Chateau Chantal Announces Fifth Annual Ice Wine Harvest Festival
January 4, 2023
Contact:
Kyle Brownley
Chateau Chantal
231-223-4110
kbrownley@chateauchantal.com
Chateau Chantal Announces Fifth Annual Ice Wine Harvest Festival
January 4, 2023 Traverse City, MI: Building on 30 years of ice wine making and hospitality expertise, Chateau Chantal will host its annual Michigan Ice Wine Harvest Festival January 27-28, 2023.
Known as the "Nectar of the Gods," Ice wine is made from grapes frozen on the vine. Harvested during temperatures between 15 to 18 degrees F, the grapes are pressed while still frozen, this year, on January 10th. The wine is known for its incredible natural sweetness and fruitiness, with all the delicate characters of a fine Riesling wine. Decadent apricot, toasted caramel, and baked apple drench your palate with balanced sweetness in this stunning dessert wine. As a testament to the winery’s quality winemaking, Chateau Chantal was chosen among nine American Ice Wines to represent our nation at a Canadian state dinner at the White House in 2016.
In celebration of this remarkable wine, festival events will range from family friendly snowman building and ice sculptures to outdoor fire pits with roasted treats. The winery's walking trail will be open for snowshoeing or skiing. Bring your own snow gear to experience winter in the vineyard. The festival will culminate with a multi-course Ice Wine education dinner on Friday & Saturday, including a tour of the cellar and winemaking process. Samples of multiple Ice Wines and pairing will be on hand all weekend.
Entrance to the festival is free, with a fee to sample four difference ice wines and attend the wine dinner. Ice Wine is a must-try experience that represents one of the most unique abilities of our Northern wine growing climate, something our famed California wineries to the West cannot produce!
Schedule of events:
Saturday, January 28: 11am-5pm: Tasting Room open for wine and ice wine tasting – including an ice sculpture luge. Outdoor firepits and S’mores kits, Founder’s Trail open for Snowshoeing and Cross-country skiing (bring your own gear).
Ice Wine Festival Activities
• Ice Wine vineyard tour at 1pm (dress warm)
• Earn special wine discounts by testing your snowball accuracy on the Winemaker!
• Ice wine production and cellar tour at 3pm (indoors)
• Ice sculpture luge
• Outdoor fire pits and s'more kits/spiked hot chocolate
• Explore the Founder's Trail (bring your snowshoes)
Fri Jan 27 & Sat Jan 28: 6:00PM Fire & Ice Wine Pairing Dinner: Each course of the dinner will pair synergistically with a wine hand-selected by our vintner. Satiate your palate with dishes paired harmoniously with all three of our Ice wine products: Vidal Ice wine, Entice (our port-style ice wine), and our “liquid gold” Estate bottled Ice Wine. Other wines will also be featured during the dinner to deliver an experience that is unmatched. $199/person includes food, wine, tax and tip. Tickets available at https://shop.chateauchantal.com/res-402928/Fire-Ice-Wine-Dinner-2023.html
Fire and Ice Wine Dinner Menu
TOAST: Celebrate Sparkling Rosé
FIRST COURSE: Stuffed Oysters
Baby spinach, Gournay and white cheddar cheeses, and a panko breadcrumb-stuffed oyster with Tobiko caviar
Tonight Sparkling Blanc de Blanc
SECOND COURSE: Pan-seared Sea Scallop
Dry-pack sea scallop dusted in Berbere spice over a gigante bean puree, with chili oil and local fava sprouts
Proprietor's Reserve Pinot Gris
INTERMEZZO: Litchi Fruit Sorbet
In an Amour Rosé float
FOURTH COURSE: Seared Dover Sole
Crab stuffed with aromatic vegetables over a redskin potato croquette, finished with herbs and a damson plum beurre blanc
Proprietor's Reserve Chardonnay
FIFTH COURSE: Grilled Filet Mignon
Michigan Craft Beef filet mignon wrapped in cherrywood smoked bacon, with Cabernet Franc demi-glace, over confit-fried redskin potatoes and roasted vegetable mélange
Cabernet Franc Ice Wine
SIXTH COURSE: Brown Butter-Grilled Baby Carrots and Friseé Salad
Local baby carrots with roasted Marcona almonds and petite arugula, tossed in a brown butter vinaigrette over friseé
Entice Ice Wine
DESSERT COURSE: “Can’t-Beet-It” Chocolate Cake
Sustainably sourced chocolate in a homemade cake, topped with Tahitian vanilla bean iced cream, dark chocolate sauce, and Bolivian dark chocolate shavings
Estate Ice Wine
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Chateau Chantal is a unique development that combines a winery, vineyards, bed and breakfast, residence, six private home sites, and winding roads, all of which combine to create a “retreat into Northern Hospitality.” The 75 acre site sits high atop a ridge 12 miles north of Traverse City, Michigan on the beautiful and historic Old Mission Peninsula. Chateau Chantal crafts many styles of wine, allowing the grape to dictate the style. The location’s unparalleled views and outstanding staff play host to B&B activities, cooking classes, wine education opportunities, Lunch Tours, conferences and meetings, small weddings, and friendly regional wine events.