Wine First

>> Funding for this series has been provided in part by the following.

>> No, take me home >> VGAN Chocolate.

Norwegian flavor.

Available in Walmart stores.

>> I'm Liora, and I'm a sommelier.

>> And I'm Maya, and I'm also a sommelier.

>> And I'm Yolanda.

My expertise is food.

>> In every episode, we are going to travel to beautiful wine regions, selecting three wines that define each area.

>> And present them to local chefs who will be challenged to prepare amazing dishes for those wines instead of the other way around.

>> Will the chefs succeed in making dishes that match the wines?

>> It all remains to be seen as we put wine first.

>> We are in the United States, specifically in the state of Michigan and the cherry capital of the world, Traverse City.

Aside from being a popular holiday spot with exciting restaurants, a buzzing city life, and fun activities to offer on the Great Lake Michigan -- Well, we'll get back to that later on -- we're visiting three wineries and challenging chef Auston Minnich to match food to the wines we find.

Are you up for a challenge?

>> I think I am.

Let's do this.

>> He seems quite confident.

We start our search with a visit to a winery that is known for its amazing view, Chateau Chantal.

A chateau in the middle of Michigan.

Chateau Chantal is a 65-acre estate located atop a ridge near the northern end of the Old Mission Peninsula, offering stunning views of Lake Michigan's Grand Traverse Bays.

We are welcomed with a toast by Marie-Chantal and her father, founder Robert Begin, with an interesting past.

>> My dad here was a Catholic priest for many years out of Detroit.

>> So why did you turn up in the wine business then?

>> The beauty of the place.

Obviously, it's just cosmic beauty and just a gift.

>> So it wasn't the fact that, when you were a Catholic priest, that you were missing the altar wine so much that you wanted to make your own?

[ Laughter ] >> Let's get cracking.

While Yolanda hunts for ingredients, Maya joins winemaker Brian in the vineyards dominated by riesling.

>> So this is riesling.

>> This is riesling right here.

This was a block that was planted in 1986.

>> This area, we can see the lake.

How does the lake affect the vines here?

>> The lake affects the vines by buffering the temperatures that come through.

The water is there in the spring.

It's still cold from the winter, so when a warm front comes through, the vines stay dormant, and then they don't get hit by another frost later.

Once it heats up from the summer, in the fall, it stays warm and extends our season an additional month or two.

>> I can actually feel the wind from there.

So I'm starting to get a little bit thirsty.

>> Yeah.

Well, it's a good thing we have some of the riesling here in the Vineyard.

>> Well, that's perfect.

>> Yes.

And so this is the 2020 Proprietor's Reserve Riesling.

Comes predominantly from the vineyard that we're standing in.

>> Cheers.

>> Cheers.

There we go.

>> Mm.

It's a really delicate riesling.

It's very crisp, very fresh.

>> Mm-hmm.

>> You can feel that this is a cool climate.

>> We ended up putting a little bit more of another vineyard in there to help kind of even things out overall for the palate.

>> But that's great.

So you can, depending on the vintage, you can pick rieslings from different vineyards and you can blend them to, like, help it if it's a cool year or warmer year and stuff like that?

>> Yes.

>> This is a good start.

>> Yes, we've got a couple more we can taste, too.

So we keep going this way, we'll find them.

>> You brought me a lot of amazing-looking dishes.

>> We like to say if it grows together, it goes together.

>> I love that phrase!

That is my phrase!

You stole it!

I love it, love it.

Cheers to that again.

>> Cheers.

>> Yes.

>> So the first feature is going to be locally grown apples.

So, these are apples that are grown right here on the peninsula.

We've paired it with some candied walnuts.

We also have edible flowers on all of the arrangements here.

>> Oh, those flavors.

Mmm!

Mm-mmm.

Let me see.

When I get the sip of wine, it cleanses my palate, and it cleanses the creaminess of the -- of the cheese.

