Lean into summertime in northern Michigan by immersing yourself in the short-stories and tales of Ernest Hemingway.

Educator, author, and local historian, Michael Federspiel, will provide an illustrated journey through Hemingway's cherished Michigan memories; from tales of his family's journey across the great lakes via steamboat, to his early childhood explorations. Dive deep into the places he loved, his family's summer traditions, and the profound influence of Michigan on Hemingway's literary journey. Mike will be the first speaker in our 2024 Author’s and Poets series on the evening of July 23rd, 2024.

The $15 ticket includes admission, delightful sweet treats, and coffee/tea. Glasses of wine will be available to purchase. Doors open at 6:30 pm, with the discussion beginning at 7 pm. Doors open at 6:30 pm, with the discussion beginning at 7 pm.

ABOUT THE AUTHOR

Michael Federspiel is an educator who retired from the Midland Public Schools (where he was a teacher and administrator) and Central Michigan University (where he was a member of the History Department). He also previously served as the Executive Director of the Little Traverse Historical Society in Petoskey and as the Michigan Hemingway Society’s president for over a decade. Wayne State University Press published his two books – Little Traverse Bay: Past and Present (2014) and Picturing Hemingway’s Michigan (2010). Federspiel's Hemingway book was recognized as a Notable Book by the State Library of Michigan.

“Ernest Hemingway spent every summer in northern Michigan from birth until he went off to World War I in 1918. He then returned again for the next two summers and was married at Horton Bay in 1921. He next moved to Paris and began writing short stories set in the Michigan he knew so well. His first novel – The Torrents of Spring – was set in Petoskey. This illustrated talk focuses on the Michigan places he experienced, his family’s summer activity, and the impact this state had on him both personally and professionally.” – Mike Federspiel

Along the serene shores of Lake Michigan, the Leelanau Peninsula offers lush vineyards and acclaimed wineries, providing a taste of Michigan's finest wines. Let's take a journey through the best loved wineries of the Leelanau Peninsula, with a special focus on the offerings of Gilchrist Farm Winery.

Exploring the Leelanau Peninsula's Wineries

The Leelanau Peninsula’s wine trail is the perfect starting place to learn about the abundant options for a day of wine tasting. Many transportation companies can enhance your trip with the safety and knowledge of a great driver. Let’s learn about a few of our favorite stops on the wine trail:

Good Harbor Vineyards: Located in the heart of the peninsula, Good Harbor Vineyards is known for its award winning portfolio of wines for every taste. Guests can enjoy tastings of their acclaimed Harbor Red or Fishtown White and also find it available in most grocery stores throughout the state. Fun Fact: Gilchrist Farm Winery and Good Harbor share the same winemaker, Drew Perry.

Rove Estate Vineyard & Winery: Perched atop the highest point on the peninsula, Rove Estate offers a breathtaking setting for wine enthusiasts to enjoy views of their vineyard. From crisp whites to robust reds, their wines reflect the unique characteristics of the region, making each sip memorable. Visit during sunset for an unforgettable wine-tasting experience as the sky transforms into a canvas of colors.

Shady Lane Cellars: Tucked away amidst rolling hills and lush vineyards, Shady Lane Cellars is celebrated for its elegant blaufränkisch and welcoming tasting room. This is our top recommendation!

Leelanau Cellars: With a legacy spanning over four decades, Leelanau Cellars is a cornerstone of the peninsula's wine scene. Visitors are offered to explore their extensive portfolio of wines, while watching the waves at Omena Bay. Their fruit wines stand out as fun, accessible wine that can be purchased almost anywhere in the state.

Culinary Offerings at Gilchrist Farm Winery

Now, let's turn our attention to the wine and culinary experiences at Gilchrist Farm Winery.

Local Farm-to-Table: Gilchrist Farm is committed to the farm-to-table ethos, sourcing fresh seasonal ingredients from their fields and local farms to create dishes that celebrate the flavors of the Leelanau Peninsula. From heirloom tomatoes to pasture-raised meats, each ingredient is thoughtfully selected to ensure a sustainable and flavorful culinary experience. The back page of the menu lists the farms that supply ingredients used in each dish.

Seasonal Menus: Embracing the seasons, Gilchrist Farm's menus change with the harvest, offering guests a culinary journey through the flavors of the region. Whether it's a hearty stew in autumn or a vibrant salad in summer, each dish showcases the bounty of the land in its purest form.

