Tastemakers:Harwood Heritage Gold Maple Syrup/Chateau Chantel‘s Charles Murphy 30th Anniversay Semi-Dry Riesling

Harwood Heritage Gold Maple Syrup

The maple syrup “tapping” season has ended. Now it is time to reap the
benefits of springtime’s “liquid gold.” There are several producers of
maple syrup throughout Northern Michigan and a great resource is the
Michigan Land Use Institute’s “Taste the Local Difference” program
(localdifference.org) that lists the many farmers throughout the region
that offer maple syrup.
Recently, I tried Harwood Heritage Gold Maple Syrup from Parsons Farm
located 10 miles south of Charlevoix. This tasty maple syrup comes from
the trees that line Harwood Lake. When visiting the farm be sure to try
the Parsons Ice Cream Sundae that is made with their maple syrup.
Maple syrup is a healthier substitute for sugar. Here is the lowdown from
the Parsons: It is 100% pure and free of additives, it has fewer calories
than honey, sugar or corn syrup, and it has zero fat or cholesterol. It
also contains significant amounts of potassium (35 mg/tbsp) and calcium
(21 mg/tbsp), and small amounts of iron, phosphorus, and B-vitamins.
Harwood Heritage Gold Maple Syrup is available all over Northern
Michigan and several restaurants use it as well. The Parsons have a list
of locations on their website along with an extensive list of recipes. In
addition, they go into great detail on the maple syrup production process.
See Harwoodgold.com for details

Chateau Chantal’s Charles Murphy
30th Anniversary Semi-Dry Riesling


Since selling its first bottle of wine on July 1,1993 on the Old Mission
Peninsula, Chateau Chantal has always made a connection between its wine
and the cultural happenings of Northern Michigan.
Last fall the winery launched a limited bottling of their 2006 Semi-Dry
Riesling with a label featuring a painting by Charles Murphy. It honors
Murphy’s 30 years as one of the most revered painters living in Northern
Michigan. In keeping with its support of the local arts over the years,
Chateau Chantal is donating a portion of each bottle sale to the ArtCenter
in Traverse City.
While the label is an attention-getter and certainly will serve as a
conversation piece, one must not discount what is on the inside of the
bottle. While you may be tempted to keep the bottle as a collector’s item,
I suggest a different approach. Drink the wine and save the bottle as a
candle holder. This wine is tasty and is a wonderful example of what
Northern Michigan is able to do with Riesling grapes.
Riesling is one of the best wines to pair with food and this 2006 Semi-Dry
from Chateau Chantal is no exception. Pair with pasta or oriental dishes
with hot spices. Enjoy as a cocktail wine with pungent cheeses or after
dinner with fruit desserts.
If you want to learn more about wine and food pairing, then attend the
Wine Immersion Seminar at Chateau Chantal April 19, hosted by their “witty
and passionate” wine maker Mark Johnson. The event includes a walking
vineyard tour, peasant’s lunch, cellar tour, wine and food pairing,
learning materials and a gourmet dinner. Chateau Chantal will be
celebrating Michigan Wine Month at Shanty Creek, April 26 & 27 and will
take part in the Chef’s Challenge weekend. See chateauchantal.com


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