Tasting Room Update
Posted July 27, 2008 by Steve
The Michigan Liquor Control Commission defines a tasting room as any approved area where wine may be sampled without cost before purchasing. The sampled wine is not taxed and the winery can act as a distributor as well as a retail outlet. Fine, our tasting room is a 120 year old barn that was disassembled in Wyoming, Michigan, transported to the vineyard and is now in the process of being raised as a rustic, nostalgic remembrance of the past. The completion date will be sometime this fall.
Ah, but in the meantime our production facility at 8580 E. Horn Rd. has doubled as tasting room de facto since July 4, our first official tasting day. We are open for tasting Friday 12:00 to 5:00, Saturday 12:00 to 6:00, and Sunday 12:00 to 5:00; for a map, see the sidebar on the home page. Official, the critical word, required Ag Dept. inspection and Michigan Liquor Control Commission approval, both acquired through the diligence of our tasting room manager, Cindy Curley, and her able bodied assistant intern, Katie Grossnickle. They are to be commended for daily updates, necessary paper work, and hundreds of phone calls wading through the myriad onerous regulations. Again, it is better to be lucky than good, finding Cindy has moved us forward as a working winery. Her vast tasting room experience will navigate Lori, Katie, and myself into the world of retail reality. The four of us have worked the tasting room with help from Deb Peplinksi, Steve Curley, and John and Carol Clay. What a team to help sample our newest wines:
Peach Crémant — Our 45 White table wine with peach essence from local orchards, sparkled to help drive the bouquet into one’s nostrils. Fabulous on a hot day as it’s both refreshing and tingling.
Cherry Dessert — Dry-fermented Balaton cherry wine, aged in freshly emptied bourbon barrels from the Buffalo Trace Distillery and fortified with cherry brandy. It’s a brandied cherry with a turbo boost that was nicknamed “Cherry Bomb” by my son, Brian, although I thought it best described as “Forty-Fied Forty-Five” or cherry essence raised to the 45th power.
Sparkling Pinot Noir Rosé — Our ‘Best of Class’ Rosé at the Pacific Rim Competition, sparkled to intensify the bouquet and bone-dry the long taste.
Icebox Pinot Gris — Our answer to ice wine, made from late harvest pinot gris grapes bursting with juice, starting 46° brix fermented to 23° brix and residual sugar of 20% that is tamed by it’s very high acidity. Truly the whip cream for dessert.
Cherry Wine — Of classic up-north style, the sweetest of Balaton cherries fermented leaving a residual sugar of 4% with both still and sparkling products. Simply opening it will conjure up remembrances of northern Michigan.
Apple Wine — Made with organic apples from the orchard of Northern Naturals, organic makes this truly a health drink.
Sparkling Hard Apple Cider — Made from organic antique heirloom apples and, editorially speaking, a favorite of the author. At 6% alcohol even the heartiest beer drinker can savor this.
Peach-Apricot Mead — Northern Michigan honey, peaches, and apricots fermented together to blend another memory building taste experience.
Thanks for bearing with me.
Steve a.k.a. Sevé
David Fisher
July 28, 2008 at 6:49 pm
Hi Steve;
Drove past your Michigan place last summer and just knew it was yours. Hope the vineyard is coming along. Eric says it is going well. Look forward to tasting some of your fruit off the vine. Sounds like production is picking up. Let me know how to get it in Indy.
DAF
Gayle Egeler
July 30, 2008 at 10:29 am
The Leelanau Conservancy is very excited to have 45 North be such a big part of our Annual Picnic and Auction this year. The tour of your vineyard and winery has been the most popular field trip we are offering. See you on August 7th! Thank you!
John Roddy
July 31, 2008 at 4:53 am
Congratulations on opening the “tasting room” — looking forward to seeing the barn in its raised state and enjoying your wares (nice labeling too, btw)
Leanne Young
July 31, 2008 at 11:59 am
Yea! I’m so glad you are officially open for business. I’ve been waiting since the May wine trail to get up there and make my purchases. See you soon!
Leanne Young
Brian Tennis
September 4, 2008 at 6:03 pm
My wife Amy and I cannot wait to try out the cider and we are SO glad you went with organic apples. Save me some mead as well. :—)
Dawn Emeott
September 22, 2008 at 7:53 am
This past Saturday we stopped by to taste some of your wines during the Harvest Stompede. I LOVE the Peach Crémant! I bought a bottle (should’ve gotten 2) to save to share with a friend later this fall. My bottle is gone… I have to come up & get some more. Fortunately for me I am local.
Jon Koeze
October 5, 2008 at 3:23 pm
My Family once owned a barn in Wyoming MI that was recently torn down to make way for a big mall near 44th St. and Wilson Ave. I read that your tasting room barn had a similar pedigree, and since there are not alot of barns in Wyoming anymore, I was wondering if you barn and the old barn I grew up with could be one in the same.
Roxane Pavlawk
October 29, 2008 at 3:44 pm
I am looking to purchase the 45 White Table Wine. I am from the Saginaw Michigan area and can not find it any where. That is some really good wine!
Jeanette
November 6, 2008 at 6:45 am
I also love the 45 table wine (white) and would like to know if I can purchase it downstate. If not, can you ship a case? It is a fabulous find–not too dry, just a touch sweet and very light!
Joy DeGennaro
November 9, 2008 at 7:49 am
Is it possible to buy directly from you
Trevena Desrochers
November 9, 2008 at 10:01 am
I only bought 1 bottle of wine but wished I bought more is there a way to have some sent to me? I love the 45 white please e-mail me to let me know how to order. thank you Trevena
Deb Kern
November 12, 2008 at 2:42 pm
Steve,
Do you distribute your wine anywhere other than at the winery? I’m in the Saginaw, MI area and would like to be able to buy more in the future, but I can’t always get up to the Penninsula. I really like the Peach Cremant. Or, can I order online? Please feel free to contact me at dbrkern@yahoo.com
Thank You,
Deb Kern
Stephanie McFarland
November 23, 2008 at 7:07 pm
Hi, I just was at the Taste of the Holidays event last weekend and bought a bottle of your Sparkling Pinot Noir Rose. I would love to get some more, is there anywhere closer to the Saginaw area that carries it? Or could I get some shipped? Thanks!
Mary
November 25, 2008 at 1:00 pm
My husband and I took a week last August to circle lake Michigan on our own wine tasting tour. We bought 35 bottles of wine from various wineries in Wisconsin and Michigan. Two weeks later we did the loop in southern Michigan, as well. Michigan is definitely an up and comer in the wine industry. We grow some fantastic grapes! Our wineries are a reason to be proud of our state. One of my very favorites is your Peach Cremant. If you decide to make available online, count me in. Otherwise, I will make the trip from Grand Rapids in the spring, and I will buy more than just one bottle this time! Thanks for a wonderful product.
Laurie Potter
December 7, 2008 at 10:33 am
After a wine tasting weekend in Leelanau I’ve concluded that your Peach Cremant is my favorite. I didn’t purchase enough to see through until my next trip up North. How can I purchase more? Live in Grand Rapids area.
Laurie
Kristy
December 11, 2008 at 11:22 am
Hi
Could you tell me if you are open January 2 and if you offer free wine tasting
thanks
Diane Allen
December 29, 2008 at 1:18 pm
I was at your winery in August and bought 2 bottles of red and 2 bottles of Pinot Gris. The people I gave the Red to said it was some of the best they ever had. I buy cases of Pinot Gris from another winerery in Lelenau however yours was superior. Can I get some shipped? Diane
Jan
December 29, 2008 at 7:14 pm
What are your hours in Jan. and Feb. 2009?
Thanks