Confusion Reigns Supreme

Fenton House

Date Visited:  June 23, 2019

Stop:  #11

We left the Fenton Winery and Brewery with a full belly and our 4 bottles of wine.  Our next destination was supposed to be another winery, the Seven Lakes Vineyard & Winery, which was about 3.4 miles southeast of the Fenton Winery.  However, much to our disappointment, Seven Lakes was closed.  In fact, it looked like it had not been open for business for quite some time.  We never did find out the story behind that – the website, which consists of only one page, said that it should have been open from 1:00 pm until 5:00 pm on Sunday – so we turned around, found our way back to Fenton Road, and continued south into Fenton in search of our next historical marker. 

Our target was the Fenton House.  We had programed the coordinates from the website I use into our Google maps app, and those coordinates led us to a building that looked brand new and much more modern than what would have been expected.  Just in case, we walked completely around the building, which was a large multi-business retail building, in search of the marker, to no avail.  This, as we would later find out time and again, was a common happenstance.  The coordinates published in the website I use for my master map are often times incorrect.  Intuitively, we went on line and Googled Fenton House, and it showed that we needed to go about 0.2 miles further south.  That didn’t seem right either, so upon closer examination of the Google page, we noticed that the Fenton House that came up was a small restaurant and did not match the description of what I had previously read.  Looking up and down North Leroy Street, we noticed a building about a block north of us that fit the description of the building we were seeking.  So, we set off on foot, and sure enough, we found what we were looking for.  The building is now called The Fenton Hotel, which explained why Google took us to the restaurant instead of this location.  So much confusion just to find one, simple building!!!

The Fenton Hotel is located on the northeast corner of North Leroy Street and Main Street, across from the old grain elevator, which is now home to Red Fox Outfitters.  The marker itself is attached to the west facing wall of the Fenton Hotel, a few feet north of the main entrance.  The marker provides a brief history of the building, which was constructed soon after the railroad reached town in 1855.  The interior was very opulent, something uncommon for a location so far from a large city, and became a popular place for weary travelers to grab a drink, a meal, and even a good night’s sleep.  The Fenton House has passed through several owners and several name changes over the past 150 years, and it has the distinction of being one of the oldest continuous operating hotels in the state.  A complete history of the building can be found at http://fentonhotel.com/new-page-1.  I especially got a kick out of the story involving a team of runaway horses that destroyed the original porches on the second and third floors in 1904.  The second and third floor porches were never replaced, however, the Fenton Hotel did add a relatively new seating area where you can drink and/or dine outside. 

We had a very aggressive schedule, so as much as we wanted to go inside and explore, we decided we needed to get on to our next destination.  We could see it from the Fenton House, and with the weather being absolutely perfect, decided to enjoy a nice walk down North Leroy Street.  Read our next blog to find out what our next destination
is!!!

#michiganwinesandsigns #michigan #history #michiganhistory #wine #michiganwine #winetasting #historyisbetterwithwine

Thank you!

A Special Note from John and Kathy

We are now 10 blogs into our quest, and I just wanted to take a moment to thank the growing numbers of followers who have joined us on our journey.  We started with a very small following – our beloved family members and friends – and have slowly grown over the course of our first 10 blogs.  We really and truly appreciate everyone who is following us, and thank you for your messages of support and the feedback you have been providing. 

One of the things we have learned is that we need to be more personal – use our names and share pictures of us.  We have been told that making the blogs more personal will help people to better connect with us.  So, I will start to include more pics of us visiting the wineries and historical signs.  And in that spirit, I have included some pics of the two of us from our first 10 stops below.

So, as a matter of introduction, my name is John.  I currently work for a major automotive OEM, and I am the writer of our blogs and sometime picture taker.  My wife is Kathy, and she works in the health care industry.  She is the brains behind the operations and the tech support, as well as our primary photographer.  Together, we are having a great time on this quest, and have been dragging our kids into the mix, as well as some of our willing friends.  We have actually made 59 stops so far, so you can see that I am 49 blogs behind.  It is my intent to accelerate the production of blogs, so please be sure to check in more often as I try to get caught up.  I’ve already taken some flak for writing about events in June while we are now in September!!!

Again, thank you to everyone following us and supporting us.  Keep the comments coming, positive or constructive.  We love hearing from you.

