All articles were written by Paul Brady and originally appeared here at It’s About That Time, unless otherwise stated.
Wine and Jazz Magazine (4/2011)
Conversin’ With The Elders Of The Past (6/24/2010)
15 years after his album Conversin’ With The Elders was released, James Carter continues to musically communicate with those who have inspired him the most.
I often think the multireedist James Carter is able to telepathically channel the creative spirit of the passed musicians he admires. He has paid tribute to many through composition or even full length albums, among them Eric Dolphy, Billie Holiday, and Django Reinhardt. In the case of Reinhardt, and possibly others, the reason for Mr. Carter’s telepathy may be that he has taken it upon himself to visit the final resting place of the original jazz guitar hero, for a first and final musical conversation.
Yesterday, I came across Mr. Carter’s Facebook status: “Just returned from Samois-sur-Seine and it is so peaceful there! I played a couple of his [Reinhardt] songs at the grave site and left the tenor reed there in the flower bin. Can’t wait to play the fest!”
Samois-sur-Seine is a small village outside of Fontainebleu, France, where Django Reinhardt retired. Each June, there is a jazz festival there dedicated to his memory. This will be the first time — the centennial year of Reinhardt’s birth at that — Mr. Carter will perform at the festival. “It’s been 10 years in the making on doing this festival, and we’re going to make it count!” Mr. Carter reported on Facebook.
Carter is perhaps the most interesting musician to be a part of the Reinhardt resurgence today. Born in Detroit, Michigan in 1969, Carter is a product of the then excellent Detroit public schools music system. Along with his classmate, bassist Rodney Whitaker, Carter would become associated with the neoconservative 1990’s group of musicians labeled the “Young Lions” of jazz — though he has certainly become more than that. His approach to improvising remains impossible to categorize: he combines elements from the avant-garde, having been mentored by Lester Bowie of Chicago’s AACM, with a deep knowledge of the jazz tradition. And his technique on the saxophone is beyond virtuosic.
“He knows the history of the saxophone inside and out,” jazz historian Dan Morgenstern told me of Carter. One aspect of Carter’s ability that makes him such a great fit for Reinhardt-style playing is that he is able to emulate guitar techniques on the saxophone, likely something that attracted him to the style in the first place. Carter performs a technique on the saxophone called “slap tonguing.” This is something done with the tongue on the reed/mouthpiece of the instrument that makes a very percussive sound, and when executed in the altissimo range, it sounds strikingly like a guitar harmonic. And through false fingerings, Carter can also emulate guitar tremolos. These extended techniques opened a totally new arena for him to explore through his instrument, on which he has so much control and ability, conventional saxophone playing has never been something that he dwells on very long during his improvisations.
This is not to say that he does not have a command of the swing and bebop vocabulary; he does, and well beyond that into the avant-garde. But what is so frightening about Carter’s playing is his time and the power to make you feel notes in the back of your throat. I find this especially interesting because it was Reinhardt’s time that Coleman Hawkins admired so much that he specifically mentioned it to Morgenstern in conversation.
Carter’s 2000 release Chasin the Gypsy (Atlantic) features mostly Reinhardt-style repertoire in a somewhat traditional instrumentation. Carter is joined by his cousin Regina Carter on violin, Romero Lubambo on nylon string guitar, Jay Berliner (though Howard Alden was rehearsed for the session but the date was changed and Alden was previously engaged for a tour) on steel string guitar, Charlie Giordano on accordion, Cyro Baptista on percussion, Steve Kirby on bass, and Joey Baron on drums.
Chasin’ the Gypsy is a roller coaster ride through original, standard, and Reinhardt compositions. It is one of the few recordings made entirely in tribute to Reinhardt that is not led by a guitarist. Carter’s two most recent recordings, Present Tense (Emarcy 2008), and Heaven on Earth: Live at the Blue Note (Half Note 2009), include the Reinhardt compositions “Pour Que Ma Vie Demeure,” and “Diminishing,” respectively. These recordings were made with a more straight-ahead jazz instrumentation. Present Tense includes D.D. Jackson on piano, James Genus on bass, Victor Lewis on drums, Dwight Adams on trumpet, and Rodney Jones on guitar. Heaven on Earth: Live at the Blue Note includes John Medeski on organ and co-leading, Christian McBride on bass, Adam Rogers on guitar, and Baron on drums. The instrumentations of these very contemporary stylistic jazz musicians makes for an interesting take on the Reinhardt compositions, especially. On these recordings Carter cuts to the edge of modernism, using Reinhardt’s inspiration as a vehicle.
