Heather J.
Yelp
Michigan holds a rather well-known, breathtaking secret. The Old Mission Peninsula, blushed by the moderating influence of Lake Michigan, separates a deep bay between the ring and middle finger in the "mitten." Vineyards coat the rolling hillsides once you escape the suburbs of Traverse City, a charming town of roughly 20,000 souls. Stepped terraces cut into the stony backbone overflow with trellises and, from spring until autumn, the brilliant jade and forest hues of grape vines.
Varietals supported in the OId Mission area favour whites, especially rieslings, the sort of sharp, tart flavours produced by grapes similarly scattered through Washington State, Austria, Germany, and northern France. Those places probably conjure up images of bucolic stone farmhouses and sprawling estates, occasionally framed in snow-capped mountains rearing in the distance. Few people outside the Great Lake State might conjure up the dappled autumnal glory of maple forests in full flame, and yet here, the delights of leaf-peeping catch up to the refinement of a winery tour and aquamarine shorelines that defy belief.
I've set the stage. Now Peninsula Cellars, tucked away on the winding state highway linking up Traverse City to the very end of the road, a lighthouse on the northern promontory jutting into Traverse Bay. Might as well call this route M-1NE or the Wine Highway for all the cellars and wineries scattered liberally on either side.
Peninsula Cellars cannot be missed, given the tall wooden schoolhouse sits directly on a crest overlooking the road with the hills gently surrendering to cultivation behind it. I became a grown-up Anne of Green Gables off to pick up a bottle of Homework.
Peninsula Cellars can also not be missed for the charming effervescence of the staff and the warm, welcoming interior. The tasting area takes up the floor of the schoolhouse in a broad barrel. Belly up, seek your fortunes in one of the many red, white, or roses they have. Keep a special eye out for their seasonal fruit wines, a deviously hard find anywhere in Michigan. The pear, cherry, and apple fruit wines really knock it out of the park, especially if you want a wine and not a syrup.
If you want to come to be seen and swan around a glorious cellar that visually belongs in a Bond movie, Peninsula is not for you. However, someone learning about their tastes and out to absorb some cheekiness will definitely feel at home. Staff don't rush you through the process, though my very crunched schedule did not allow for a tasting. Boo work and four hour drives home!
Their wines carry labels related to their schoolhouse setting. Homework is obviously a highly popular option, and their rieslings and Gewurtztraminers strike top notes too. Detention will appeal to those who want a strong red table wine and a bit of lush mouthfeel to go with your bad luck repeating lines on the chalkboard. Prices sit around $20, and it says something when you watch four people in a row walk out with a case of Homework or Detention. I sampled a bottle of each instead, given the restrictions on my travels.
That said, the experience really warrants taking a little longer. Sip the wines, find your savory heart. My palette may not be the same as yours, but there's quite a bit available here to suit those who prefer dry and crisp or full and acidic, ripe with berries and tannins.