#michiganwinesandsigns #michigan #history #michiganhistory #wine #michiganwine #winetasting #historyisbetterwithwine

Lagers and Bloggers

Fenton Winery & Brewery

Date Visited:  June 23, 2019

Stop:  #10

We left Warwick Hills excited to visit our next stop on this beautiful June Sunday, so we traveled west on E. Baldwin Rd. to Fenton Road, and headed south until we got to North Long Lake Road.  We made a right-hand turn and just a few feet west of Fenton Road, found the driveway leading to the Fenton Winery and Brewery.  The Winery and Brewery is located on a large plot of land with many trees surrounding the parking lot and buildings.  The first building you see is a cedar building that serves as a wedding and banquet hall, large enough to accommodate 280 guests.  The winery and brewery are located behind the banquet hall, so be sure not to make the same mistake we did when we followed another couple into the cedar building thinking they were entering the winery only to find out that we were crashing a private party instead.  The upside to that was that we got to see the beautiful outside patio area with a huge brick fireplace – a perfect venue for an outdoor party.

The Fenton Winery and Brewery was founded in 2007 by the husband and wife team of Matt and Ginny Sherrow.  Matt and Ginny are native Michiganders (born and grew up in Waterford) and have lived in Fenton for the past 13 years.  They are very devoted to their community, and that has led to many relationships and a loyal following.  The first Fenton Winery and Brewery was located in a strip mall on North Leroy Street in Fenton.  In 2012, with their hearts set on owning their own property and buildings, the Sherrow’s bought the property at their current location and by June, 2014, after much hard work and hours of restoration and renovation, they opened the doors to their new gem.  It is quite an impressive facility, set amongst the trees, with an outside sitting/eating area and a Beer Garden to boot.  What Matt and Ginny have accomplished is inspiring to future beer brewers and wine makers with an eye on someday opening their own brewery and/or winery.  We did not have the opportunity to meet Matt or Ginny on this day, but it would have been so fascinating to talk to them and hear their story.  Fortunately, you can learn all about the history of the Fenton Winery and Brewery at https://fentonbrewery.com/about/.

Once Kathy and I figured out that winery was behind the banquet hall, we were pleased to see that they had an outdoor sitting area where we could enjoy this glorious day.  It was quite warm, but there was a nice breeze and enough shade that we could comfortably sit outside without sweating too much.  Since it was lunchtime, we decided to grab something to eat so we asked for their food menu as well as their beer and wine menu.  This was my first true test matching my love of beer with my growing interest in wine.  Kathy kept asking if I was going to try the beer, and I am quite sure I shocked her monkey when I said I was going to sample their wine, and only their wine.  Afterall, this is a Wines and Signs quest, not a Lagers and Bloggers quest.

The menu had an assortment of appetizers and snacks, pizzas, and sandwiches.  We started with the Pretzels and Bar Cheese appetizer, which was awesome.  I’m a sucker for soft pretzels, and adding warm bar cheese is like icing on the cake.  For lunch, Kathy and I decided to each get a sandwich and we would split half with each other.  So, Kathy ordered the Brie and Turkey sandwich (and the broccoli salad), and I chose the FWBLT (and the chips and salsa).  Both sandwiches were outstanding – very tasty – and really hit the spot.

The wine list included 15 different selections, not including the Sangria.  The wines were listed in two categories – Dry Wines (7 choices) and Sweet Wines (8 choices).  Kathy and I made the choice rather simply – we went with the Sweet Wines.  I ordered the first four wines on the list (Cocoa Merlot, Breeze Pomegranate, Moonlight Moscato, and Crisp Green Apple) while Kathy ordered the second four (Solo Blackberry, Wild Wildberry, Grin Raspberry, and Opulence Ruby Port).  The Sampler Tray, which included four 2-once pours of wine, was reasonably priced at $8 per tray.  We enjoyed all of our selections, but there were 3 that really stood out, so naturally, we had to buy a bottle of each – the Crisp Green Apple, the Solo Blackberry, and the Grin Raspberry (our favorite of the three).  Kathy had mentioned earlier that she wanted to try the Fenton Red Merlot, so we asked our server if she could get us a small sample.  Naturally, Kathy loved it so we added a bottle of that to our haul. 

