The Twelve Traverse City Wines of Christmas
Twelve Unique (And Delicious) Ways to Celebrate Christmas
There are plenty of traditions and other ways to celebrate Christmas, but none compare to our way of doing things. To get festive, we enjoy our twelve favorite bottles of Traverse City wines for the twelve days leading up to and including Christmas Day. It’s a comprehensive list of the best wines from the area, but narrowing the list down to twelve means there are some incredible wines excluded. Don’t worry – they may be off the list, but they’re still in our cellar. Check out the twelve wines we’ll be celebrating with this year!
Our Twelve Traverse City Wines of Christmas
2014 Albarino – Bonobo Winery
I had this for the first time just a few weeks ago, but my goodness did it make an impact. The grapes come from Old Mission Peninsula vineyards, which is makes us locals taste this with pride. A stainless steel fermentation process and high acidity combines for a very unique, but very approachable taste
I had this for the first time just a few weeks ago, but my goodness did it make an impact. The grapes come from Old Mission Peninsula vineyards, which is makes us locals taste this with pride. A stainless steel fermentation process and high acidity combines for a very unique, but very approachable taste
2012 Gewurtztraminer – Good Harbor Vineyard
A wine that’s difficult to pronounce, but easy to enjoy. From Good Harbor’s youngest vineyard, this wine is fermented in stainless steel to produce a light, fruity flavor and a long finish. Whether you buy a bottle for yourself or for someone else, it’ll surely be a wonderful gift, no matter the recipient.
We’re not all about a white Christmas, as the inclusion of this marvelous Cabernet Franc proves. This is the flagship red for 2 Lads, and they have more than enough reason to be proud of this delectable wine. An 82/18 ratio of Cabernet Franc to Merlot, this wine possesses a complex taste of clove and cinnamon, as well as notes of cranberry and vanilla.
2012 Dry White Riesling – Chateau Fontaine
As a fan of dry white wine, Chateau Fontaine’s Dry White Riesling is really something to behold. I particularly enjoy the crisp finish, as well as the easily detectable pear and peach notes. While my taste in clothing has always left something to be desired, it seems as though I have good taste when it comes to wine. This wine won the John Rose Award for Best Riesling at the Finger Lakes International Wine Competition, widely known to most as the award that determines the best Riesling in the world. What an impressive accomplishment!
2013 Cadia – Left Foot Charley
A red blend that you can sip all evening long. The Cadia is composed of a 53/47 split of Merlot and Cabernet Franc and it’s one of the most simple red wines you can find in Northern Michigan. It’s tempting to let your red hang out in oak barrels until the grapes are overwhelmed by the oak flavor – but Left Foot Charley refuses to over do it. The result? A unique red wine with a taste all its own.
2015 Cherry Wine – Black Star Farms
Would it really be Twelve Days of Traverse City Wines if we didn’t include a cherry wine? Of course it wouldn’t be! Black Star Farms probably has one of, if not the, best cherry wines available right now. The tartness of the cherries is muted, and the cherry flavor in coupled with a hint of spices.
2015 Riesling Sweet Reserve Late – Bowers Harbor Vineyards
Do you like sweet? Of course you do. As a result, you’ll love this Sweet Reserve from Bowers Habor. This is an excellent sweet treat to have on your table any day of the year, but it’s a particular treat during the Christmas season.
2014 Ice Cider -Bowers Harbor Vineyards
Yep, you read that correctly. Ice cider. The apples are pressed while frozen, which forces the water molecules to stay in the apple. That means you’re getting the purest and most untainted sugars and apple juices possible for your taste buds to enjoy.
2013 Pinot Noir – Chateau Grand Traverse
Simply one of the best Pinot Noirs I’ve ever had. The flavor is alive in the glass, with cherry and raspberry most noticeable. Not too heavy, but certainly not a weak wine, this Pinot Noir is perfectly weighted and comes with an addictive fruity finish.
Chardonnay (Proprietor’s Reserve) – Chateau Chantal
This one has some spunk. I love how you get clear notes of pineapple and apricots before noting the vanilla that’s added during the barrel fermentation process. Chateau Chantel says it goes well with creamy pasta dishes or white meat dishes. We can also add that it pairs extremely well with any well-decorated Christmas cookie, too.
2015 Sauvignon Blanc – 45 North Vineyard and Winery
One of Leelanau Peninsula’s finest. This Sauvignon Blanc is extremely popular. One taste and you’ll know why. Grapefruit and eucalyptus is palpable, but not too overwhelming, and it’s tied together extremely well with a spicy finish.
2014 Tonight – Chateau Chantal
Finally, you have to have the right wine to celebrate Christmas properly. This is the champagne of Old Mission Peninsula, and locals use this wine to celebrate everything and everything all year round. It’s a bubbly drink that simply makes you feel special in a way that you’ll really enjoy.
If there were any wines we should have added to the list, please be sure to let us know on Facebook, Instagram or Twitter. Please be sure to celebrate responsibly this holiday season. If you’re in TC, sit back and let us do the driving.
For all of us at Traverse City Wine and Beer Tours, have a very Merry Christmas!