>> Absolutely.

>> And down.

I love it.

>> So, what we have here is a grilled housemade zucchini bread.

>> That's zucchini?

I thought it was a sponge cake.

I love it!

Okay, great.

>> And then our featured ingredient in this is apricot.

>> Look at this.

It's so -- [ smooches ] >> [ Chuckles ] >> I didn't know that you could create this kind of marriage between zucchini and apricot.

>> Yeah.

>> Very well executed.

>> It's definitely an unorthodox pairing.

Featured in this next dish is goat cheese.

So, mixed greens, and then we do have Michigan cherries.

You are in the cherry capital of the world.

>> Absolutely.

>> And then some candied nuts on top.

And on the side is actually a vinaigrette that is made with our own riesling wine.

>> I love that.

Always, always bring the wine into the dish.

Goat cheese is one of my always go-to cheeses whenever I want to have a lovely pasta, whenever I want to have an amazing salad, because, really, goat cheese is so versatile.

>> Right.

>> While Yolanda is reveling in local specialties, Maya heads down to the core of the winery to taste more wine.

>> So, here we have our vin gris.

And so this is a pinot noir that is pressed off the skins immediately and then fermented like a white wine.

>> Oh, yeah.

So -- Because the color is in the skin of the grape.

So if you just press the juice very quickly, you get the white juice and you can make a white wine of black varieties.

>> Correct.

>> Like in champagne.

>> Yes.

But this is riper than champagne.

>> I'm not very used to actually taste pinot noir in a white style.

>> Yep.

>> But it has a fresh acidity still.

You can still feel that, a little bit, even if it's white, a little bit of the berry notes.

>> Mm-hmm.

So, the other wine we have is the 2020 Proprietor's Reserve Pinot Noir.

>> Oh, yeah.

So now it's a red wine on the same grape variety.

>> Yes.

So fermented on the skins, the entirety of the fermentation.

And then this one also goes through malolactic fermentation, and then it goes into a barrel for aging.

>> On the nose, I really find this red berries but also, pinot noir, when it grows kind of cool, I find this herbal notes, which I really like.

This is going to be a tough choice.

>> Yeah.

What are you gonna pick?

>> Mm.

I think this wine, this riesling reflects the area because you can see the delicacy of the wine.

I also find this minerality and some of the -- the fruitiness that I always have in a riesling.

And it is the most planted grape variety.

I think this will be a great choice to bring to the chef.

You're happy with my choice?

>> Yes.

Happy.

>> Good.

>> The wine is chosen.

It's time to settle on an ingredient.

>> I have to make a decision right now, right here.

I will definitely go with the goat cheese.

>> The goat cheese.

Okay.

>> Absolutely.

It has this, like, velvety, half sandy, but at the end, creamy texture that it really won me over.

A little bit of a challenge for the chef.

Overestimate the subtle taste of goat cheese and then the wines can kill it.

And I want the goat cheese to shine.

So, cheers to goat cheese.

>> Cheers.

>> Before we leave, Marie tells us about a secret garden we should visit at a nearby winery.

Hmm.

First, a chateau, and now a secret garden?

Michigan is magical.

Before we head to such mysterious places, we managed to squeeze in some jazz and some more wine.

Not a bad combo.

For our next wine, we head to Brys Estate, a family winery located at the Old Mission Peninsula, just north of Traverse City.

This is also the home of the mysterious secret garden.

Wonder what that's about.

First, a look inside where a sign greets us.

>> That sign, would you tell me a bit about it?

>> And it says, "All because two people drank wine."

And those two people were my parents, Walt and Eileen Brys, who founded the winery.

And so every time we welcome guests, we have a sign that says why we're all here.

This is our barrel room.

We use French oak.

We humidify these rooms, but then the brick kind of retains that moisture throughout the day so that the barrels don't dry out.

So this is where all the magic happens with our reds.

>> We meet winemaker Coenraad, who lets us sample some pinot noir.