The festival in Samois-sur-Seine is a multi-day event, packed with energetic Reinhardt stylists, modern and traditional jazz performers, and campfire jam sessions that can last until the next morning’s café au lait. Carter, with his enthusiasm and stamina (at his 40th birthday party I witnessed him blow on the Benny Golson tune “Killer Joe” for upwards of 45 minutes) will have no problem fitting in.
Everything You Need To Know About Wine Bars (8/17/2010)
OMG! Hot shot sommelier Paul Greico’s new wine bar, Terroir Tribeca.
If you don’t know what to expect when you walk into a wine bar, please allow me to enlighten you: for your parched palate, lots of wines offered by the glass and bottle, maybe a few boutique beers, perhaps cocktails. On the menu will be tapas, breads and cheeses, desserts. You will look instantly more attractive sitting in the dim lighting against a background of exposed brick, but this won’t matter because here’s a list of who’s there also: uninterested industry types, couples on dates, and large groups of women—a token husband or boyfriend occasionally floats on the periphery—but don’t approach this group of lit-up lovelies: it’s “girls night.”
You get my point. Every single wine bar in New York City that I’ve visited is exactly the same. (Yes, this includes the industry favorite, the Ten Bells.) The “date night” formula for wine bars and wine drinking is just that: dated. It adds to the stuffiness that the wine industry is desperately trying to rid itself of.
I could go on about what I like and don’t like about the city’s wine bars, but there is a new one to review here. And it was opened by Paul Greico, a rock star Canadian sommelier soldiering in the trenches of New York’s war-without-end to get bent. So I was not surprised to read Time Out New York’s description of Greico and native New York chef Marco Canora’s new wine bar, Terroir Tribeca:
“Tattooed sommeliers and a rock-anthem soundtrack rarely feature in the stuffy world of wine bars. But Terroir Tribeca — the second location of Paul Grieco and Marco Canora’s shrine for oeno-geeks — isn’t your average chardonnay-and-cheese joint.”
Yes it is.
Except that you can’t get a glass of chardonnay. The only white wines currently being poured by the glass at both Terroir locations (the other is in the East Village) are rieslings. Mr. Greico, a riesling radical, has declared this summer the “Summer of Rieslings.” But the riesling on tap and the indie-hip-binder-notebook-thingy (designed by pop art graphic designer Steven Solomon) functioning as the menu don’t change the fact that this is still a wine bar like any other.
Mr. Greico is a passionate, creative sommelier and his wine lists reflect that. So if all you’re looking to do is sample lots of wines enhanced by Chef Canora’s stellar plates, you won’t be disappointed. But if you’re looking for wine in a friendly — maybe even a little rowdy — communal pub-like setting, ignore the hype and stick to your pub.
“There’s definitely no “single dudes” drinking beer here,” my friend observed this past Saturday evening at Terroir, despite a nice draft selection. This is likely because there is no single beer available for less than seven dollars. Those delicious, poundable, addictive, Victory Prima Pils’s (priced at six dollars or less in every other bar in New York I’ve been to) will creep up on your tab fast.
I long for the day when I find a place that serves excellent wine, beer, cocktails, and food, with the warm, casual atmosphere of your favorite pub. The last thing I’m asking for is a bar with an identity crisis. My utopian, all-encompassing bar will have to be brain-stormed by a visionary with the utmost in booze appreciation and a knack for knowing how to bring people together with the same goals: eat, drink, hang, maybe make a new friend, or (OK, I’ll just say it) even have a one night stand.
After all, nothing enhances conversation (to say nothing of your looks and personality) more than wine. So how come at wine bars no one is talking to anyone other than who they came with?
Note: If you know the power-up to break through the force field that surrounds the wolf packs of girls at wine bars, please share in the comments section.
Bryce Dessner: Classical Guitar Hero (5/28/2010)
The popular New York indie-rock band the National released “High Violet” (4AD) this month. And even in their post “blues solo” style, a guitar phenom exists within.
Bryce Dessner, the Brooklyn composer and guitarist, spends more time on the road with the indie-rock band the National than in classical concert halls or conservatories. But that could change as he writes a growing number of commissioned works for classical ensembles, and as he continues to find a natural balance between these two musical worlds.
