TRAVERSE CITY, Mich. — This idyllic northern Michigan town is fast gaining a reputation as a dining destination, but we need something to wash down all that fine cooking. Fortunately, Traverse City and its surroundings are also a hot spot for fine drinking. From beer to cider to wine — white grapes especially thrive here — you can spend days exploring the landscape and never go thirsty. These places particularly caught our attention.
Boskydel: Boskydel’s tasting room feels like your grandpa’s semi-dingy work shed, and for good reason — owner, founder, grape grower and vintner Bernie Rink is 84. He’s also the highlight of the tasting room. Growing grapes since 1970 and bottling wine since 1976, Rink claims to be the first of upper Michigan’s many wineries. His white and semisweet red wines aren’t anything fancy (most are less than $10) and Rink is a little grumpy — “No we don’t sell any (gosh darn) T-shirts” is a slogan — but that’s the point of visiting. Visiting Boskydel is as much museum experience as an opportunity to buy affordable table wine. 7501 E. Otto Road, Lake Leelanau; 231-256-7272; boskydel.com
L. Mawby: There are dozens of wineries in northern Michigan, but only L. Mawby is dedicated wholly to sparkling white wine. L. Mawby makes a variety of crisp and elegant wines with local grapes. It has an avid Midwestern following; when we visited, a woman was making her annual pilgrimage to buy a case. But be sure to sample the menu. The tasting room affords pristine, pastoral views of L. Mawby’s rolling vineyard. South of Suttons Bay, on Leelanau Peninsula; call or visit the website for directions; 231-271-3522; lmawby.com
Left Foot Charley: The cinder block walls are a reminder that this was once part of an asylum (closed in the late 1980s), but bright afternoon light streaming through a wall of windows, plus cozy decor, will put you in the mood for Charley’s deft lineup of white wines and ciders. Left Foot Charley doesn’t own a vineyard, but it puts northern Michigan grapes to fine use, especially in its dynamic and multilayered Luthier (half chardonnay and half seyval blanc). It also does wonders with Michigan apples, pouring crisp and complex ciders poised to impress even noncider drinkers. I walked out with a growler of its cinnamon version, called Cinnamon Girl. 806 Red Drive, Traverse City; 231-995-0500; leftfootcharley.com
Short’s Brewing Co.: Michigan is one of the nation’s most treasured beer states, and among its most revered breweries is this cozy, homespun spot 45 miles northeast of Traverse City. Short’s succeeds with clean, crisp beer whether conventional (Huma-Lupa-Licious India pale ale and Pontius Road pilsner) or gloriously unconventional (chocolate wheat porter and The Soft Parade, an ale “loaded with pureed strawberries, blueberries, raspberries and blackberries”). Plenty of specialty and seasonal offerings keep the menu fresh, and the food is plentiful enough to soak up that wonderful beer (we plowed through a pair of pizzas). 121 N. Bridge St., Bellaire; 231-533-6622; shortsbrewing.com
Tandem Ciders: Spend enough time at this tucked-away gem in a rural bend on Leelanau Peninsula, and you might think you’re on the English countryside — which was the idea behind Tandem. The (married) owners were moved enough by their visit to England about 10 years ago that they tried to replicate the places they drank most merrily. The white barn exterior and homey interior accomplish the goal wildly. Fortunately the ciders are as memorable as the location. It’s an ambitious lineup featuring dry, tart, sweet and everything in between. 2055 N. Setterbo Road, Suttons Bay; 231-271-0050; tandemciders.com, Traverse City, Michigan