>> It's a great chance to see how this wine is coming along, and I get to do it every day.

>> [ Chuckles ] Lucky you.

>> Coenraad and Patrick escort us through the production area with huge stainless-steel vats on our way to search for our wine and ingredient, using their famous Wine Wagon to transport us around.

>> So, in boarding the Wine Wagon, you need to have your own lanyard with your glass.

>> Oh, I love this!

This is my best, best necklace.

>> [ Laughs ] >> Who wants to drive?

>> I want to drive!

>> Okay, let's go.

>> Ahh!

>> The estate is located on the 45th parallel, the magical line that runs halfway between the equator and the North Pole, home to some of the world's most famous winemaking regions.

While Yolanda heads straight to the secret garden, I drive further into the vineyards with Coenraad to find my wine.

[ Parking brake engages ] >> We are currently in our -- one of our riesling blocks.

Today, we are going to try the Dry Riesling.

When you look at a grape, everything is already in the vineyard, and you end up with a wine that's 11.5% alcohol, and all the layers are there.

>> So your philosophy is basically let the wine be made in the vineyard.

>> Absolutely.

>> And then just refine it when it comes into the cellar.

>> Yes, I do not like manipulating wines in the cellar.

>> This smells lovely.

It has all these, like, white stone fruits.

>> Yes.

>> It's floral.

Super juicy.

Makes you want to have another sip.

>> Cheers.

>> Cheers.

[ Glasses clink ] >> So this is our Pinot Noir.

I call pinot noir the ballerina of reds.

>> Oh.

I call it the diva grape.

>> [ Laughs ] >> Pinot noir makes me happy.

>> Mm.

It is -- >> It's so fresh.

It's so juicy.

It has all these light berries.

I know you talk about dark cherries, but they're not meaty.

They're elegant.

>> Exactly.

>> There's one more wine to be tasted, right?

>> One more mystery wine.

>> Yolanda has finally arrived at the secret garden, consisting of thousands of lavender plants.

>> So, here we are.

>> Ah.

>> Lavender in bloom.

>> Absolutely gorgeous.

I love it.

>> If you've -- As you're doing, if you take your hand and just run through, you're going to be able to pick up that aroma that is found, some of the oil that's in the flowers.

And it's that oil that we use and we distill down and make our bath-and-body products from.

Lavender can do so many things.

And it is a very relaxing thing.

>> Oh, my God.

Look at this table!

I feel like Alice in Wonderland.

In Lavenderland, actually.

[ Laughs ] >> So, I think you should sample some of the lavender.

So, you see it growing here.

>> Yes.

>> This now has been dried, and then it's prepared, ready for -- for cooking.

>> Hey, it is intense but beautiful.

>> Yes.

>> Mmm.

I'm smelling it, I'm tasting it.

I'm showering in it.

Ah.

>> We should try some of the cherries.

We have the dark cherries here from the local area.

Yes.

>> Let's see.

Mmm.

[ Laughs ] I love this.

The acidity.

The subtle sweetness.

But they're -- they're ripe.

They are ripe, but they're not overpowering.

Just sweet.

It is not just syrupy sweet.

I believe that the cherry is such a representative fruit from the area, and I'm always looking for ingredients that will represent the area at its best, or it will be also a little bit of a challenge for the chef.

And if I'm in a cherry land and the girls are going to choose wines, definitely I'm going for the cherry.

>> Well, cheers to cherries.

>> Cheers to cherries.

On together.

>> Cheers.

>> So, last one.

>> Last one.

>> What is it?

You didn't tell me.

>> It's Cabernet Franc.

>> Well... >> This is one of the wines that I'm really proud of because it takes so much work to do it right.

And, for me, it just shows what we can do in a cool climate with a Bordeaux varietal like this.

>> [ Sniffs ] Oh.

Cherries, sweet licorice, anise.

>> Yes.

>> Spices.

