Leelanau Cellars’ Watermelon Wine

Bottoms Up

By Lynda Wheatley | Aug. 6, 2022

There was a time in our life, maybe one we’re not too proud of, when we’d eat spears of pineapple or clusters of blackberries soaked in Bacardi rum. Now that we’re older—and at least somewhat wiser—we’ve found an equally delicious yet not so potent party snack via Leelanau Cellars. The family-owned winery recently suggested splitting a watermelon in half lengthwise and scooping out half of that half’s fruit (with a melon-baller, if you want to be fancy about it). Then, deposit that fruit—plus some berries of your choice—into the emptied section. Into the remaining whole section of that half watermelon, you press an opened bottle of Leelanau Cellars’ sweet Watermelon Chill wine, bottle mouth down, and let it saturate all the fruit. Served chilled, this is our latest go-to dish (and drink) to pass at summer potlucks. Do it while the fruit—and the winery’s 25-percent-off wine deal, good through the end of August with website promo code—is ripe. Find Leelanau Cellars’ tasting room at 5019 North West Bay Shore Dr., Omena, and the promo code (and other sellers) at lwc.wine.