Tom and I went up north (Traverse City) to see my folks this weekend. My dad had saved me a newspaper clipping with a one-page advertistement from a wine shop. “The Blue Goat” had a wine sale that ended at 7:00 p.m.  So, the four of us took a drive over there and arrived with about 20 minutes to spare. Tom and I quickly chose a dozen reds that were on sale that looked interesting to us. This is one of them.

This Ten Mile Vintage Proprietary Red Wine 2005 is classic California red, a blend of old vine grapes of Petite Sirah, Zinfandel, Barbera, Malbec, and Carignane.  In the glass is very dark purple hues with a nose of pepper, and black tea. On the palate is plummy fruit along with dusty, smoky undertones. The feel in the mouth is supple and medium bodied, while the nicely-structured acidity provides a complexity that is impressive for the price. The finish is plums and licorice.

For dinner, I have chicken simmering in the skillet with potatoes (to mash). I am going to make some gravy from the chicken drippings and a vegetable. But, we are in no hurry. The chicken can simmer a long time and still be delicious!

On one of the days, we drove to the Dunes and climbed the sandy mountain to the top to view Lake Michigan. It was breathtakingly beautiful. After running and jumping our way back down the dune, we drove to Cedar to visit the Longview Winery and had a pleasant hour or so standing at the polished-wood bar sampling the wines. We ended up purchasing a couple bottles, including this Bordeaux-like red with a rich berry taste and supple tannins. We had this wine last night with barbecued ribs, corn on the cob, and broccoli salad.

I can’t finish this post without also mentioning a wonderful meal we had while staying up north at the Homestead. On Thursday evening, Tom & I ate at Trattoria Funistrada in Burdickville (near Glen Arbor). We knew we were going to love it the moment we walked into the friendly and cozy dining room. We had wonderful service and started our evening with a martini, served generously in a chilled stem-less martini goblet. The special that evening was any two pasta dishes AND a bottle of wine for $40. Tom had a spicy sausage pasta dish and I had angel-hair pasta with grilled chicken. Both were mouth-wateringly delicious. When it came time to choose the wine, we were able to choose from a variety of bottles that were displayed on the bar. We had a Rosso (I will have to look back at my written notes to be more specific). The entire meal from start to finish was everything I could wish for in a meal. We can’t wait to go back the next time we head north.