>> It has a little bit of that peppery note, too, which is really nice.

>> And that's one of the characteristics of Cabernet Franc.

Once you let this wine sit a little bit, then you're going to start getting more into the leather and a little bit of the tobacco, and the barrel is going to show a little bit more.

>> If it is like you say, that, with a little bit of time, it's going to -- the leather's gonna come out, I'm going to keep this in my glass until we get back to the winery because I want to experience that.

Hmm.

Which wine to choose.

This is going to be a tough one.

>> Ugh!

I'm really, really getting thirsty.

>> Relax.

We're here.

We brought wine.

>> Finally.

>> What do you choose?

>> I haven't decided, actually, 100%.

I wanted to double check again because I think I made up my mind, but I need a final check.

Give me some aromas, quickly, girls.

Some aromas.

>> Cherry.

>> More.

>> Oh, I find this forest floor.

>> Okay, you say it.

>> Yeah?

>> The leather.

>> Ah, the leather.

>> The leather cream.

>> And now I'm sure.

>> Okay.

>> This is our wine.

This is Cabernet Franc.

It has so much cherry in it.

>> Do you know which ingredient did I choose?

>> No.

>> Cherry.

Cheers to that.

>> Cheers.

[ Glasses clinking ] >> We end our visit with a party at the family house.

Eileen and Walt Brys started it all, and it must feel good for them to know that all their hard work is in safe hands with future generations.

A proper family winery.

Cheers!

>> Yolanda, why are we at the beach?

>> We've been walking forever.

>> Well, come on, girls.

After so much delicious wine and food, I thought we could do some exercise.

>> Okay.

>> Tucked in the rural farmland and hills of the Leelanau Peninsula, we find Black Star Farms, a 160-acre estate with its 50-plus wines, ciders, and spirits.

We are on our way to a winery where they make celestial wines.

>> Celestial wines?

What in heaven's name is that?

>> Exactly that.

Heavenly wines.

>> We are greeted by winemaker Lee and owner Sherry, who runs the grand estate.

What a grand hall.

Look at the chandelier.

>> This is where the -- the name Black Star Farms was birthed.

>> Okay.

>> So, this house was a -- built as a private residence and turned into an inn and a winery.

And this floor was here.

So this is original.

And we decided to keep it because it's beautiful.

And what a wonderful opportunity to name our farm Black Star farms and then carry a celestial theme throughout everything.

>> I could get married in a place like this.

>> Could I be your bridesmaid?

>> Yes, you can.

Oh, now we have it on tape.

[ Laughs ] >> Well, then it has to happen.

>> It has to happen.

>> [ Laughs ] >> Oh, weddings make me soft.

But not for long.

I have a task.

Time to find our third and final wine.

But winemaker Lee takes us on a detour through the majestic cherry orchard of the estate.

>> These beautiful black sweets are ready to pick.

>> It's so sweet.

>> So sweet.

>> What type of cherry is this?

>> These are all black sweet cherries that are used primarily for desserts, for fresh eating.

>> When I was a kid, we had a cherry tree in our garden, and we'd sit up in that tree all summer long, and we'd eat, and eventually we'll sit on the top, and we'd go like... [ Spits ] >> [ Laughs ] >> Sorry about that.

>> Should we have a competition?

>> A spitting competition?

>> Yeah, yeah.

Who spits the farthest.

>> One, two, three.

[ All spitting ] >> Oh, I won, for sure.

>> No!

Did you see mine?

>> I could only see mine.

>> While we compare cherry spitting skills, Yolanda is introduced to local delicacies in the kitchen.

>> I'm impressed.

You see so many colors, so many different ingredients, produce.

>> It's all locally sourced.

We grow asparagus, we grow herbs.

We have an organic vegetable garden.

We have a cherry orchard.

>> I'm dying to try the fish.

Yeah.

I'm also very surprised because it's called just whitefish.

I like the simplicity of that.

