They have a cozy tasting room where we sampled each of their ciders and their apple brandy. We bought a growler and a few bottles to bring back home with us of their varietal “Smackintosh.” Now that we’re home and we’ve consumed the growler already, I wish we would have bought a case to get us through the winter…Smackintosh is sweet, tart, and like biting into a crisp, refreshing apple. It’s clean, not cloying or syrupy, and lip-smacking delish.
Chateau Chantal is a cozy B&B with spacious, wine-themed rooms, and we were in one of the petite suites. One of their perks is that you can visit their tasting room after hours at any time for a free tasting of their wines. You can step behind the bar, grab bottles out of the cooler, and pour yourself a sample. Once you’ve gone down the list, you can pour yourself a complimentary glass of wine for each night you stay. What a sweet deal! We took advantage our first evening…well, morning…because we passed out at seven, woke up at three, and decided to make a go of it:
2Lads Winery
Reisling: This is one of the best Rieslings I’ve ever had. Oftentimes they’re a safe wine that please just about everybody because they’re fruity and flavorful without being too complex or dry. Well, this wine was spectacular because it wasn’t your run-of-the-mill Riesling. Incredibly flavorful, almost fizzy, rich, apple-y, and sweet-tart.
2011 Cabernet Franc Rose: Roses are usually another safe bet, but oftentimes more “experienced” wine enthusiasts (snobs) frown upon them for being too fruity, sweet, and one-note. Well, this rose blew that stereotype out of the water. It had depth and robust flavors, and while it was fruity, it had more qualities of a juicy, complex red than a berry rose.
Black Star Farms Winery
Chateau Chantal Winery
Chateau Grand Traverse Winery
Full and happy, it was another evening in at the inn. We snapped some photos of the Old Mission landscape and Chateau Chantal’s property before night settled in. It was such a relaxing, romantic retreat. We hope to return in summer so that my visions of the sparkling bay and strolling on the beach can be realized. Until then, it was a happy, happy birthday getaway for us both.