July 24 2007
In between Eric Asimov’s post on Lambrusco last Wednesday at The Pour and Derrick Schneider’s article in the San Francisco Chronicle on Friday regarding fruit wines, I have to say that I’m nearing a state of nirvana. Then, if you combine those thought-leadership pieces from either coast with all of the press the Michigan wine industry has been getting, I’d have to say that I might soon be able to come out of the closet--the “I can appreciate a semi-sweet fruit wine” closet, that is.
Plus, maybe, if we’re lucky, maybe the Rose Revolution will have the bloom come off the rose, too. The Pour has a good post on that, as well. I think Asimov is a kindred spirit …
I’ve written in the past about my appreciation for a well-made cherry wine, even blackberry, too if it’s not too much on the syrupy Manischewitz side. Simply, I can get down with fruit wine, but I’ve always felt like it was one of those hayseed Midwest things best left unsaid in polite wine company.
Heck, I also, unabashedly, like Lambrusco and Moscato d’Asti, too. I’m not too proud to say it. The Italians know what they are doing. I even like to drink wine “paisano-style” in a simple tumbler. Horrors!
Most, if not all Midwestern wineries have at least one fruit wine and many of the colder climate vitis labrusca varietals grown east of the Mississippi can be made at least semi-sweet. I’ve never been able to figure out why people look down their nose at a cordial wine, but think a port is just dandy, after dinner. And, that’s the way a fruit wine needs to be viewed—as a cordial, a social ice breaker before more serious wines are drunk, or not. Maybe it’s just enjoyed on its own for simple pleasure.
It’s always been something of a bittersweet notion because while you celebrate the local winery, the other part of me knows that it’s hard for these guys to be taken seriously with a cordial-style wine. There always seems to be a difference between art and commerce and the fruit wines are commerce while the fine wines are art, at least that’s my impression for most small wineries not in California, Washington or Oregon. But, I think Michigan has a chance to change all of that for wine lovers nationwide because many producers make excellent Riesling and Pinot Noir and by god they usually have a cherry wine, too.
I’m not sure if the Michigan Winery Association p.r. person deserves a bonus or if it is a tremendous set of circumstances, but man, they have been getting some press lately.
The New York Times featured an article on Michigan wine country a couple of weeks ago, the article saying:
The shores of Grand Traverse Bay are a country of sandy bayfront beaches, wide water vistas dotted with white sails, historic stop-offs and a variety of inns and restaurants. The long Leelanau Peninsula juts north into Lake Michigan, forming the bay’s western edge, and the smaller, skinny Old Mission Peninsula projects northward from Traverse City, slicing the interior of the bay in two. It all adds up to more than a hundred miles of waterfront.
To ease into your exploration, sidestep Traverse City at first and head due north on Old Mission, a 22-mile strip that’s narrow enough in stretches to let you drive up its spine while taking in bay views in both directions. It’s home to six wineries, soon to be seven, including the Chateau Grand Traverse and Chateau Chantal, both of which have guest houses with rooms overlooking the vineyards. All offer daily tastings of their rieslings and pinot noirs …
“The sweeter the better,” admitted both Dave and Debbie Bridgewater, loading up on bottles of their favorites at Chateau Grand Traverse. They were soaking in the calm of the peninsula on a roundabout route from their home near Detroit to their weekend cabin in nearby Lake City. “We come quite a bit — for the wine,” said Ms. Bridgewater, 48, a hairdresser.
In addition:
Forbes featured an article on the expansion of the Michigan wine industry …
Appellation America does a fine job of covering Michigan wine news ...
Michwine.com, an independent web site covering Michigan wines, just launched …
Here’s hoping that a cordial wine revolution, featuring fruit wines, starts to take hold, pulling Midwestern and East coast wineries up by the boot straps, creating legitimacy for wines that can simply be enjoyed for what they are, and, oh, maybe sneaking in a nice Pinot while they’re at it.
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