Whitefish from the Great Lakes, right?

>> That's correct.

>> Okay.

>> And it's a very simple fish, a little light and flaky.

>> Mm-hmm.

Very fine.

A bit more texture than I was expecting, actually.

I think it's very distinctive.

And I love the name -- whitefish from the Great Lakes.

And it's just fish 20 minutes away from here.

I think I'm going to bring this to the chef.

>> Wonderful.

>> Absolutely.

It will be a challenge for the chef, mostly to prepare it in the right way with the wine that I will present him with.

>> Perfect.

>> We got it.

>> Okay.

We're finally ready to taste some wine.

>> So, because we were talking about cherries, I brought a couple of wines that I thought might be kind of fun.

So the first one we're going to taste is the Arcturos Gamay.

So Gamay is a relatively new variety in our region.

Gamay represents a little bit of diversity.

It's not quite as serious, and it's also easier in the vineyard.

It withstands weather changes and weather issues.

>> I find this very, like, luscious raspberries on the palate, which I really like.

>> Yeah.

>> Like, a little bit acidic raspberries.

>> So here we have the Dry Riesling, the Arcturos Dry Riesling.

This is from the Old Mission Peninsula.

It's one of our local AVAs.

>> Cheers.

>> Cheers.

[ Glasses clink ] >> I think, on the nose, we have a lot of, like, stone fruits.

I find, like, this Apricot notes, but it's not going to be, like, really matured apricot.

It's going to be like the younger one, a little bit sour ones.

>> Yeah.

>> It has a lot of floral notes, as well.

I like that.

Not as much as you would find in maybe Alsace or something like that, but it does have, like, a delicate white flower note to it.

>> Okay.

So this is...?

>> This is the Arcturos Pinot Blanc.

>> Definitely some white stone fruit in there.

>> Mm-hmm.

Has a very nice, balanced, citrusy note to it.

>> Yeah.

>> I think this one maybe is the most surprising wine.

Pinot Blanc doesn't normally get this fresh.

And then the, like, small floral notes, the -- the stone fruits.

>> I think I made up my mind, but I'm going to do one last test with this yellow cherry.

>> Mm-hmm.

>> No, it didn't work.

But I still like this.

[ Both laugh ] >> But maybe the cherry's a little bit too sweet.

>> The Pinot Blanc it is.

>> Pinot Blanc.

>> Pinot Blanc.

>> Cheers.

>> It's time for the tasting ceremony at the Grand Traverse Resort & Spa, where Chef Auston Minnich is ready for the challenge to match his cooking with the chosen wines.

Are you up for a challenge?

>> I think I am.

Let's do this.

>> Let the games begin.

>> First up is the Reserve Riesling from Chateau Chantal.

>> Goat cheese.

Okay.

All right.

I'm a little shocked at that.

But you know what?

I think I can work with it.

>> I really don't want you to get this beautiful goat cheese lost among the assuming powerful flavors of this riesling.

>> There could definitely be too much spices added to this dish.

Too much heat will conflict with the alcohol in this dry wine, and that could end up being pretty disastrous.

>> Chef Auston decides to make a goat cheese agnolotti with orange zest for the wine, consisting of homemade pasta filled with goat cheese and citrus to bring out the flavors.

He goes out on a limb and adds spring onion puree with wine-poached figs along with cured speck.

A little bit of microgreens and golden raisins tops it off as garnish.

Will it overpower the wine?

>> Was this what you expected?

>> Most unique for me was the amount of orange zest that was found inside with the goat cheese.

>> Little bit bitterness.

>> Hmm.

Too much zest?

Can't wait to hear the verdict on this one.

Next up is the Cabernet Franc from Brys Estate.

>> What I chose was... >> I'm ready.

>> ...the dark cherries.

>> Dark cherry.

Well, Traverse City, cherry capital of the world.

>> Exactly.

How could I not?

