Column: Arbor Vinous

It’s a summer weekend. The household to-do list is out of the way, or else you’ve set it to “vibrate only” for another week.

So what now? That’s easy – it’s time for a winery road trip.

Luckily for us, four wineries have taken up residence within an hour’s drive south and west of Ann Arbor; a fifth opens its tasting room later this summer. You can plot a circle route to visit all of them in a single day, with time left over for lunch in Jackson or Tecumseh, or a picnic under Cherry Creek Winery’s new pergola. Alternatively, target one or two wineries for an easy afternoon jaunt.

The wineries in our area belong to southeast Michigan’s Pioneer Wine Trail. I’ve linked local maps to help you find each of them, but it wouldn’t be a bad idea to print the full trail map before you hit the road.

Unlike the southwest corner of Michigan, or the peninsulas bordering Grand Traverse Bay, the federal government hasn’t designated an American Viticultural Area (AVA) in this part of the state. In practical terms, that means area wineries can only use generic “Michigan” labels on wine from locally grown grapes, instead of the more specific AVA appellations you see elsewhere, such as “Lake Michigan Shore,” “Leelanau Peninsula” or, for that matter, “Napa Valley.”

But that’s primarily of academic interest. These are genuine, from-scratch wineries, not the ersatz “make-your-own-wine” storefronts popping up like toadstools around the state.

If you haven’t sampled Michigan wines recently, you’re in for a surprise. They’ve improved dramatically in the past decade, as state winemakers learn which grape varieties perform well in our climate, and how to coax the best wines from each.

Still, don’t expect the Pioneer Wine Trail to replicate a drive through Napa Valley. Just plan to enjoy your visits at several welcoming wineries, sample a number of well-made local wines and, if you’re so inclined, chat up the pourers to glean some information and grab a few bottles to take home. I’ll mention a few medal-winners and personal favorites as we go.

Winery tasting rooms can turn rowdy on weekends, especially as boozers behaving badly disembark at their fourth or fifth stops of the day. So if you’re a winery noob, or want a quick refresher course, herewith a few tips on tasting room etiquette:

• Tasting rooms are great places to try different styles of wine without the need to buy a bottle. So don’t hesitate to experiment.
• But you can’t taste everything, so tell the pourer your likes and dislikes. If you hate sweet wines, don’t waste time and wine with the Late Harvest Riesling.
• You’re not required to slurp down everything they pour – that’s why tasting rooms provide empty containers (technical term: dump buckets) on or behind the counter. Feel free to request and use one.
• Tasting rooms may be the sole venue you encounter in daily life where it’s considered polite to spit. Take advantage of the opportunity to polish your technique. But avoid the floor; instead, consider the dump bucket as your personal spittoon.
• Also avoid comments about “pig swill” at top voice in front of other visitors and employees pouring you free wine. If the pourer asks your opinion on a wine you detest, brutal candor isn’t mandatory. A quiet “it’s not my style” should suffice. Then dump it out and request a different sample.
• Consider a weekday visit if it fits your schedule. Crowds diminish substantially and pourers have more time to talk shop, if you’re so inclined.
• Tasting rooms aren’t public charities designed for your entertainment, but important income and expense centers for small wineries, like those in our area. Consider making a purchase if you find wines you enjoy.

OK, ready to go? Head west on I-94. First stop in 25 minutes, just off Exit 147.

LONE OAK 

The first thing you’ll probably notice as you drive up to Lone Oak’s winery/tasting room? The vineyard that surrounds the building, planted in 1997, features some of the most butt-ugly grapevines in the state.

But proprietor Kip Barber, former owner of a Detroit-area woodworking business, doesn’t worry about aesthetics. His unique, low-to-the-ground design lets him cover those vines with straw to survive the winter. And that, in turn, lets him grow varietals, like Cabernet Sauvignon, not commonly seen in this part of Michigan.

You’re likely to find Kip’s wife, Dennise, pouring behind the tasting room counter when you arrive. She knows lots more about wine than you do, and will gladly share – so ask!

Two to try: 2005 Vin du Roi (Wine of the King). Just released, a dry Bordeaux-style blend of four estate-grown varietals: 30% each Cabernet Sauvignon, Cabernet Franc and Merlot, plus 10% Petit Verdot; it’s a dark, brooding wine with the ability to age. $25.

Kip ferments his Red Raspberry wine from ripe Michigan berries, not the juice or concentrates some places use. Even if you’re not crazy about sweet fruit wines, you may want to try this gold medal winner; tart undertones nicely balance the sugar content. Perfect accompanist for dark chocolate desserts, albeit somewhat pricey for a fruit wine at $19 the half-bottle.

Lone Oak Vineyard Estates    MAP

8400 Ann Arbor Road, Grass Lake

517.522.8160.

Tasting room open 12-7 p.m. daily.

SANDHILL CRANE

Located just east of Jackson, a couple of miles from I-94, Exit 145, Sandhill Crane is one of my favorite user-friendly Michigan wineries to visit. On busy weekends, it seems like everyone in the buzzing tasting room knows everyone else, and just dropped in to socialize over a glass of wine.

Sister team Heather Price and Holly Balansag run the show, with an extensive supporting cast of family members, pourers and hangers-on. Winemaker Balansag clearly learned little about self-restraint while growing up; Sandhill Crane offers a lineup of wines that far exceeds most wineries twice its size. Whatever your vinous proclivity, they’ve got something – and, more likely, several somethings – for you to taste.

(By the way, don’t be surprised if some of their wines or staff seem familiar; Sandhill Crane also operates a tasting room much closer to Ann Arbor, inside the Dexter Cider Mill, during fall cider season.)

