GreatFoodandTravel.com Offers Tips on Culinary Travel on Old Mission Peninsula in Northern Michigan Including French-style B&B's, Wineries and Restaurants
GreatFoodandTravel.com details Culinary Travel in Northern Michigan's Old Mission Peninsula with "Southern France" charm and elegance including wineries, restaurants and fresh produce. Northern Michigan Restaurants use these locally grown ingredients to prepare their foods. GreatFoodandTravel.com, a culinary travel website shows videos of the area capturing "Food Network" authenticity including interviews with winemakers.
Grand Rapids, MI (Vocus/PRWEB ) June 26, 2009 -- GreatFoodandTravel.com details Culinary Travel in Northern Michigan's Old Mission Peninsula with "Southern France" charm and elegance including wineries, restaurants and fresh produce. Northern Michigan Restaurants use these locally grown ingredients to prepare their foods. GreatFoodandTravel.com, a culinary travel website shows videos of the area capturing "Food Network" authenticity including interviews with winemakers.
Along Michigan’s northwest coast are many fine wineries that produce some of the best wines in the country. The fact that they are located in a breathtakingly beautiful area with rolling hills and views of water is a bonus. A lot of people like to drink wine. But when visitors go to the source they can try some of the rarer bottles that never make it to the store shelves.
Brys Estate Vineyard and Winery on Old Mission Peninsula in Michigan
One of those “walk in the clouds” places for culinary travel is on the Old Mission Peninsula in Northern Michigan an arm of land next to a body of water known as the Grand Traverse Bay. Old Mission Peninsula sharply juts out from the busy summer traffic along East Front Street in Traverse City, Michigan, a popular northern Michigan resort city. Once you head north on Center Road on Old Mission, the scenery changes. Hotels along the busy stretch turn into rural country with rolling hills, cherry orchards, vineyards, and small wineries. There are also restaurants and quaint b&b’s amidst old barns and farmers stands selling fresh produce.
One of the best ways to experience culinary travel on Old Mission is a two-day bed and breakfast stay on the Peninsula. One choice is the Grey Hare Inn just off of Center Road on a country lane adjacent to Peninsula Cellars winery. Located on 27 acres away from any other neighbor, Grey Hare Inn is a charming country vineyard estate surrounded by wineries and orchards. The beautiful setting is enhanced by the sounds of birds and the wind rustling through the trees. There are paths through the woods leading to a hidden gazebo and plenty of outdoor spaces for basking in the sun. The caretakers are relaxed and informal leaving visitors on their own to enjoy the serenity of the Inn and its surroundings. Three rooms are available including Le Jardin overlooking the vineyard, Grange de Bois reminiscent of a French farmhouse, and Clos de Vigne, a suite bedroom with burgundy walls and luxurious canopy bed. It features a Jacuzzi bath and a large sitting room which can accommodate an extra person. The owners are experienced sailors and you can enhance your stay with a sailboat excursion on their 42 foot Catalina in Grand Traverse Bay for an extra $100 per person. The sailing excursion includes a three-hour sail, food and refreshments. Tailored events or longer excursions and overnights onboard can also be arranged. Breakfasts at Grey Hare Inn are perfect for a culinary travel experience. Gourmet delicacies such as chicken and wild rice crepes, marinated pears stuffed with mascarpone cheese, and a choice of juice and homemade blueberry buttermilk muffins are an example of the food served at Grey Hare Inn. Cocktail hour includes a favorite Old Mission Peninsula wine with a light snack.
There are seven wineries on Old Mission making for a daylong culinary travel excursion before you have to return to the Inn for a short nap before dinner. The wineries include:
2 Lads Winery – 2 Lads is located high atop a hill in north Old Mission Peninsula. The winery has 58 acres and is the newest, most contemporary of the seven wineries. One of the “2 Lads” is the winemaker, Cornel Olivier, who was raised among the vineyards of Stellenbosch, South Africa learning how to grow grapes and make wine from his grandfather’s farm. With an education in Viticulture and Wine Science, he worked for two wineries in the Stellenbosch area gaining experience in making prestigious wines prior moving to the Old Mission Peninsula. The “Other Lad” is Chris Baldyga who grew up around the wineries of Old Mission working in area vineyards and tasting rooms. He has a passion for the Old Mission area and winemaking is in his blood. As he explains, “My time and experiences seeing people enjoy hand-crafted bottles of wine directly from the producer’s hands made a lasting impression on me.” Their wines are impressive and the reds and whites are among the best on the Peninsula as a "first stop" culinary travel excursion.
