Tastemakers: Hanna Harvest Game Dinners/Northern Michigan Wines

Hanna Harvest Game Dinners

We all have our mem-orable dining moments in Northern Michigan; you know, the ones that might have happened years ago, but seem like they were just yesterday. Those evenings where everything is perfect, from the food to the ambience to the service to those joining you at the table. I have had several of those moments, including many at the hands of restaurateur Jim Milliman.
Years ago, Milliman, then proprietor of Hatties in Suttons Bay, and tobacconist Mike Nolan started hosting an annual cigar dinner. (Shortly after Nolan and Milliman hosted that very first one, cigar dinners became popular across the country.) Their evenings featured great eats (usually wild game) paired with poetic readings about a certain voluptuous Cuban cigar roller, hearty red wines, camaraderie and the best cigars from Nolan’s humidor. Each dinner has taken on a personality of its own. One time, brewmaster Larry Bell came for a beer and cigar dinner, and it evolved into Milliman offering a special post meal wine auction. It’s those magical moments that draw us back, and this week I look forward to more of the same from Jim Milliman at his Hanna Bistro on Cass Street in Traverse City.
On Tuesday night he will host his second Cigar & Game Dinner (at this location) with duck, prosciutto wrapped pear salad, roasted venison loin, and pumpkin spiced crème brulee. Rob Giffer has selected several wine offerings, and of course, Mike Nolan will be on hand with cigars and insights on the 2008 presidential campaign. These cigar dinners usually sell out and are not just a boy’s night out. If cigars are not your thing, Milliman and his culinary team at Hanna will offer a Harvest Game Dinner, “Flavors of Fall” Menu on Friday, November 2. Pheasant braised in a citrus broth, and roast venison with soft polenta will be among the choices, with Hanna’s local apple cobbler topped with rosemary-scented ice cream for dessert. For reservations to either of these dinners or to learn more about other upcoming events at Hanna, visit www.hannabistro.com or call 231-946-8207.

Northern Michigan Wine
The 2007 grape harvest has just wrapped up in Northern Michigan, and this past year has presented near-perfect growing conditions. This marks the third year in a row that the harvest has offered up the grapes for winemakers to produce noteworthy wines from Northern Michigan. The industry here is young, with our oldest winery only 35 years old and our oldest vineyards about 40 years of age. We have 27 wineries in operation throughout Northern Michigan with a lot more on the horizon; look for that number to go over 40 in the next five years with winery operations opening in Benzie and Manistee counties, as well as more on the Leelanau and Old Mission Peninsulas.
With the success of Pleasantview Vineyards in Harbor Springs, we should expect to see more wineries opening along the coastline between Traverse City and Mackinaw City as well. Speculation has always made this industry interesting. Oregon built its reputation on a couple of golden growing seasons producing phenomenal Pinot Noirs, leading many wine buyers to pre-buy cases months before the wine was bottled simply on the speculation that these Pinots were going to be great. With small production, some wineries would pre-sell out all of their Pinot Noir. This hasn’t quite caught on here yet, but with the 2005-07 vintages being world-class, expect it to start happening soon.
Production here is limited, especially in some red vinifera vintages such as Pinot Noir, Merlot and Cabernet Franc. Even some whites such as Pinot Blanc, Pinot Grigion and Gewürztraminer are also limited. Each fall, I have a ritual of organizing my wine cellar to prepare for the coming holiday season. About a third of the wines in my cellar are from this region, and recently I stumbled across some real gems (see photo). I have wines dating back to the ‘80s that were made by the pioneer winemakers that still taste great. I love pulling out these “library” wines for guests who are blown away at the quality. Because of limited production and the economics of the industry most wineries in the region release wines that are quite young and that will cellar well.
I suggest that you start buying up these recent vintages; enjoy some now and cellar some for later. Even though 2007 is not in the bottle yet, I have already bought a few cases of some local reds that are still being crushed; I sense they are going to be great and will probably sell out quickly. I encourage you to do the same - visit your favorite wineries, talk to the winemakers, and get a read from them on what they like coming out of 2007 and what will be limited. To learn where the wineries in the region are located visit www.michiganwines.com. View On Our Website