During his time as a graduate student at Yale, Mr. Dessner was the co-winner, with Cuban guitarist Rene Izquierdo, of the Yale Prize for guitar. And in 2006, Dessner composed “Memorial,” for guitar, viola and percussion, on commission from the New York Guitar Festival. But the work which will perhaps add the name Bryce Dessner to the list of frequently tapped American composers will likely be “Aheym” (Homeward), for string quartet. Commissioned by the internationally renowned Kronos Quartet, the work was premiered last year at Prospect Park’s annual summer series Celebrate Brooklyn!
“Ensembles are now looking to the younger generation of composers for new works,” Dessner, 34, said speaking by phone recently. Although part of that generation, Dessner has spent ample time hanging around and performing with established New York composers like Steve Reich, Philip Glass, Michael Gordon, and Julia Wolfe.
David Harrington, founder of the Kronos Quartet, thought it felt right to collaborate on a project after contributing to “Dark Was The Night,” a 2009 compilation produced by Bryce and brother Aaron Dessner, as a benefit for the HIV and Aids charity, Red Hot Organization.
With Reich, Glass, Gordon, and many others as models, Dessner co-founded Clogs (with multi-instrumentalist Padma Newsome), a contemporary instrumental ensemble with an emphasis on collective improvisation. In addition to their own records on Brassland, in February of last year Clogs was featured in a collaboration with the Brooklyn Philharmonic, performing their own music. And recently, Clogs played an important role at the second annual Big Ears Music Festival in Knoxville Tennessee — which included the composer Terry Riley in residence — of which Dessner was a co-producer. Riley had this to say to the New York Times on Clogs: “They were a hit for me. Great performers, great writing. I’m going to buy their cd when I get home.”
Dessner calls his compositional style Micro Minimalism.
“It’s a combination of minimalism and folk elements. I’m also influenced by Bartok, Varese and Messiaen.”
At roughly seven and a half minutes, “Memorial” (2006) begins with a Spanish influenced theme of mixed modes stated on a classical guitar, which then transfers to a variation on viola, leaving the guitar and percussion to develop thick, underlying textures.
“Aheym” for string quartet is in a driving, Minimalist-rock-guitar influenced mood, with the theme built around hypnotic repetitions of phrases. Melody develops in the cello with a sudden shift to soft dynamics before returning to pulsing rhythms and a strong finish.
Dessner points to Mark Stewart as one of the first electric guitarists to establish a place for the instrument in contemporary classical music. Stewart is a member of the acclaimed contemporary classical ensemble the Bang on a Can All Stars, in which Dessner is a frequent substitute. (The Bang on a Can All Stars comes from “Bang on a Can,” a composer’s collective started by Gordon, Wolfe, and David Lang, for the advocacy of new music.)
“For a while, Bang on a Can was using pit orchestra guitarists,” Dessner mentioned (undoubtedly for their more than competent reputation as sight readers). “Then Mark came along with this monstrous ability and made it possible for composers to really write for the electric guitar.”
Stewart has stayed busy over the years playing guitar with Paul Simon, among others. So after hearing Dessner play with the National — and becoming aware of his reputation as a superb guitarist and serious composer — Stewart asked him to audition for a substitute role in the Bang on a Can All Stars.
I asked Mr. Dessner if he had ever performed “Hout” (1991), a work by the Dutch composer Louis Andriessen with an infamously difficult electric guitar part, written for the Bang on a Can All Stars.
“No. I’ve played ‘Worker’s Union,’ by Andriessen several times with Bang on a Can. But never ‘Hout.’ I’ve looked at it though.”
The electric guitar, which many classical music listeners still consider suspect because of its dubious association with rock, blues, jazz, and video games has a long way to go before it becomes a go-to instrument for composers. But lately major guitarists — John Scofield, Trey Anastasio, in addition to Dessner and others — have been performing music for electric guitar and orchestra in major concert halls, with major orchestras. And with musicians like Bryce Dessner gracefully continuing to bring two previously foreign worlds together, there may soon be a place for the Stratocaster along side the Stradivarius.
