeing our old friend “The Caller” as he was attending the meeting as well.

Louis Bernard Cotes du Rhone 2012

The restaurant was The Fusion and it was located in Frankfort, and it was a very busy place. In the past I have been to many a restaurant that uses the term “fusion” and to me, it means that it is Continental dining with an Asian Rim accent; well I was surprised, as it was more an Asian Rim restaurant. I was like a duck out of the water, I mean, I could not make sense out of the menu and most of the dishes were out of my realm of understanding. The restaurant was getting more packed as we were there, and most of the others that we were having dinner with, have been there before, and were excited to revisit a dish that they enjoyed in times past. The service was exceptional, I just had no idea what I was going to eat and our waiter informed me about my allergy to MSG and told me that there was only one dish I could not order and I appreciated it very much. Everyone was ordering appetizers, so I saw something called Crab Rangoon, which sounded rather safe, it turns out it was some sort of crispy dough with cream cheese, but I could not detect any crab, so I passed the rest of the plate around for others to enjoy. They did have a half duck dinner with a choice of sauces and I opted to have it done with a garlic sauce, and it came with rice and vegetables, so I figured I was safe. It also came with a soup, and when I looked at the soup choices, there was not anything that sounded like a soup that I knew, but our waiter insisted that I should order something and maybe someone else at the table would enjoy a second soup, so that was fine with me. When the main courses came, everyone was thrilled and enjoying their  meal. My duck dish was appetizing in appearance, though I am not quite sure what some of the vegetables were, but it was fine, but I did skip the rice, as it was not fluffy rice, like I am used to. I can not even try to explain what everyone else was having, but I was in a majority of one for the evening. My Bride was having a wonderful time; she even requested a set of chopsticks to use, as she claimed that she doesn’t often get a chance to use those utensils when she is out with me. We had fortune cookies after the meal, and it was suggested that everyone read the fortune, but add “in bed” as the last two words and there was a lot of laughing at the readings. The Caller chided me a bit after dinner, and said that I should have sat next to him, and he would have found some dishes that I would have enjoyed, in all honesty the duck was delicious, but I was still hungry and when we got back to the resort, I had to stop at the tavern and I ordered a quick burger, because I was still hungry, but I survived.

MI The Fusion BC

There were a lot of cocktails being ordered especially before dinner, and my Bride was enjoying a Cucumber Martini, and all I could think of, was that she was trying to find an alternative to her Pimm’s Cup. We had a nice bottle of wine with dinner that I guess went with most of the dinners. We had a bottle of Louis Bernard Cotes du Rhone 2012. Louis Bernard is a relatively newcomer to the Rhone as he started in 1976 and is currently striving to be an organic vintner. The wine was a classic Rhone wine and I would venture to say that it is a classic mix of Grenache, Syrah and usually Mourvedre; though it can also have some of the following varietals for the Century Club crowd of Carignan, Cinsaut, Clairette, Counoise, Muscardin, Terroir Noir and/or Vacarese. A fine time was had by everyone and the restaurant was still packed and more people coming in, as we were leaving, so I guess it was just me and my parochial views on food and my Bride was happy.

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