Just Right at Left Foot

About a month ago, my friend Cari inspired me with how she celebrated her 40th birthday. Not interested in a formal gathering, but still wanting to commemorate her entry into a new decade (without the stress of hosting said party at her place), Cari invited friends to gather at Traverse City's urban winery Left Foot Charley. I hadn't yet been there, only had heard about its distinct vibe and delicious wines, and was eager to check out the brick building I'd been running by for years given its location near some of my favorite trails.

The first thing we noticed walking toward Left Foot Charley were the pairs of tango dancers in the street out front. And then there were the bocce ball players on the lawn nearby. Both instant reminders of why I am so enamored with The Village at Grand Traverse Commons, formerly the Northern Michigan Asylum and one of the most extensive historical restoration projects in America.

It's the 480-acre development's meshing of historic charm with cosmopolitan vitality that attracts entrepreneurs like Left Foot's Bryan and Jen Ulbrich. The couple opened their 1,200 wine-making facility in the old laundry building two years ago, providing the state's first taste of wine tapped right from 1,000-liter tanks. Along with a spacious tasting room with views of the cellar and tank rooms, an outdoor patio beckons with live music many nights. The outdoor area even has a small sandbox on one end should you be walking through the grounds with kids and decide to stop for a glass.

Cari's party was a smashing success, so much so that I left wanting to know more (not to mention get back again soon for another taste of their yummy Murmur and pinot grigio). A few weeks later, sharing party details with my friend Juliette, I learned that if I wanted a well-rounded story, I needed to not only visit Left Foot, but also take a trip to Crane Hill Vineyard in Leelanau County. Of course I insisted Juliette join me in investigating the biodynamic vineyard supplying grapes for some of Left Foot's white wines.

We head toward Crane Hill late in the afternoon, both sun-drenched after a day at the beach with our kids. It is one of those perfect summer days, made even more perfect because it's a Friday. It's sunny and breezy, and I can't imagine what could be better at this moment than walking barefoot through a vineyard.

We meet up with Bryan, vineyard owner Robert Brengman and Chantal Lefebvre, who is owner of Moon Dog Vineyards in Antrim County and also is a wine-making apprentice at Left Foot Charley.

"This is probably what I am most excited about," Bryan tells me as we stop atop the hill overlooking rows of lucious-looking grape vines. He's referring to a block of vines growing the gewurztraminer grape, one of seven varieties grown on the 45-acre vineyard owned by Robert and his wife Joni.

"It's kind of a cult grape," Bryan says of the gewurztraminer, which is ripening now and eventually will be made into wine offered at Left Foot Charley. "It's not that it's unknown. We compare it to Frank Zappa -- people either love it or hate it."

Crane Hill Vineyards, formerly a cherry orchard, had its first harvest in 2007. Having discovered they shared "mutual philiosphies" about growing grapes, Robert and Bryan have been collaborating on creating wine for Left Foot Charley ever since. Both are committed to growing grapes the most natural way possible, or what is called the biodynamic way. It's about working with cycles of nature to grow grapes and make wine, and using plants and animals to take the place of chemicals and fertilizers.

"I'm trying to find people who have a smart sense of growing," says Bryan, who works with more than a dozen regional vineyards. As he puts it, he buys grapes "from guys who love wine, relish in a challenge, and own parcels of land well suited to raising vines."

I love what Bryan has to say about our interest in "place" when it comes to what we eat and drink.

"Something new is unfolding in the American consciousness," he says. "We are beginning to appreciate 'place.' Our tables, our songs, our whisky, our wine needs to be from somewhere or it all becomes just another white page. Left Foot Charley is joining this movement and throwing color around like a frenzied painter. We encourage you to grab a smock, a paint brush, and taste our local colors."

We cap off the vineyard tour with a glass of Robert's peach wine before setting off to end the evening at Left Foot. At the wine bar we try a 2008 Riesling from Seventh Hill Farm on Old Mission Peninsula and pair it with a cheese plate and an appetizer called The Hungry German -- three soft prezels with locally made mustards and bbq sauce for $4. Another great thing about Left Foot: you'll likely run into someone you know, and tonight is no exception. We pull up chairs for friends and listen to the live music.

Just arriving at Left Foot....Joni, Adam (the friendliest of bartenders), Juliette and me.

This December I'll turn 35, a definite milestone. I can't help thinking about Cari's party, and how I'd like to do something special to mark this point in my life. Since a patio party at Left Foot Charley won't work so well for my birthday, given, you know, Michigan's cold and snow, I'm considering my options...like maybe celebrating a tad earlier -- it's my birthday, I can do this, right? I'm picturing an early fall, indian summer kind of gathering....

Lots of exciting things happening at Grand Traverse Commons, including a wine and food festival and a beer and music festival, both to be held yet this month. Details here. A dairy festival (locally-made cheese!) also is in the works for next summer.

Left Foot Charley Winery & Tasting Room is at 806 Red Drive in Traverse City, MI. Call (231)995-0500 for more information. Learn more about the wine bar's latest news (and where the name Left Foot Charley came from) by going to their web site.