Ontario Wine Tasting With A Passionate Canadian Sommelier
(From the Blog at Wine and Jazz Magazine)
The farmland along the Canadian side of Lake Huron is dotted with giant white windmills that make the otherwise tower-like silos look toddler-sized by comparison. If you head north on Highway 81 past the popular Pinery Provincial Park, through the vibrant, bikini and tee-shirt town of Grand Bend, you’ll eventually come to Bayfield, a charming Victorian resort village, home to Canadian sommelier Ted McIntosh and his pub, the Black Dog.
One way to describe Bayfield, with its tree-lined main street hosting a number of boutiques, restaurants, inns, and a path down to the coast, is to say that it resembles the Ontario wine country town of Niagara-on-the-Lake. Prior to moving to Bayfield, Mr. McIntosh and his wife Kathleen, a food writer, lived and worked in the Niagara food and wine industry, making them the perfect power couple to report on Ontario’s buzzed-about wines.
“Kathleen has written nine books now and I’ve done all the wine pairings for them,” Mr. McIntosh said as he presented me a copy of their book A Year In Niagara (Whitecap), an Ontarionian take on the 1989 best seller A Year In Provence.
Mr. McIntosh’s career in the beverage industry began as a bartender in Toronto. His fascination with wine and spirits eventually led him to the WSET (Wine and Spirit Education Trust) sequence, out of London, England. In 1995 he began the Sommelier program at George Brown College. When asked about his move to Niagara, he is succinct:
“We wanted out of Toronto.”
His career outside the big city began with a job at the Niagara Brewing Company, followed by stints in the vineyards and sales with the Ontario winery Henry of Pelham. It was research for a book on Bed and Breakfasts that finally brought the McIntoshes to Bayfield, where they had planned to buy a B & B.
“I changed my mind,” Mr. McIntosh laughed, and in 2005 they opened a restaurant in a mid-19th century building on Main Street: the Black Dog Village Pub and Bistro .
The Black Dog is open year round and features an eclectic array of live music, including jazz, pop, and folk, and a seasonal locavore menu. “Food, just like wine and beer, is all about feel and mood,” Mr. McIntosh believes. Try the chicken or vegetable curry, prepared perhaps by their son, chef Andrew McIntosh, with the Cave Spring “Dolomite” Riesling. And I find the crispy fish tacos pair beautifully with the Gamay, also from Cave Spring.
The bar is currently being remodeled to feature 20 draft beers. And the expansive, impressive whiskey and single malt list is a by-product of Mr. McIntosh’s love and knowledge for the spirits, inspired by his days in the single malt importing business.
On the patio of the Black Dog — the family’s actual black lab, Danny, resting beside us — Mr. McIntosh and I sipped the Sibling Rivalry Pink, a Rosé from Henry of Pelham. It has a bouquet of minerals and rose petals, and lush flavors of citrus and strawberry yogurt. Other Ontario darlings on the list at the Black Dog have included bottles from the wineries of Malivoire, Revine, Lailey, and of course the Gamays and award-winning Rieslings of Cave Spring .
Though there are currently some more than just drinkable Bordeaux style blends being produced in Ontario (the Henry of Pelham Sibling Rivalry Red comes to mind, at just $14), Mr. McIntosh explains to me that the focus of the Ontario wine industry will likely shift to grapes that can thrive in the cool climate: Pinot, Gamay and Baco Noir; Riesling, Gewürztraminer, Chardonnay.
“They’re taking a very good look at Pinot Noir,” Mr. McIntosh says. “There are two or three collaborations going on with producers in Burgundy, and they’re analyzing the soil from Niagara and realizing that Pinot Noir can be done in Ontario.” According to Mr. McIntosh, some Burgundy producers have even bought property there.
Ontario’s wineries are far from household names in the wine industry, so Mr. McIntosh is practical when it comes to designing his wine list for The Black Dog.
“We have a lot to learn, but I think we can start talking about house style when it comes to the best Niagara wineries,” he asserts. “For three years here, I served only Niagara wines. Then I decided I better serve a Pinot Grigio from Veneto, or an Australian Shiraz. But I’m still about 75% Ontario.”
Dudagilbert (5/27/10)
Allan Kozinn’s recent article in the New York Times on Gustavel Dudamel’s visit with the Los Angeles Philharmonic got me to thinking about a few things.
The opening seasons of Gustavo Dudamel and Alan Gilbert’s music directorships of the Los Angeles and New York Philharmonics respectively, have been covered so comprehensively — almost as much, it seems, as the start of the Obama presidency — that soon there may be little left to say.
