Traverse City Record-Eagle

Food

January 26, 2012

Cook's Corner: Local wines take medals

FROM STAFF REPORTS ----

Two local wineries won several medals at the San Francisco Chronicle International Wine Competition in January.

More than 5,600 wines were entered.

One of Leelanau County's newest wineries, Verterra Winery, won a double-gold medal for its 2010 pinot blanc. The gewurztraminer won gold and the chardonnay won a silver and bronze. The riesling won a bronze.

Forty-Five North in Lake Leelanau won two gold medals for its 2010 chardonnay and its 2010 dry Chenin blanc. They also received two silvers for the 2010 Select Harvest Riesling and 2010 Chenin blanc.

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The Preacher's Creatures of Northern Lakes Community Church, 5444 Herkner, (across from Traverse City West Senior High School) will serve the 12th annual Italian Dinner Theater Sunday, Jan. 29, with two seatings at 4 and 6:30 p.m. Money raised will be used for a mission trip to Joplin, Mo., this summer.

A spaghetti dinner with salad, bread and dessert is $15 for adults, $8 for kids, with a $50 maximum for immediate family. The students will perform during the meal.

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A dinner Friday, Feb. 3, at the Homestead Resort is part of the Leelanau Peninsula Vintners Association Taste the Passion weekend.

Taste the Passion costs $20 per person with advance registration before Feb. 2 or $25 at the door and includes one glass of wine and food stations. Additional wine is available for purchase.

There will be an art exhibit featuring the work of nine Leelanau County artists. A portion of the art sales benefits the Glen Arbor Art Association's summer program.

To make a reservation for the dinner, call 334-5100. For more information about the art association, go to www.glenarborart.org. For more information about the Taste the Passion weekend, go to www.lpwines.com.

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Megan Krigbaum, a writer for Food and Wine magazine, put a local beer and local wine on her "best of" list for 2011.

Chateau Grand Traverse's 2010 Whole Cluster Riesling was one of her five favorite wines for 2011.

"I've been going to this winery in Grand Traverse, Michigan, with my parents since I was a toddler," she wrote, "but the quality of the wine has grown significantly in recent years. This affordable Riesling ($15) is the result of an experiment begun by winemaker Sean O'Keefe about five years ago. It's faintly sweet with ripe fruit and great acidity."

Short's Brewing Co.'s Bellaire Brown made her top five best beers.

"In August, I spent my annual week in northern Michigan and made my first visit to Short's in Bellaire. After tasting through about a dozen different brews, this simple, classic brown emerged as my favorite. I just wish I could get it here in NYC," she wrote.

Traverse City also made a list of "emerging beer towns" in Draft magazine, a publication for beer enthusiasts.

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The Harbor Springs Area Chamber of Commerce's annual chili cookoff is scheduled for Sunday, Feb. 19.

The event will be held at Stafford's Pier Restaurant, 102 Bay St., from 2 to 4 p.m. Admission is $8 per person. To enter a chili recipe, or for more information, call 526-7999 or go to www.harborspringschamber.com.

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A Made in Michigan initiative between Meijer and Michigan State University will launch this month.

The MSU Product Center and Meijer have come up with 49 new grocery items — including marinara sauce, blueberry butter, baking mixes and seasonings, that will be in Meijer stores throughout the state.

The initiative could have a $400,000 economic impact statewide, said Matt Birbeck, High Impact Venture Action Team project manager for the MSU Product Center.

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American Spoon is a winner in the 2012 Good Food Awards. The company's Wild Thimbleberry Jam was chosen by judges that included Ruth Reichl and Alice Waters.

American Spoon is based in Petoskey.

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Chateau Chantal will host a Valentine's Wine Dinner featuring Chef Les Hagaman, owner of the neighboring B&B, Tesoro Inn.

The five-course wine dinner costs $75 per person and is scheduled for 6 p.m. Saturday, Feb. 11. Reservations are required; call (800) 969-4009 or go to www.chateauchantal.com.

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The Crooked Tree Arts Center in Petoskey is starting a culinary arts series Jan. 31. The classes will be held from 6 to 8 p.m. Tuesday evenings in the kitchen at the arts center with chefs from around the area.

For more information, go to www.crookedtree.org or call 347-4337.

If you have food news or questions, send them to: Cook's Corner, Traverse City Record-Eagle, 120 W. Front St., Traverse City, MI 49685; call 933-1511 or (800) 968-8273; or email features@record-eagle.com.

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