Excellent Wine: Each wine is crafted to enhance the true flavors of Leelanau with special respect for the varieties that thrive in this area. The wine maker, Drew Perry, has created wonderful expressions of the land for connoisseurs as well as casual drinkers. Easy drinking and complexity and are both contained in each bottle.

Commitment to Sustainability: Guided by a deep respect for the land, Gilchrist Farm is dedicated to regenerative farming for both their market garden and vineyard. This approach goes beyond organic and focuses on soil health, biodiversity, and environmental conservation. By nurturing the land and embracing the rhythms of nature, the farm creates a culinary experience that is mindful of its impact on the planet. Fun Fact: As far as we know, this is the only winery in Michigan to using regenerative farming techniques.

As you journey through the Leelanau Peninsula, be sure to savor the culinary offerings at Gilchrist Farm Winery and the other wonderful wineries of the region. From vineyard to table, each dish tells a story of passion, tradition, and the bounty of the land. Raise a glass to the spirit of exploration and discovery as you experience the culinary joys of Michigan's wine country. Cheers to the Leelanau Peninsula – where every meal is a celebration of the senses and a tribute to the beauty of nature.

Plan your trip today and explore the best of Michigan’s wine country!

A free glass of wine every time you come in is just one of the benefits we give to wine club members.

We wanted a fresh take on clubs for you wine lovers; something that made you part of our farm-to-table lifestyle. In Leelanau, we live by the seasons, taking each in turn and celebrating the small signs in nature that get us excited for the next one.

We are always amazed at the generosity of the people who support our mission of caring for the land and wanting to know where our food comes from. That generosity has been shown through neighbors, family and friends who we serve in person or ship our wine to. So many of you have posted on social media, left reviews and proudly wear our merch around town. We needed a way to say thank you for all your support, so when we developed our wine club we were thinking of you.

Through the benefits of our club, we hope you’ll find it easy to stop by for a snack and a pour on weekdays or when escaping work. We also want to be there for you when planning birthdays or when your family comes to visit. We hope you’ll join us to support our regenerative farming and made-from-scratch way of life.

WINE CLUB BENEFITS 

Complimentary Pours: When you visit, you and a guest can enjoy a complimentary glass of wine. It's as simple as informing your server that you’re a wine club member and providing your name. 

Discounts: Enjoy 15% off beverages, bottles of wine, and branded merchandise in the tasting room and online. For in-person purchases, let your server know you’re a wine club member and provide them with your name. 

Birthday Dessert and Bubbly: Join us during your birthday month and delight in a complimentary birthday dessert and a glass of bubbly. To take advantage of this benefit, let your server know that you’re a wine club member, and that it’s your birthday month! 

Early Access: Be among the first to purchase our limited edition, estate grown wines, get first dibs on holiday reservations, and get early access to ticketed events (plus 10% off!). No matter what we’re dreaming up, you’ll be the first to know (via email)!

Peak Season Reservations: Though we don’t accept reservations during the busy summer months, wine club members are the special exception. To reserve a table, simply give us a call and let us know that you’re a wine club member. 

February is a busy month at Gilchrist. In addition to our tasting flights and our current seasonal menu, we will be serving up specials for two unique events coming up quick this February.

First up, we will be offering a special menu for you and your Valentine or Galentine! Our chefs are cooking up, not one but two dinner specials and a new dessert, all of which complement the winter menu! Cozy up for a night out or an afternoon filled with the food of love!

Valentines Day Specials include

Burrata Salad with arugula mix, dried cherries, toasted almonds, riesling reduction, lemon extra virgin olive oil, and fresh cracked pepper.

Mangalitsa Pork Chop with shiitake parmesan risotto, barrel oaked chardonnay beurre blanc garnished with fried rosemary.

Citrus Mille Feuille with lemon and blood orange curd, sour cherry pastry cream garnished with beet powder.

Coming up, February 25th we will be participating in Traverse City Restaurant Week. For this week we will be offering a three course meal for $45(pp before taxes). This is a great opportunity to sample a fantastic offering of what our dynamic and talented chefs can create.

We strongly recommend reservations to ensure we have a table set aside just for you and your party.

Link to reserve your table below:

Reserve Your Table

Happy New Year! The kitchen crew has been working hard to develop a new and exciting menu to kick off 2024. We are thrilled to launch our new menu, starting on January 3rd at 4 pm for dinner service!