The forced comparisons of Mr. Dudamel, 29, and Mr. Gilbert, 43, are many and boring: how Mr. Dudamel being Latino and Mr. Gilbert being a native New Yorker played into their appointments; how young they are (and I know 40 is the new 30, but 43 just doesn’t seem young compared with 29); and whether or not they’ll become fixtures on the Lakers and Knicks’ scenes.
But there are still a few points that might merit a thought or two.
Take Mr. Dudamel’s position as principal conductor of the Gothenburg Symphony Orchestra in Sweden. Why is it almost never spoken of? Let’s not forget the prestige of this job, or the quality of this orchestra (whose stellar recordings on Deutsche Grammophon and other labels are widely available). After all, this is an orchestra once directed by the veteran maestros Charles Dutoit, and Neeme Jarvi. And it’s in an old world, socialist country where funds for the arts come in huge amounts from the state, and classical music is more firmly ingrained in the culture. A place, unlike Los Angeles, where marketing, youth, and great hair is of less importance when it comes to filling seats. What matters more in Sweden is solid conducting, which clearly Mr. Dudamel is capable of.
And Mr. Dudamel is also capable of filling seats, of course. All of his home concerts with the Los Angeles Philharmonic this season were sold out. It’s possible the increase in numbers are a result of his outreach to the Latino communities of southern California. Or maybe he’s just that good. Either way, this is great news for classical music anywhere.
Here in New York, the seats are not always filled at Avery Fischer Hall, but Mr. Gilbert’s circumstances may be less ideal — from a certain point of view — than Mr. Dudamels. Unlike Mr. Dudamel, Mr. Gilbert, working in New York City, faces tough competition nightly. Just steps away from the Philharmonic’s home is the Metropolitan Opera, the New York City Opera and the New York City Ballet. Expand the radius a bit and you have hundreds of Broadway musical theaters, jazz clubs, and or course, Carnegie Hall, with all their visiting orchestras. You could see a different one every week for an entire season, and never attend a New York Philharmonic concert.
Mr. Dudamel was obviously the right choice for the L.A. Philharmonic. So rather than keep making comparisons, shouldn’t we consider taking the opposite approach and ask, was Mr. Gilbert the right choice for the New York Philharmonic?
When I imagine the ideal conductor for the New York City orchestra, I think of the history of music in New York, and three genres pop into my head first: classical, musical theater, and jazz. How knowledgeable is Mr. Gilbert in pop and jazz? With all the cross over composing that is going on in the 21st century amongst those genres, I would think a conductor having accredited experience with all three would be a dream come true for the New York Philharmonic.
And it can’t be someone who has only dabbled in jazz. It would need to be one of the cats. Andre Previn comes to mind as someone having at least accomplished fluency in all three genres, but I don’t know of a major orchestra conductor these days who has performed convincingly as an instrumentalist in a jazz setting — as Previn has. I’ve read that Bramwell Tolvoy is a jazz pianist, but I’ve never heard him play.
It’s not inconceivable that such a musician will exist one day. Jazz musicians have experience in composing, arranging (both of which conductors need to be skilled in), and more often than not they have preformed as classical musicians. Jazz pianists Brad Mehldau and Ethan Iverson both work in classical settings, as well as jazz/pop guitarist Marc Ribot, to name just a few. Maybe in school jazz musicians are not encouraged often enough to try orchestral conducting. Maybe they don’t how much money conductors can make.
I don’t think Mr. Gilbert is inadequate for New York. Far from it. His programing of contemporary music is especially note worthy. It’s genuine, creative, different from that of Lorin Maazel and Kurt Masur, even reminiscent of the Boulez days, but perhaps programed with more care, and for a ready audience.
In the mean time, the constant comparisons between Mr. Gilbert and Mr. Dudamel serve only to increase the pressure on them both. Maybe we should stop handicapping the orchestras’ selections while they continue to get themselves established, and let them, as Leonard Slatkin tells his conducting students, shut up and conduct.
The Midwest Wine State (3/31/2011)
“Great Lakes, Great Times,” the highway signs promised on the way into Michigan from its neighbors — Indiana, Ohio, and in certain places even from the south, Canada — for most of my life. For the last few years, and perhaps more appropriately, “Pure Michigan,” has been the state’s motto. Because while the lakes remain great, the times have been better. But one thing that has never been better are the wines of Michigan.
