Just about every fall, Eric and I head to the Leelanau Peninsula for a weekend of relaxation and fun. We usually spend a good bit of time on the Leelanau Wine Trail sampling some great wine and visiting Christmas Cove Farm for lots of rare apples. Sometimes we hike, sometimes we just sort of wander but we always return feeling refreshed. Well, we just returned from this year’s trip last night and it took us a little longer than usual to unpack the car because…umm…we got a little carried away. See, I sort of love wine. And I’m finding more and more that I sort of love the various rare apples we find up there. I always thought an apple was just an apple until we found Christmas Cove Farm a few years ago and learned about the antique apples they grow which have become more and more rare over the years. If you’re ever in the area, you must go!
This trip is something in my life I’ve come to look forward to every fall and is slowly becoming a necessary tradition as the colors change. Beyond that, we come home with souvenirs we can share with friends for the rest of the year. These are the little things that make fall feel magical to me. I’d love to know what little things do it for you in the fall. What’s your favorite apple? Favorite Michigan wine?
In the meantime, let me tell you a little about these. On the top left, you’ll see Strawberry apples. They seriously do taste like strawberries, it’s amazing! On the top right are Bread and Cheese apples which are delicious with…bread and cheese. On the bottom left are Lady apples. They are tiny and crisp. And on the right are my favorites – Macoun apples. They are crisp, sweet and pure white on the inside. Mmm.
And the wine! Sadly, Longview Winery, our favorite winery on the Leelanau Peninsula, didn’t have any Rustic Red this year so we came home with all whites but they are all delicious nonetheless! We loved the Pinot Gris from Willow Vineyard, the Rustic White and Chardonnay from Longview Winery, Gewurztraminer from Chateau Fontaine (Eric’s favorite), the Improvisation from Circa Winery, and, even though it’s not like me love a fruit wine or a sparkling wine, I had to get a bottle of sparkling cherry wine from Forty-Five North to pay homage to cherry country! Come share a glass, we’ll toast to the little things!