Overall, we really enjoyed our visit to the Fenton Winery and Brewery.  There was so much there to like – the food, the wine, the service, the outdoor seating area, the history behind the winery and brewery.  But there is so much more to experience that we did not have time for – we did not sit inside the bar area (it was very dark, and I did not notice any windows, so kind of curious what the atmosphere would be like on a cold winter’s day when they don’t have the garage door open to the outside).  I would also love to taste their beer, and there are at least two or three other food items that I am anxious to try.  Furthermore, I would love to experience the Beer Garden.  So, what does that all mean?  A guarantee that we will be back, hopefully sometime in the near future.  Maybe to celebrate Octoberfest in their Beer Garden!!!

#michiganwinesandsigns #michigan #history #michiganhistory #wine #michiganwine #winetasting #historyisbetterwithwine

Fore!

The Buick Open

Date Visited:  June 23, 2019

Stop:  #9

It was absolutely a beautiful June day, and we had decided that a full day spent visiting historical markers and wineries was in order.  The biggest decision – where to go?  The nominees:  1.  Go east and hit wineries on the way to and from New Baltimore, 2.  Go north and hit wineries in the Bay City area, and 3.  Go northwest and hit wineries in the Fenton area.  The Winner:  Fenton.  Why?  Seemed like the best ratio of wineries to signs.  So, with that major decision now out of the way, we packed some snacks, and headed out to our first stop on the journey – Warwick Hills Country Club.

I had been to Warwick Hills many times in the past when The Buick Open, a PGA tournament, was an annual event.  I remember following the likes of Lanny Wadkins, Ben Crenshaw, Fred Couples, Phil Mickelson, Jim Furyck, and Tiger Woods.  I even spent a day walking the tournament grounds while enduring a kidney stone – not exactly my idea of a fun day, but when you have a chance to see the world’s greatest golfers up close and personal, well, you suck it up and drink lots of beer until you pee the damn thing out!!!  If only it had happened that way, but I will spare you all the graphic details.

I had not been to Warwick Hills since 2009 – 10 years ago – when Tiger Woods won the last Buick Open played there.  That was also before they had a historical marker commissioned on the site, so when we arrived on this day, we had no idea where the marker was located.  The website I use to assist with the locations of signs had the incorrect coordinates, so it became a guessing game.  There were many places in front of the clubhouse that seemed like logical places for a sign, but all our searches yielded nothing.  We drove into the parking lot to the right of the clubhouse where the pool and the tennis courts were located, and as we drove around, my wife spotted the marker – on the golf course itself.  Now, Warwick Hills is a private country club, and we are obviously not members, so the challenge was, how do we get to the marker without being accused of trespassing, assuming that that is even an issue.  I’m figuring since the sign should be available to the public, they shouldn’t have an issue with anyone entering the grounds and taking a look.  My wife didn’t want to go along, so I took off, walking as if I belonged there, trying not to raise any suspicions (just in case I was trespassing).  I walked past the bocce ball courts, through the outdoor dining area, and up the pathway to the sign located to the right of the first tee and left of the practice green.  I hung around long enough to take pictures of the sign, the clubhouse, a shot looking down the first fairway, and a couple of additional random pics, then retraced my steps back to the car.  No one said a thing, so I’m not sure if I was in the wrong or not.  I guess for anyone else who may visit this sign, I would just be aware that there could be an element of risk if entering the grounds if, in fact, it is considered trespassing.

Back to the sign.  This historical marker is a two-sided sign.  The front side is dedicated to describing how the Buick Open came to be.  Warwick Hills opened in 1957, and one year later, the Buick Open was born and became known as the first professional golf tournament to be sponsored by a corporation.  The sign goes into a bit more detail, so you can read that for yourself below.

The backside of the sign describes the very first Buick Open golf tournament.  It offered a $52,000 purse, which was the largest purse on the tour that year, and as a result drew what many considered to be the strongest field of the year.  The championship came down to the very last shot – a 3 ½ foot putt made by Billy Casper for the win, a $9,000 first place check, and a brand-new Buick.  My, have times changed.  Pro golfers today make more than $9,000 for finishing LAST in a tournament.

