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www.cheersonline.com 29 April 2015 • www.cheersonline.com www.cheersonline.com www.cheersonline.com April 2015 • 29 www.cheersonline.com April 2015 • www.cheersonline.com 29 www.cheersonline.com April 2015 • 29 www.cheersonline.com April 2015 • 29 www.cheersonline.com www.cheersonline.com 29 April 2015 • MICHIGAN Michigan, which produced some 2.18 million gallons of wine in 2013, now includes 113 wineries—94 more than 15 years ago. There are three major wine growing regions in Michigan—Lake Michigan Shore in Southwest Michigan towards Chicago, and Leelanau Peninsula and Old Mission Peninsula, both near Traverse City in Northwest lower Michigan. But there are several smaller areas, too, including the Petoskey region, which is pioneering some new varietals that have been developed for colder regions; and Southeast Michigan, where a new, 275-mile Thumbs Up Wine Trail will launch in May with 13 member vineyards and wineries. "Michigan is one of the leading areas in the country for fruit production, and because of the Great Lakes we have a great climate for fruit," says Linda Jones, executive director at the Michigan Grape and Wine Industry Council in Lansing, MI. Draw a parallel east from Michigan and you'll fi nd yourself in southern Germany, so it should come as no surprise that the top varietal being grown here is riesling. "We specialize in cool-climate vines," Jones explains. Because of the lesser-known varietals that grow well in Michigan, it's been a little challenging for the region to attract attention. Excellent wines made in the area include riesling, pinot grigio, gewurztraminer, pinot blanc and auxerrois blanc, says wine expert Madeline Triffon. The fi rst female sommelier in the U.S., Triffon now works with upscale grocer/retailer chain Plum Market. The riesling "can be exceptional," she notes, "particularly in the hands of people who have been working with it aggressively, like Chateau Grand Traverse." For reds, Triffon points to gamay noir, lemberger, pinot noir and cabernet franc. About a third of the wines served at City Scene Lounge in Holland, MI, are local wines. Of the 12, served four are red, fi ve are white, there's a rosé, a sparkling and a dessert wine, says manager Ben Hartley. He's also thinking of adding a Michigan wine list to his ballroom catering menu, both due to customer demand and because it's the direction the venue wants to go in. Eric Djordjevic is the president of The Epicurean Group in Detroit, and owns seven properties, three of which are fi ne- dining locations where Michigan wines make up about 10% of the wine lists. "It's about an economic stewardship of wanting to support businesses in our community, and 'local' is a hot button for consumers," Djordjevic says. "Over the last 10 years, Michigan wines have started stepping up their game," he says. "It's a young region, so I think what started as a more humble farming endeavor has become a little more sophisticated, without pretentiousness." TEXAS Texas' wine industry has "exploded" in the past year, says Debbie Reynolds, executive director of the Texas Wine and Grape Growers Association in Grapevine, TX. "We are sitting at 350 winery permits—ones that have opened or are in the process of opening." This is a far cry from 2000, when there were no more than 60 wineries open. The state produced 747,000 gallons of wine in 2013. The top Texas varietals are blanc du bois, viognier, sangiovese and tempranillo. "There's a lot of Rhone infl uence, and some wineries are also doing mourvèdre really well," says Reynolds. She also expects to see more sparkling wines start to come out of the state. Abount 80% of the state's wine is made in the central Texas Hill Country region, and around 80% of the grapes are grown in the high plains, more than 300 miles away. Cabernet Grill, in the Hill Country town of Fredericksburg, TX, serves only Texan wines. When owner Ross Burtwell opened the restaurant in 2002, Texas wine was in its infancy, he says, so his menu featured worldwide wines. But by 2007 he was featuring exclusively Texan wines and he now serves around 100 of them. "Some people still have a California mentality; they want merlot or chardonnay, but Texas is not known for those," Burtwell says. "We try to steer people to what's going really well for Texas—viognier, malbec, sangiovese and tempranillo." The prices on local wines are slightly higher than you might pay for wines from California, for instance, says Burtwell. He uses a deviated pricing system, adding less of a markup on the higher- end wines "because we want people to experience those." Winewood Grill in Grapevine, TX, serves about 250 wines from around the world, about 10 of which are from Texas. The local blends are the most popular wines, says general manager/ wine director Carlos Deleon. He points particularly to Messina Hof 's GSM (grenache, syrah mourvèdre), which sells for $85 a bottle, and the Becker Iconoclast cabernet ($35). For whites, Deleon says the Duchman Family Winery do Bianco (trebbiano, vermentino, pinot grigio and muscat) sells well at $30 a bottle. Amanda Baltazar is a freelance writer based in the Pacifi c Northwest who frequently writes about food and beverages. Winewood Grill in Grapevine, TX, serves about 250 wines from around the world; 10 are from Texas.