Old Mission Peninsula

We took a ride into the Old Mission Peninsula wine country last week. It is a beautiful 22 mile ride that’s narrows enough in stretches to let you drive up its spine while taking in bay views in both directions. It’s home to six wineries that offer daily tastings of their Rieslings and pinot noirs and, naturally, some version or other of a cloying cherry port. As much as I like sweets, the port, served with chocolate morsels, was a bit too sweet even for me!

Our first stop was at Black Star Farms that offered five tastings of your choice. Our choice there was the Arcturos 2007 Dry Riesling. A bottle bought and we were on our way. No dallying about…there were more wines to taste!

While continuing our drive, we saw a mix of farm markets, bed and breakfast inns, antique stores, art galleries, nature preserves, a lighthouse, and restaurants. The hills also offered views of rolling cherry orchards and the hillsides of the grape vineyards.

Not too far up the road was our next winery…Chateau Grand Traverse. This winery offered six tastings…oh, Boy!!! Careful…we had not yet had lunch!! Glad they served those little oyster crackers in between each taste! Here, we chose the 2005 Silhouette…a premium red wine. A wine that will pair well with smoked or barbeque fare. Do I sound like the wine connoisseur or what?!?!


After leaving Chateau Grand Traverse, we detoured from the wineries and drove to the tip of the peninsula where we located the Old Mission Lighthouse. A short jaunt took us to the beach and the classic old lighthouse. There was also a log house built in 1858...the Hessler Log Home.



After the lighthouse and before more wine tasting, we decided we better stop for some lunch. On Peninsula Drive we found the Boathouse Restaurant. It is noted for its exclusive sunset dining, but we were a bit too early for the sunset. We enjoyed a leisurely lunch on the waterside deck overlooking the small marina. We dined on whitefish, crab cakes, and scallops…yummy! Fortified by a delicious meal, we were ready for more wine tasting.

Just around the corner from the Boathouse was the Bowers Harbor Vineyard. They also offered six tastings. It didn’t take us long to find our favorite…another Riesling…a 2006 vintage made from their oldest vineyard, Block II. This wine has delightful flavors of grapefruit and orange blossom ending with a clean finish. Excellent flavor!




This winery had a “BIG” surprise…Cooper the Big Wine Dog…a Bernese Mountain Dog. Cooper was the mascot and celebrity of the winery as his status was documented on many of the souvenirs in the shop. This gentle giant would meet and greet the customers by nuzzling his big head into your hand for a scratch and a pat. His presence was well noted. Bowers Harbor was our favorite of the three we toured that day.

The afternoon events of tasting wines, sightseeing, and lunch wasn’t an all day affair, so that means another trip to take in the other three wineries may be a “must do” for another afternoon before we leave the area! Cheers and Bon Appetite!