#michiganwinesandsigns #michigan #history #michiganhistory #wine #michiganwine #winetasting #historyisbetterwithwine

Wedding Crashers

Packard Motor Car Company / Packard Proving Grounds

Date Visited:  June 22, 2019

Stop:  #8

We had just spent an enjoyable time at Unwined Winery, and decided to make an unplanned stop at an historical marker.  When we had set out a couple hours ago, it was with the intention of only visiting the winery.  I hadn’t even checked the MiQuest Map I created to see if we would pass any historical markers along the way.  We had only one objective.  However, on our way to Unwined, my wife noticed a marker that we were not expecting and, not surprisingly, that became our second objective for this trip.

The marker in question is located 1.1 miles north of Unwined Winery on the west side of Van Dyke and marks the location of the Packard Proving Grounds.  There are two driveways that lead to the two main gates entering the Proving Grounds, appropriately named the North Proving Grounds Blvd and the South Proving Grounds Blvd.  The marker itself is located between the two driveways about 150 feet from Van Dyke.  On this particular day, the grounds outside the main gates were covered with parked cars as we soon learned that the facilities were hosting a large wedding that day.  Getting to the sign proved more difficult than expected as we had to meander amongst the parked cars to get to it, but we managed to squeeze in close enough to read the sign and take a couple of pictures.

The sign itself is two-sided, with the “front” of the sign dedicated to providing a brief history of the Packard Motor Car Company.  It describes the origin of the company, which was founded in 1899 in Warren, Ohio and was named the Ohio Automobile Company at that time.  The company was bought by investors in 1902 and moved to Detroit and renamed the Packard Motor Car Company.  The sign provides additional information about the company’s legacy through the 1920’s and 1930’s.

The “back” side of the sign focuses on the Proving Grounds itself.  The Grounds date back to 1926, and by 1929, included many buildings, including the Gate Lodge (the main building alongside the main gates), and several laboratories and warehouses, some of which have been restored and serve as banquet halls for special events.  The Grounds also included a highspeed test track and miles of roads simulating the worst conditions of the day.  Chrysler leased the Grounds during World War II in order to test tanks, and in 1961, Ford Motor Company purchased the property after Packard ceased production (in 1958).  In 2000, Ford and the Packard Motor Car Foundation began preserving many of the buildings and features of the Proving Grounds.  Today, it is a popular tourist attraction with several signs placed around the grounds that provide more details about the history of the Proving Grounds over the years.  It is also a popular venue for weddings, corporate events, car shows, and the Shelby Farmers Market.  You can visit the grounds and read the signs, but need to make an appointment if you want to tour the grounds and explore the buildings.  You can learn more about this historic site on their website, https://packardprovinggrounds.org/. 

My wife and I spent some time exploring the grounds, reading the historical signs, taking pictures, and visiting the area that had been set up inside the Main Gates for the wedding ceremony.   We could see the wedding guests enjoying the reception inside the Garage & Engineering Building.  It was tempting to crash the wedding, or at least get closer to the building to get a look inside, but I regathered my sensibilities, finished taking some great pics, and headed back to our car so we could get on to our own party.  It turned out to be a fun, spontaneous visit.

#michiganwinesandsigns #michigan #history #michiganhistory #wine #michiganwine #winetasting #historyisbetterwithwine

A Need to Relax and Unwined

Unwined Winery

Date Visited:  June 22, 2019

Stop:  #7

If you have a need to get away, to just relax and unwind from whatever life is throwing at you, the next stop on our Michigan Wines and Signs quest just might be the place for you. 

It had been nearly three weeks since our last journey out to visit historical markers and wineries, and on this day, it was a last second, spontaneous decision to try the newest winery in Shelby Township.  We had some time to kill before attending a birthday party later in the evening, so my wife suggested we try this place.  Tired of being cooped up in the house all day, I agreed to go.

Shelby Township is not too far from our house, and most people living in the northern suburbs of Detroit all know where it is located – surrounded by Rochester Hills on the west, Washington Township to the north, Macomb Township to the east, and Sterling Heights to the south.  It is about 15 miles north of the northern border of Detroit, and is home to such notable places as Yates Cider Mill, the southern part of Stoney Creek Metro Park, the Packard Proving Grounds (a national historic place which I will tell you more about in my next blog!!!), and The Rink (the most popular roller skating rink during my high school years, but again, I digress).  Shelby Township’s population is 79,101 (as of 2017) and its beginnings date back to April 12, 1827 when it was set off by an act of the Michigan Territorial Legislature.  A civil government was organized in May the following year. One hundred and ninety-one years later, four friends realized their dream of opening up a winery in the city they grew up in and loved, and they called it “Unwined.”

