Tastemakers: Charles D‘Vine - Chateau Chantal Cerise

June 28, 2006

Cherries D’Vine
The National Cherry Festival is celebrating its 80th anniversary this year. Parades, air shows, concerts and pageantry will all be a part of the 8-day celebration. But now a new fruit has moved into the neighborhood and to celebrate the new kid on the block the Festival will introduce Cherries D’Vine.
Taking place Sunday July 2 at 3:30 pm (right after the Blue Angels Air Show) along West Grand Traverse Bay outside of the Great Lakes Culinary Institute this event will showcase the areas rich agri-fruit heritage as well as the gastronomic talents of the Institutes students and staff.
Cherries D’Vine was born out of two previous Festival events, a Sunday evening wine tasting and the Taste of Cherries. Participants will enjoy several culinary creations from starters and entrees to decadent desserts all prepared with cherries. Highlights include freshly prepared crab cakes topped with hand-crafted cherry salsa, cherry-marinated grilled flank steak with a companion au jus of Black Star Farm’s “Seriously Maple” Brandy.
Also featured will be “down home” cherry barbecued pulled pork sandwiches on freshly baked northern Michigan Sourdough rolls. Several local wines will be available to pair with the food or for those looking for non-alcohol options fresh-squeezed cherry lemonade will be available. Anyway you taste it Northern Michigan has a lot to celebrate. All ages are welcome. Tickets are available at the door (tent). For additional information visit www.lpwines.com or call (231) 938-1811.


Chateau Chantal Cerise
Located near the tip of Old Mission Peninsula Chateau Chantal has become a popular destination on Northern Michigan’s wine circuit. With picturesque and panoramic views of the peninsula and both bays Chateau Chantal offers the perfect setting for tasting wines. This weekend Chantal will join several wineries from the region at the first annual Cherries D’Vine hosted by the National Cherry Festival.
The post Blue Angels air show event will feature more than
60 award-winning wines from the Leelanau and Old Mission Peninsulas.
While most of the wines will be Pinot Noirs, Rieslings, Pinot Grigio’s, Sparkling and Chardonnay’s it wouldn’t be a Cherry Festival event without cherries. Chateau Chantal will feature their Cerise (French for cherry) at Cherries D’Vine. Cerise is made in the traditional Port Wine method. Local fresh cherry juice is fermented then infused with cherry Eau de Vie bringing the alcohol content to 19.2% so sip slowly. A great after dinner drink Cerise has subtle hints of sweetness. Winemaker Mark Johnson has carefully balanced the alcohol and cherry bringing out the fruits flavors versus a coffee medicine taste that some cherry-flavored cordials have. Johnson suggests pairing with chocolate or Cerise Brownies (soak dried cherries in Cerise before baking a batch of your favorite chocolate brownies).
Enjoy Cerise at Cherries D’Vine Sunday July 2 between 3:30 and 7:30 pm at the Great Lakes Culinary Institute along with several other wines from the area. When dining out ask your server for a glass of Cerise with your dessert. At Trattoria Stella in Traverse City pair Cerise with a selection of after dinner cheeses. To learn more about Cerise and Chateau Chantal visit www.chateauchantal.com for details on Cherries D’Vine visit www.lpwines.com or call (231) 938-1811.

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