Wining, Traveling, Reading

On October 18, Cranesbill Books hosts an event that is really special. Never mind that the 16th is our 4th anniversary of opening the new store at 108 East Middle Street, although there will be some joy on my part that this milestone has been reached. The occasion is the publication of From the Vine: Exploring Michigan Wineries, a new book that is co-authored by Chelsea author Sharon Kegerreis and Lorri Hathaway of nearby East Lansing.

The evening will be a bit glitzy, with tastes of four Michigan wines and a bit of food to complement them. The authors will be in attendance to sign books, and we hope that everyone will find a new vintage that can be found within our state. Because of strict laws about this type of event, we can’t admit those too young to legally imbibe, and yes, we will check.

Yes, I do admit, I have the occasional glass of wine. For a person of a certain age, the heart healthy benefits seem to make this a no-brainer. Otherwise, I’m not much of a drinker. But as a college kid of legal drinking age, I was an enthusiast, scooping up bottle after $5 bottle of imported German wines with alluring names like Piesporter and Liebfraumilch, and the occasional bottle of a Portuguese wine called Mateus, which seems to have vanished from the face of the earth, along with Annie Green Springs and Boone Farm. But my first experience with Michigan wine came much later, when I was a freelancer in 1980 for the Detroit News, assigned to visit PawPaw, Michigan to write a story about Michigan’s fledgling wine industry. In a box in my attic somewhere, I have the clippings from the story that the News eventually published.

Suffice it to say that since then, the Michigan wine industry has grown exponentially. Who could have known that a quarter of a century later there would be enough places to visit and vintages to sample that the new book features four separate touring routes through our state, with vintages that compete internationally.

As luck would have it, I am also somewhat familiar with the wine country in the Grand Traverse region, and know that for one trip up north, you can visit many tasting rooms in some of the most beautiful landscape on earth. The whole area could be the perfect getaway for an ideal combination of great views, fancy to funky cuisine, and many chances to get close to nature. Or, you could create your personal version of the movie Sideways, perhaps minus the obnoxious friend. As long as there was a designated driver, who would know what the heck you were up to? But let me state clearly that the roads up there are tricky and no one should think that I’m suggesting you drink and drive anywhere. I wouldn’t, and I am far too familiar with most of the roads, even the gravel ones and a two-track or two, to be so stupid.

We are lucky to have authors with such expertise in our little neck of Washtenaw County. Please join us in greeting them and their fine book next Thursday, October 18th from 6:30 to 9 pm. From the Vine has really got the same combination of beauty and substance as the Mitten State, despite hard times and a bit of a morale problem.