>> Cherries, you know, can -- Especially if they're cooked down a little bit, they're going to bring a lot of sweetness.

So if you put other ingredients that are going to bring more sweetness to the plate, it could overpower the wine.

>> Will the dish be too sweet or cherry-licious?

>> I'm going to do a brined grilled pork chop, simple salt and pepper.

And underneath all that dish is a mascarpone parmesan polenta cake with a dark-cherry apricot compote.

I also took that liquid and rendered it down.

I made a cherry jus.

The sunchoke, we cook it down in cream, and I actually smoked it with the cherry wood.

So I have cherry here, cherry here, and cherry in this.

>> Ooh.

>> Wow.

>> The sweetness of the sauce, a little concerned about.

Then there's a lot of black pepper on the pork, in general.

And so that can be a little bit overpowering if you get the wrong bite.

>> And now the final combo with the Pinot Blanc from Black Star Farms.

>> Okay, Chef.

Oh, please explain.

>> I have a pistachio-crusted whitefish.

A mint pesto orzo.

And what I did with your wine, too, is I made a watermelon gele with it, with pickled shallots, a Meyer lemon beurre blanc.

>> I think it's very smart to put the wine into the gele.

So, points there.

>> If Chef is going to pair with a whitefish, it would be lovely to have a very delicate sauce that might include a little Pinot Blanc.

>> Hmm.

It seems like the chef has tasted some of the pinot while cooking.

>> Here we have a whitefish pistachio crust With a watermelon pinot gele >> Bravo!

>> A little bit... >> A singing chef?

Let's hope the dish lives up to the voice.

Any comments, Sherri?

>> The pistachio caught my attention.

Little bit of a nutty flavor.

I was not expecting that.

>> The unexpected could be good.

The meals are consumed, and it's time for the moment of truth for Chef Auston.

We start with the riesling and the goat cheese combo.

>> I thought it was kind of interesting, the amount of orange zest, was it, that was inside with the goat cheese?

>> Yeah.

Was it too much?

>> I think sometimes if you got a big bite of it, it might have been a little too bitter with the wine.

>> Understandable.

>> Uh-oh.

>> But when you put a little bit of everything that was on that plate together on the same bite, the smokiness from the speck, saltiness, the sweetness, in my mind, superbly complemented the bright racing acidity that that wine has.

>> Yeah.

>> Good.

Marie's happy.

And now, Patrick.

>> There was a lot of black pepper on the pork.

Sometimes pepper can overpower the wine a little bit.

>> Hmm.

Too heavy on the black pepper.

>> But when balanced with the sweetness of the cherries that you brought in, it just made the most perfect harmony in the dish with the wine.

Just a great job and a really beautiful dish that I think really complemented the wine.

>> Thank you.

Thank you.

>> I could have that two days a week because that was really, really good.

>> Last, but not least, Sherri.

>> When I tasted that little gele and then had some of the wine, it pulled out the flavor of the watermelon.

It was incredible.

>> I still not sure about the watermelon in the dish.

I maybe will have done exactly the same gele because I think it was a great idea.

>> I loved the pistachio crust.

It's very representative of encrusting a whitefish in this region.

Very well done.

Very nice.

>> Thank you.

>> Thank you.

>> I still could not stop eating it, so I think that says something, right?

>> That's a good thing.

>> Exactly.

>> I took some risks, and, hopefully, some of them paid off.

But I thoroughly enjoyed -- you all enjoyed everything, so thank you all.

Cheers.

>> Cheers.

>> Cheers.

[ Glasses clinking ] >> Salud.

>> Salud.

>> All in all, a success, with wines and a menu that reflect this beautiful cherry capital of the world.

A sweet place full of tasty experiences we will cherish for a long time.

>> For more inspiration, visit us at winefirsttv.com.

>> Funding for this series has been provided in part by the following.

>> No, take me home >> VGAN Chocolate.

Norwegian flavor.

Available in Walmart stores.