Chateau Chantal – The founding couple of this winery are a former priest and a nun who married in 1974 after leaving their former lives. Their dream was to build a European style winery chateau. Since that time their dream has become a thriving winery, eleven bedroom b&b, and event center on 65 acres, one of the most scenic locations with breathtaking views of the Grand Traverse Bay from the east and west. Their daughter, Marie-Chantal is now becoming more involved in the day to day operations.
Bowers Harbor Vineyards – Bowers Harbor Vineyards is a friendly family run establishment overlooking Bowers Harbor. The resident big dog, Tibetan Mastiff Cooper, holds court daily and works the crowd of visitors for snacks. “We try to produce wines from a single vineyard to grow wines that are special to us and we can continue to evaluate for unique flavor and quality,” says Tasting Room Specialist Tom Petzgold. One of these is the 2008 Pinot Noir Rose which won “Best Rose in Michigan” from the Michigan Wine and Spirits Competition in August 2008.
Chateau Grand Traverse – Another popular culinary travel experience on Old Mission is Chateau Grand Traverse, well known for its award winning Reislings. The first vineyard on the Old Mission Peninsula, Chateau Grand Traverse has four vineyards on 120 acres. They produce 18 wine varieties. There’s an inn on the property with six private rooms with Queen sized beds, walk out balconies, deluxe breakfasts, and a complimentary bottle of wine each day of your stay.
Peninsula Cellars – The Peninsula Cellars tasting room has a unique setting within a converted one-room schoolhouse originally built in 1896. The original windows, floor, slate boards and bell are still used. The tasting room is friendly within this family owned winery and their philosophy is to create small quantities of great locally produced wines from area vineyards, including the vineyards of Grey Hare Inn, which is within a few yards from the winery.
Brys Estate Vineyard & Winery – Brys Estate is one of the newer wineries on the peninsula with a beautiful brick and mahogany tasting room in the lower part of Old Mission’s wine country region. With 80 acres of vineyards, the land was originally used for harvesting cherries and apples; the first plantings of vinifera grape vines was in 2001. Now producing award-winning wines, the Brys family is the third owner of the property since the late 1890’s.
Black Star Farms – A perfect culinary travel experience is Black Star Farms, which also owns a significant horse farm, winery, creamery and b&b in Suttons Bay on Leelanau Peninsula, to the west. They also have a tasting room and state of the art winemaking facility on Old Mission Peninsula. With a round “barrel” tasting bar constructed from nine oak barrels, visitors belly up to the “barrel” bar and taste impressive wines that include maple, apple, and cherry brandies.
An excellent dinner can be found on Old Mission Peninsula at the Boathouse Restaurant, Bowers Harbor Inn, or the Old Mission Tavern. There’s also great restaurant finds in Traverse City, only 10 minutes away, at Phil’s on Front, Amical, Red Ginger a culinary travel experience for those who enjoy Asian cuisine, and Trattoria Stella, a culinary travel experience for those who want Italian food and a stellar wine list.
A tour of the Old Mission Peninsula is a must. If you have time, your can enjoy a drive to the top of the peninsula to see the historic Mission Point Lighthouse built in 1870. You can also stop at the tip of the peninsula at the Old Mission General Store where you will find old fashioned goods, staples for cottage dwellers, great sandwiches, local cheeses, pickles, steaks and more. Ice cream and candy are available for the kids, as well as hundreds of other interesting items including antiques reminiscent of the early 1900’s. The store clerks wear old-fashioned general store aprons and hats, a treat to see on teenagers and young adults in this age of technology.
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