As we headed south on Van Dyke Avenue, it was more difficult finding the winery than I thought because there is no roadside signage to tip you off to its whereabouts.  Even though we had the address, we still overshot the entrance by at least one driveway.  The winery is located in the King Country Plaza strip mall on the west side of Van Dyke, about 0.7 miles south of 22 Mile Road.  The winery is the space occupied at the far north end of the strip mall.  There is plenty of parking, and they even have a nice outdoor sitting area if you are interested in enjoying the weather while you drink wine.  The owners did a wonderful job of remodeling the space to make it very comfortable and appealing.  The day we visited, they were running a video loop of the remodeling process on one of their TVs, and I found it fascinating to watch and learn about what the owners had to do to make their vision a reality. 

The wine bar runs along the north wall of the room, and they have several seats available at the bar as well as several tables spaced throughout the room.  They even have a nice little room set up for small private parties.  One of the most interesting things about the space is that all of the wine served and sold there is made onsite in the back rooms.  We learned that the owners – two married couples who are best friends – started making their own wine in their basements as a hobby.  After perfecting their many different wine selections, they made the decision to open up a winery and make their wines available to the public, which they did for the first time in February, 2019.  Three of the 4 owners still work full-time jobs, so one can only imagine the challenge of doing that while trying to get a winery off the ground and running.  I can honestly say that their effort was well worth it because this place is a real gem.

Their wine menu included 33 different selections that were grouped into 5 categories – Limited Edition wines, Signature wines, Sweet wines, Dessert wines, and Specialty wines.  They offered a full spectrum of wines – whites and reds, dry and sweet, grape based and fruit based, and ports.  With so much to choose from, it was a tough decision to narrow it down to 6 choices, which constituted a Full Flight (six 2-once pours of wine or 1-once pours of ports).  The price was very reasonable at $12.  You could also get a Half Flight ($6) or any full glass of wine (5 oz. of wine, 3 oz. of port, prices varied from $5 per glass to $8 per glass).  They even have Wine Slushies for $5!!!

After a few minutes of pondering, my wife decided on Zippy Zin (a pomegranate Wildberry white zinfandel), Mon Che’ri (a black cherry pinot noir), Craze (cranberry with chianti), Bliss (a blueberry shiraz), Toasted Caramel (a port), and Raspberry Mocha (a port).  I went for the California Cat (a California Muscat), Perfection (a peach chardonnay), Sensation (a Strawberry Riesling and the 2019 Parch Madness Champion!!!), Rockin Rose (a raspberry white zinfandel), Blast (a blackberry Merlot), and the Orange Chocolate port.  I have to admit that I really enjoyed my selections, and my wife couldn’t stop raving about the Toasted Caramel port and the Raspberry Mocha port.  In total, we tried 12 different wines/ports, each very flavorful and enjoyable to drink.  We also enjoyed the discussions we had with the owners, who were all working the winery that day.  It was so interesting to hear their story, to hear the challenges they encountered and the effort it took to make the winery a reality.  It really added to the experience – it felt personal. 

As always, now came the tough part – what wines do we buy?  My wife takes notes and jots down her thoughts after each wine she tries, and draws stars next to wines we should consider buying.  After assessing her “worksheet,” we decided we were going to buy 7 bottles to take home.  However, we were disappointed to learn that they could not sell the ports yet since they had not received government approval of their labels yet.  What a bummer – that knocked 3 bottles off our list, but gave us an excuse to come back!!  Ultimately, we walked out with a bottle each of Perfection, Sensation, Zippy Zin, and Blast.  Like the name of that last wine, we truly had a Blast at the Unwined Winery.

#michiganwinesandsigns #michiganwine #winetasting #michigan #history #michiganhistory #historyisbetterwithwine

Anyone for wine and goat yoga?

Westview Orchards Winery

Date Visited:  June 2, 2019

Stop:  #6

It was getting late in the afternoon as we headed west after our disappointing visit to “The Thing” historical marker.  We knew we only had time to hit one more winery, even though we had at least 3 others we were hoping to visit on this day.  It was decided we would try Westview Orchards Winery, located just south of Romeo, since we had never been there before.  At best, we would only have an hour to spend, so we did not waste any time hustling the 21 miles from “The Thing” to the winery.