Two to try: Legacy commemorates the Washtenaw Land Conservancy’s recent expansion into Jackson County, and its new moniker as the Legacy Land Conservancy. A dry white blend of half Vignoles from the winery’s vineyard and half Chardonnay from a grower near Lake Michigan, it recently took a gold medal at the Great Lakes Wine Competition. The winery donates $4 from each $20 bottle to the Conservancy.

Another gold medal winner, the 2008 Late Harvest Riesling isn’t cheap at $25 for a half-bottle, but it’s an extremely enjoyable after-dinner sipper – and just the thing to impress out-of-state guests who don’t believe Michigan produces good wines.

Sandhill Crane Vineyards    MAP

4724 Walz Road, Jackson 49201

517.764.0679

Tasting room open 11 a.m. – 6 p.m. Mon.-Sat., 12-6 p.m. Sun.

CHATEAU AERONAUTIQUE

Note: Tasting room will open late summer, so call before you go. Not on the trail map – go west on I-94 to Exit 138, then north on US-127 to Rives Junction. 

First came France’s garagiste (say: garage east) wineries, tiny boutiques that handcraft wine in the owner’s garage. But later this summer, Michigan will present its first hangariste. Yup, that’s a winemaker who crushes grapes in his home’s attached airplane hangar in an airpark just north of Jackson.

Lorenzo Lizarralde, a pilot for Delta at Detroit Metro, is getting ready to release nine wines, some from grapes grown in the Lake Michigan Shore wine region, others – surprisingly – from a small vineyard north of Brighton.

The winery officially opens Sept. 26, to coincide with his neighborhood’s annual fly-in, but Lizarralde plans a “soft” opening once he finishes the tasting room, currently under construction.

One to try: Lizarralde made just 50 cases of his stunning 2008 Cabernet Franc Reserve from grapes grown in our backyard, near Brighton. Bright cherry aromas, ripe, dense fruit with just a hint of toasty oak.

Chateau Aeronautique    MAP

1849 Rives-Eaton Road, Jackson 49201

517.569.2123

Tasting room open weekends, starting late August or September.

CHERRY CREEK

Unquestioned champion for the area’s coolest winery building, Cherry Creek houses its tasting room in a beautifully respiffied 1870 brick schoolhouse along busy US-12, just west of Michigan International Speedway.

Owner/winemaker John Burtka recently added a pergola out back; picnic tables invite you to lay out your own spread or, on weekends, order from the winery’s tapas menu while you enjoy a glass or bottle of the house juice.

Two to try: If your summertime wine diet includes well-chilled dry rosé – and it should – don’t miss sampling their 2008 Riviera Rosé, made from 100% Cabernet Sauvignon grapes, selling for $16. Bright cherry and strawberry flavors abound; it’s a warm weather favorite at the Goldberg house.

No, it’s not wine, but you’ll see one wall of the tasting room lined with showcases of homemade fudge, at six pieces for $10. If you’re a non-traditionalist, give the Cayenne Chocolate a try. Think of it as you might a high-alcohol Napa Cabernet: rich and mouth filling when it hits your palate, followed by a noticeable burn on the back end.

Cherry Creek (Old Schoolhouse Winery)    MAP

11000 Silver Lake Hwy (corner of US-12), Brooklyn 49240

517.592.4663

Tasting room open 11 a.m. – 6 p.m. daily (wine can’t be poured before noon on Sunday).

PENTAMERE

It took work, but Pentamere crafted its name from a unique mangling of the Greek and Latin for “five seas” – in other words, the Great Lakes. When it opened in 2002, Pentamere became Michigan’s first entry in the “urban winery” trend, locating its production facility and tasting room in a downtown storefront while contracting to purchase grapes from growers elsewhere.

(Trivia: their first choice for a winery site was Ann Arbor, but they found downtown real estate here too pricey. So our loss became Tecumseh’s gain.)

True to its name but unique among Michigan wineries, Pentamere buys grapes from growers around the entire Great Lakes region, trucking them to downtown Tecumseh where winemaker Dan Measel sets out the crusher in the back alley and pipes the juice directly into the fermentation tanks in the basement. If they’re not busy when you visit, ask for a quick tour!

Two to try: You’ve bought their fruit, now try the wine. Pentamere makes its Harvest Apple wine from apples grown by longtime Ann Arbor Farmers Market fixture, Kapnick Orchards. Crisp, flavorful and just slightly off-dry, it makes a perfect summertime aperitif alongside fruit, cheese or lightly spiced meats. $11.

Michigan isn’t as well known as Ontario for Ice Wine, one reason Pentamere bought the grapes for its 2005 Vidal Eiswein from a grower in Niagara-on-the-Lake. This is a double gold medal winner – rich, syrupy, honeyed apricot and relatively cheap for Ice Wine, at $35 for a half-bottle. At the very least, pay ‘em a buck for a taste – it’s worth it.

Pentamere Winery    MAP

131 E. Chicago Boulevard, Tecumseh 49286

517.423.9000

Tasting room open 11 a.m. – 7 p.m. Tues.-Fri., 10 a.m. – 7 p.m. Sat., 12 – 5 p.m. Sun.

About the author: Joel Goldberg, an Ann Arbor area resident, edits the MichWine website and tweets @MichWine. His Arbor Vinous column for The Chronicle is published on the first Saturday of the month. If you’d like to keep up with local wine events, visit MichWine’s Ann Arbor wine calendar. To list an event on the calendar, submit it here.