If you’ve visited us before, you may notice a handful of changes when you visit us next! Don’t fret, we have made updates and improvements to ensure your experience is as comfortable as possible.

We are no longer utilizing the QR codes at any of the tables or dining/beverage areas. Instead, we are operating on a full-service model, with our tasting room staff ensuring that your order is taken, food is delivered, and wine is poured. We are excited to connect with our customers on a deeper level using this updated service model.

Lunch service begins at 11 am and ends at 4 pm. Dinner service will start at 4 pm until close. Many of our menu items cross over between lunch and dinner, so you can always snag a mid-afternoon glass of wine and a bite to eat.

Our new menu will feature some lighter options such as a bright Citrus Kale Salad or an Ancient Grain Salad with roasted winter root vegetables. We will also be serving a house-made tagliatelle with a lamb ragu and a mint gremolata and a menu staple, our Brie Wheel with roasted garlic and a housemade jam!

As usual, our menu strives to reflect the seasons as best as possible, and changes and modifications to the menu are possible as the availability of produce ebbs and flows through the winter.

We’re taking the time this holiday season to reflect and recharge. As we reflect, we are incredibly grateful for the journey that we have traveled since our doors opened in September. The entire crew has poured their heart and soul into the space, the menu, and the service to the customers, each other, and the community. We are filled with gratitude for our guests and our small crew.

In the spirit of the season, we are taking a short break to allow our staff and families to rest, unwind, and recharge with their loved ones.

To all of our guests who have come from near and far to visit us during our first few months, we extend our heartfelt gratitude. In the coming weeks, we have several special updates and announcements that we are thrilled the share. Stay tuned for more info and come see us in January for an all-new menu with expanded dinner offerings!

It’s been a journey, thank you for joining us!

Today, we’re chatting with Laurel Huntoon, daughter of the vineyard owners and the soil scientist behind the estate farm in the vineyard.

We asked Laurel to answer a few questions!

Hi, my name is Laurel Huntoon, and I love plants. I love growing them, cooking them, and eating them. I am passionate about regenerative agriculture and healing with food. I've been living in Suttons Bay for five years now and love being a part of this sweet and friendly community. I am glad to share my passion with them and anybody that comes to the tasting room. 

What is your favorite food to eat and cook?

My favorite food to eat and cook are peppers, both hot and sweet. I love how much flavor they add to so many dishes, how versatile they are and how many varieties there are. I have about 15 different varieties that I use in my own kitchen and they all have their own purpose and flavor. 

If you were a piece of produce, what would you be?

I think I would be a carrot. I much prefer cool spring and fall weather to the heat, and I'm usually covered in dirt when you pull me out of the garden!

How did you get into the soil science field?

I am passionate about health and healing, and using food as medicine, but that's hard to do when the food is growing in dead soil and covered in chemicals. I searched and tried many different growing methods for years trying to find a way to grow food that was the most nutritious and safe that it could be, and found the Soil Food Web. It goes beyond just being organic but restorative. So not just not using chemical sprays but putting life back into the soil to make it healthy again. 

What aspect of your work is most rewarding? What aspect is the most challenging?  

I love planting a tiny seed, like a tomato for example, and then getting 50 pounds of produce from that tiny seed, that I can eat or preserve for later. That is such a rewarding feeling, and it's so cool knowing all of that food came from a seed smaller than a grain of rice. 

The most challenging part of the job is some sort of pest coming along and attacking your plants that you have been carefully tending to for so long. For example, I had only one tomato hornworm in my garden this year. One singular worm, but it defoliated several plants in ONE DAY! Thankfully I found it munching away before it could reproduce or wreak more havoc, but it's devastating to go to bed knowing your garden looks great and then going the next day to find several plants destroyed. 

What are you looking forward to on the farm in the coming year? 

I'm excited to finally try the purple asparagus I planted. The general guidelines are to wait for three years to harvest asparagus from your patch and so I have been patiently waiting for the past couple of years to get to try them. There might also be a small harvest from our orchard trees next year that I'm looking forward to!

Do you have a motto or a set of phrases that you live by, and care to share with us? 

The same phrase that a fellow farmer I know uses, which is "There is always next year." So you might have something destroy your crops or you might not be able to plant what you wanted to or whatever it is, but you can always try again next year.