Summer Golf, Wine and Food Exploration

Every year, we buy some sort of GroupGolfer package someplace we’d never consider going to. This year, our trek started in Vanderbilt Michigan at the Black Bear Golf Club.

We had good weather and no traffic heading up I-75 past Gaylord to Black Bear Golf Club. We got lucky and were able to jump ahead of a large bachelor party outing so with no one ahead of us, we were able to enjoy the lovely setting and play at a comfortable pace. Teeing up at or in front of the red tees, the course is quite playable for seniors. It is quite hilly, however. So, after 15 holes, we’d had enough climbing and called it a day. That evening we dined at Bennethum’s Northern Inn a few miles south of Gaylord at Otsego Lake. What a surprise! Our previous experience in Gaylord involved considering ourselves lucky to find a MacDonald’s that somehow managed not to screw up a cheeseburger. I liked the place the minute we walked in the door. It had a really captivating food smell and our waitress, Alex, was very friendly and knew the offerings well. Getting there during happy hour, we enjoyed a couple of excellent half priced glasses of wine from their short but very well chosen wine list. Also, the happy hour Havarti Baked Shrimp is a unique and delicious well constructed appetizer. Alice ordered the Mushroom Bisque which was also delicious. We shared a plate of Lake Perch which did not disappoint. It was indeed “lightly dusted” not battered and served with one of the best tartar sauces we’ve had. For dessert, we had Itallian Alps Espresso Affugato which is gelato with a biscotti and demi-tasse of espresso along side. Nice idea. It is just off of I-75 so if you’re heading north, this is a really good stop.

From there we headed over to Traverse City for a couple of days to hit a few wineries and play Elmbrook which I fondly remember from my late teen’s and early twenties. This is a course built decades before the many high-end courses which now compose Michigan’s Gold Coast. Hilly but not unplayable nor spectacular other than the long views overlooking Traverse City. Again from the red tees or beyond, it is not too tough for seniors other than the fact that the carts cut out for no apparent reason in certain areas. It is quite annoying considering that there are no cart paths along most of the holes and no signs directing carts. So how does one know what is or is not off limits? We stayed at the Park Place Hotel which has become a bit outdated. The best part of the room was the refrigerator which was tall enough to chill a bottle of Mosel Riesling* and a freezer large enough to re-freeze our Yeti Ice. Other than an absolutely delightful bartender, Tony, who was well-traveled, quite entertaining and served us a very good rendition of Firecracker Shrimp which we enjoyed in the bar during happy hour, the rest of the hotel experience was definitely not up to the hype or price. On the positive side, we could walk downtown for shopping and dining. We had a real nice meal at the always predictably good Poppycock with old friends and a unique breakfast of Short Rib Benedict at Town Plaza also a short walk from the Park Place. We hit a few wineries in Leelanau County. The first, Rove Winery at the Gallagher Estate, was quite forgettable. Other than a white called Fíona Rúnda which was quite good, the Select Harvest Riesling and the reds were all very light, without much texture, aroma or finish. We headed up the road to French Valley Vineyard and delighted in a flight of world class red wines and some very savory food. We tasted the Rhythm Red Blend which in its simple clean fresh manor prepared us for the rest. The 2018 Cab Fr & Merlot offers up a rustic sense of terroir with a surprisingly ripe almost sweet red fruit burst and a rich textured finish. We followed that with a pair of Merlot, 2011 and 2013. The 2011 was just right age-wise with fine fruit and perfectly mature rich red berries and mouth feel. The 2013 was even better! It’s black fruit, youthful strength finished with black truffle and tar giving it a very substantial Northern Rhone Syrah-like style. When we got back to the hotel, we served it double blind with a St. Emilion of similar age to our friends who live in Leelanau County. To say the least, they were quite impressed. We finished our flight with a 2016 Merlot Reserve which although scoring a “gold medal” on my tasting notes, ironically was not as good as either of the “regular” Merlots that preceded it and it cost twice as much. I guess that is what we’d call great marketing! Our snack of warm olives and a fig jam, goat cheese, prosciutto flat bread was every bit as good as the wines. If you are out that way, DO NOT miss French Valley Vineyards. After a reading a really interesting piece on Dune Bird in the TRAVERSE NORTHERN MICHIGAN magazine we headed up to M-22. The best Michigan red I’ve ever tasted was 2012 Gill’s Pier Cab Fr/Merlot. So, when it became a yak farm I was crushed. Fortunately, during the ten or so years that it was a yak farm, the vineyard was maintained and the grapes sold to Bluestone. Needless to say, I was thrilled to see new owners restoring it to a winery. We tasted a few solid reds the best of which was the Pie Chaser, a blend of Merlot, Millot and Foch. I didn’t know that at the time. Funny how one’s taste (I do like wines made from hybrid grapes) seems to find its way no matter the context. After we’d tasted, the owner offered us a taste of the newly released Cabernet Franc. Like the 2012 that I remember fondly, it has class, purity, balance and depth. Maybe not in a best ever class, but a very nice wine. At $78 per bottle, however, I don’t think Alice and I are in the market.

From there, we headed south to Little River Casino where we actually won money for a change and then to the Hampton Inn on the beach. We got lucky there with a corner room with three windows, one facing the Lake and two facing the river. It was very spacious and even had a nice little balcony. Other than the view, we weren’t crazy about the Winward located on the top floor of the Hampton. We played golf twice at Manistee Golf and Country Club which offers yardage and elevation changes that are senior friendly but, being right on Lake Michigan it is quite breezy. Of course, that means that on half of the holes you do get a nice tail-wind boost. But, Alice found the wind oppressive. We stopped at a little dive bar called the Painted Lady which has been around since the 1800’s. There is a reason that “bar food” has a generally positive image among most Americans. Well, at Painted Lady the oil is hot and they don’t skimp on quality. Yes, it is probably all pre-made commissary food but, it is the not the good or better grade. It is the best grade of the genre. We had agreed that we would order one appetizer and if no good, leave and go somewhere else. The Duck Wontons were such a pleasant surprise that we ventured further and ordered the Frog Legs. No kidding, they were the best frog legs we’ve ever had; even better than those we enjoyed in France. Dusted very lightly and cooked hot, they were juicier more tender and more flavorful than the best imaginable chicken wings. Our waitress/bartender, Ava was a delight and quite knowledgeable about the local food scene.

Heading south again, we stopped for lunch at Noto’s at the Bil Mar on the Grand Haven beach. Incidentally, it is the ONLY privately owned establishment on any Great Lakes beach! The recent second floor expansion of the upper deck is remarkable. It is so amazing how different the beach and water looks from one story up versus beach level. We had a real nice reasonably priced 2020 Settesoli Sicilian Red Blend (Nero d’Avola, Merlot, Cab Sauv and Syrah) $29 at the table about $15 in stores. It showed the fresh vivid vitality one often appreciates with wines produced and served locally. The highlight was the beef carpaccio which was as good as we’ve had. The carpaccio and the lively red married perfectly. Eventually, we ended up in Grandville MI and had a very windy round of golf at Saskatoon with old friends. The course is in immaculate condition and in full summer bloom. It is a beautiful rolling scenic course but in spite of the many trees sheltering every hole the wind nearly blew us over. We finished but were totally beat from the high winds. The next day, we went to a graduation party and headed home to Ann Arbor. Too much in too few days (8) for old people!

*see “Cantoro Market & Trattoria” dated April 26 for the full review of Studert Prüm Whelener

Enjoy in Good Health!

A Brian Cain, the Michigan Vintner