Tag Archives: stephanie schlatter

Jun10

Project 24: Chateau de Leelanau

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Matt Gregory and me with the mural I painted on the south wall of Chateau de Leelanau

Starting the day at Chateau de Leelanau and ending it on the beautiful property of Good Harbor is not a bad day. It was such a good day, in fact, that I’ll be breaking it down into two parts to do it justice!

At the start of the day, I met with Matt Gregory, co-owner of Chateau de Leelanau. Matt was born and raised on a farm on this peninsula. This is a place where anyone can feel welcome. It’s a “down home” place, and they have made every effort to take any preconceived ideas of pretense out of the wine tasting experience.

No matter your taste in vino, you’ll find something delicious to please you here — even hard cider. After leaving the tasting room, fueled by Matt’s enthusiasm for taking the tasting room into the next phase, I headed off to the properties where these grapes are grown: Matt’s family’s farm.

To say this land is breathtaking is a understatement. Layers of rolling vines meet cherry and apple trees and East Grand Traverse Bay glistens in the background. Give me my brush, I’m ready!

One hour turned into the next as I turned and painted a few different views. But this is Project 24, right? This is why I came: this land. In the simplest of terms, Leelanau is special; phrased more elaborately, it’s ridiculously stunningly, fantastically gorgeous.

Stay tuned for more adventures from Project 24!

The vineyards that inspired …
… the painting …
… and the two side-by-side

Jun2

Project 24: Something Old, Something New

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Bernie Rink of Boskydel Vineyards and me

It was a day for the old and the new, starting my day at Brengman Brothers and ending at the legendary and first winery in Leelanau, Boskydel!

Brengman Brothers is a beautiful property; it’s only a few years old, but growing leaps and bounds. I had the pleasure of speaking with the events manager, Lauren, and Doug, who was manning the bar. Both were knowledgeable, fun and informative. I love a staff that knows how to inform.

We talked of a passion for the land and a desire to be a good steward of that land, whether hosting events, making wine or educating the wine lovers who consume the product. And it’s a common thread among all of the wineries I’ve experienced up here. It strikes a chord with me as travel along through Project 24, wanting to be a good steward of the land and these people in my work!

And ending the day with the legendary Bernie Rink of Boskydel Winery. Please, just promise me, that you’ll come here if you’re on a wine tour — if for no other reason than to tip your hat to tradition. But you must bring an open mind and heart. This place is not fancy, they will not try to woo you. What they will do is grow good wine at a price that people can afford, which has been Bernie’s model since he planted his first vineyards in 1964. He was born a farmer and, at around 88 now, he still is. Salt of the earth, with a pioneering spirit. If you go on Sundays or Mondays between 1 p.m. and 5 p.m., you just might be lucky enough to meet Bernie. If you do this, bring cash and your patience and you will be rewarded.

Stopping by any day is fine during their open hours; you’ll often find his son Jim in the tasting room. Ask questions and be steeped in history. I happened to be in tasting room when two loyal Boskydel fans stopped in. They said they come up every year and love the “down home” experience at Boskydel. Their enthusiasm was contagious. Go see for yourself, and don’t miss the views of the vines with Lake Leelanau as a backdrop — it’s simply stunning! This will not be a hard property to paint …

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