The winery is located on the northwest corner of Van Dyke Avenue and 30 Mile Road, approximately 2 miles south of downtown Romeo.  The actual address is 65075 Van Dyke, Washington, MI 48095.  Washington is an unincorporated community in the south-central portion of Washington Township in Macomb County.  Washington Township has a population of 27,878 (as of 2017) and was organized in 1827.  There are many popular sites to visit in Washington Township, including the historical Octagon House and Stoney Creek Metro Park.  Another popular site to visit is Westview Orchards, which began as a small farm and orchard in 1813.  It has been run continually by ancestors of the original owner for over 200 years.  It has an interesting history, which you can read all about on their website (https://www.westvieworchards.com/farm-history).  In April, 2015 they opened the winery, which is located on the grounds of the orchard on the second floor of the cider barn.  Getting up to the wine bar is really cool – you have to take a spiral staircase up the silo.

When you exit the silo, you enter an expansive room that originally was the loft to the barn.  The owners did a wonderful job turning the loft into a homey, enjoyable hang out.  The room runs north and south, and the wine bar takes up a large portion of the west wall.  There is plenty of standing space at the bar, and several tables scattered throughout the enormous room.  At the far northern area of the room is a cozy sitting area with chairs and couches.  The room is dominated by everything wood – wood walls, wood ceiling, wood beams, wood floors, and the wood bar.  They host many events throughout the year – bridal parties, live music Saturdays, Trivia Contests on most Fridays, special dinners and events, and even Goat Yoga classes!!!  I mean, what can be better than doing yoga with baby goats while drinking your favorite wine, right?

I don’t know if it was the lousy weather, or the fact that it was only an hour until closing time, but we had this whole room to ourselves.  We were warmly greeted by the two women tending the bar on this particular day (I’m sorry, but I do not recall their names, but they were so sweet and took such great care of us).  We were lucky to be the only ones there because we got their undivided attention and they told us everything we needed to know about the wines, the ciders, the orchard, and the winery.  They handed us their wine list and we set about trying to decide what to try.  On this day, they had 3 ciders and 16 wines on the menu, however, they did not have any of the Strawberry-Watermelon wine available but did have Strawberry Dreamin’ instead.

A flight of wine consisted of four 2-ounce pours.  My wife decided on Maple Jack Cider, Cranberry Crush (a semi-sweet merlot blended with cranberries), Hot Rod (a dry red wine with cherry notes), and Maybe Yes – Maybe No (a dry Grand Merlot with raisin and dark cherry notes).  I went fruit across the board – Pucker Up (apple) Cider, Awesome Apple (a semi-dry apple wine), Peach Queen (a sweet peach wine), and Strawberry Dreamin’ (a Riesling with strawberries).  I really enjoyed all of my choices, as well as a couple of my wife’s choices.  My wife really enjoyed all of our choices, and was considering getting another flight.  However, our hostesses were kind enough to let her try a small sample of 2 additional wines free of charge.  So, my wife tried Sweet Revenge (a semi-dry, four red-grape blend) and Wine der Woman (a semi-sweet white Gewürztraminer wine). 

I expected that we would be walking out with several bottles of wines and ciders.  After much deliberation, and comparing notes, we decided on a bottle each of Maple Jack Cider, Peach Queen, Strawberry Dreamin’, and Cranberry Crush – a fairly light haul given how much we enjoyed all the wines we tried.  What I am learning, however, is that this then gives my wife an excuse to revisit a winery so we can get bottles of the other wines we liked.  In any event, we really had a pleasant time there, and what made it even more special was that they wrapped up a couple of homemade pastries for us as we were leaving so they would not have to throw them out once they closed for the day (since they are closed Monday through Wednesday, the pastries would not have survived until their next business day).  Again, just another wonderful gesture that added to the enjoyment of our visit.  They’re doing all the right things at Westview – wonderful staff, great atmosphere, really enjoyable wines, etc. – and I know we will be visiting them again sometime soon.

#michiganwinesandsigns #michigan #history #michiganhistory #historyisbetterwithwine