We are all familiar with the heartbreaking tragedy that is Detroit. Less well known is Michigan’s bustling wine industry, which, I can only hope, might one day help stimulate the state’s economy through increased oeno-geekism, while simultaneously providing an elixir to Michiganders during the darker times.
“I’ve always wanted to go to Michigan,” wrote Eric Asimov, wine critic for the New York Times in a 2010 Diner’s Journal blog entry. “It has what I imagine to be a thriving wine country.” And while Mr. Asimov’s thoughts were focused on the award-winning rieslings of the Old Mission Peninsula AVA, don’t ignore the red wines of the mitten state, including those of Bowers Harbor Vineyards.
As you pull up to Bowers Harbor Vineyards on Old Mission Peninsula, near Traverse City in the north western part of the state, Brix, a 110 pound Berenese Mountain Dog, will give you a friendly greeting and may even rest at your feet while you sip wine. The tasting room is a rustic old horse barn turned winery, and the people of Bowers Harbor are eager to teach you about their wines and Michigan wine country.
I recently tasted the 2896 Langley: a blend of 65% cabernet franc, 32% merlot, and 3 % cabernet sauvignon, from the 2007 vintage. (Langley is the single vineyard designated to wine maker/proprietor Spencer Stengenga’s grandfather, and 2896 is the address of Bowers Harbor.) With a complex bouquet of strawberry preserves, licorice, ginger, mint leaves, and tasting of spicy green pepper notes on the mid palate, this midwestern American wine could easily be mistaken as old world — perhaps a byproduct of French oak barrel aging and the studying of French wine-making by Mr. Stengenga.
While 2006 proved to be an elegant vintage for Bowers Harbor, tasting room manager Kristy McClellan assured me that 2007 has been their best vintage to date for reds:
“We don’t make this wine every year, but 2006 and 2007 were great. We individually taste each barrel and come up with the wine after a few blending trials. The 2008 vintage will be the first time the blend has been predominantly merlot.”
The 2896 Langley can be found in the $40 to $50 price range — not an easy sell to those looking for value, but well worth it to experience the potential that is Michigan’s red grape terroir. Bowers Harbor also produces a pinot noir from Dijon clones, and a sweet red table wine called Red Wagon Red. But if you want to try excellent wines at recession prices, Michigan can deliver with its whites. Bowers Harbor produces a variety of chardonnays, dessert wines, a gewürztraminer, a rosé made from cabernet franc, and of course, rieslings.
At $14 the BHV Estate riesling from 2009 is a beautiful golden color, with green apples, melon, petrol, and figs on the nose, with a syrupy thick body, though not without great acidity. Well balanced lime and cilantro flavors make up the finish. Northern Michigan’s climate is ideal for a number of different styles of rieslings.
“The fruit doesn’t ripen too quickly because of our cool nights, so we get a wonderful quality while maintaining superior levels of acidity,” said Ms. McClellan. “Lake Michigan’s surrounding water extends our growing season for the late harvest styles, but for the BHV Estate riesling we pick on the earlier side to keep its bright fruit characteristics.”
The Bowers Harbor gewürztraminer, also from 2009, is straw fading to green in color, with tropical fruits and floral aromas on the nose: banana, pineapple, roses. It’s an off-dry, low acid wine on the palate, with a bitter back end of citrus peels to balance it out.
“Our gewürztraminer is very popular. We’ve made it more on the dry side in the past, but to be honest, the ones that balance with a little sweetness seem to better please our costumers,” Ms. McClellan tells me. “Telling them to pair it with Thai or Chinese dishes helps them put an image in their mind as far as a use for such a unique wine.”
It’s still tough to find Michigan wines outside of Michigan, but that is changing. A recent night out at the New York City wine bar Castello Plan, in Ditmas Park Brooklyn, confirmed it: the Blue Franc (100% lemberger), from Shady Lane Cellars, a Michigan winery from the Leelanau Peninsula, is featured on the menu. “We used to serve it by the glass too, and it sold great,” bartender Justin Walsh told me.
I remember the first time I saw a sparkling wine from Gruet of New Mexico on a menu and thought, “huh?” Gruet is now served in close to 5,000 restaurants across the country. I’m not asserting the same will happen for Michigan wines, but with wineries like Bowers Harbor Vineyards producing well balanced red and white wines full of finesse, I can at least feel confident telling people that Michigan does indeed have great lakes and great wines.
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