A new phase of wine tasting

Black Star Farms

Is the old standard wine tasting experience a thing of the past? Do you remember the days when you could walk up to the bar and sample a handful of wines while chatting with a tasting room associate?

During the last two years, COVID forced wineries to adapt their operations to comply with health and safety restrictions. Reservations, seated service, and wine flights were some practices that replaced the stand-at-the-bar model that had been the norm.

With the absence of the old tasting room banter, some local wineries have rethought how to engage guests by offering new enhanced winebased experiences.

Black Star Farms on Leelanau Peninsula this year introduced its Progressive Wine & Food Tastings. This private experience travels through the winery estate, including the Inn, wine cave, and the VIP area of the tasting room, while pairing wine and food along the way. The carefully selected menu features some of the area’s iconic varietals (think Riesling and Pinot Noir) paired with small bites showcasing popular local eats like smoked whitefish and the famous Raclette made by their neighbors at Leelanau Cheese.

Managing Owner Sherri Fenton-Campbell said, “This very special tasting is hosted by our Wine Education Specialist and allows guests a peek inside otherwise restricted

areas while enjoying delicious wine and food at a relaxed pace. The entire experience takes around 90 minutes. All the small bites are made in-house so that we can show off our talented culinary team as well as our award-winning wines.”

Brys Estate Vineyard and Winery on Old Mission Peninsula a few years back launched its Wine Wagon Tour and Tasting to offer a premium wine tasting in a unique outdoor setting. This immersive experience transports guests through the 155-acre estate, making five stops paired with a featured wine. The tour highlights the original remodeled 1800s farmhouse, a scenic overlook, the secret garden (where a light picnic is served), a Cabernet Franc vineyard, and the winery production area.

One guest had to say this about the Wine Wagon Tour and Tasting: “We spent the most wonderful two hours last Saturday being chauffeured through the vineyards on a comfortable open-air cart. It was a splendid way to learn about wine, their methods of producing it, and how many factors enter into the resulting superior wines. I highly recommend experiencing this when visiting the Old Mission Peninsula!”

Left Foot Charley, located in the Village of the Grand Traverse Commons, expanded its hours and offerings in its historically significant Barrel Room to elevate the wine tasting experiences.

Built more than 100 years ago, the building previously was used for cellaring the fruits and vegetables grown on the campus of the State Hospital.

Now guests can indulge in their Gold Medal Experience surrounded by wines aging in barrels. This enhanced tasting includes winemakerselected wines (some poured only in the Barrel Room) paired with a Mozzarella burrata and freshly baked focaccia courtesy of Trattoria Stella.

“Our wines deserve to be poured and explained. Our growers work so hard in the vineyards, the cellar crew works non-stop in the winery, and we want people to experience the incredible journey from grape to glass through these guided tastings,” said Director of Sales Kristy McClellan.

Although some might miss the busy wine tastings of yore, what has risen from the challenges of the past two years are in-depth, educational wine experiences that celebrate our region and give guests more meaningful memories. To learn more about these worldclass offerings, buy tickets, or make reservations visit the wineries’ websites.

Cheers to exploring local wine in a new way!

Kimberly Zacharias handles winery promotions for Black Star Farms.