SUTTONS BAY — A traditional September wine event saw hundreds of people stomping out to Leelanau County for a weekend.
With the COVID-19 pandemic putting a cork in those plans, the Leelanau Wine Tour expanded the event, tweaked the format and updated the name.
Harvest Days is a new month-long celebration in September. Ticket holders can, throughout the month, make one visit to each of 26 participating wineries in Leelanau County.
Tickets are $35 and are available at lpwines.com, mynorthtickets.com or in tasting rooms at the participating wineries.
The 30-day event replaces the Havest Stompede, a weekend event held Sept. 7-8 in 2019.
Rick DeBlasio, the president of the Leelanau Peninsula Vintner’s Association and general manager of Shady Lane Cellars in Suttons Bay, said the switch was made with an emphasis on safety.
“It’s really for a couple of reasons,” DeBlasio said. “The traditional-style events we hold up here bring 600-1,200 out to the Peninsula for one weekend.
“There’s no way to prevent large groups gathering in small places with the traditional-style of event.”
So the name was tweaked and a new event was born.
“It’s something completely different,” said Nick Hartmann, weeks into his position as the coordinator of operations at the Leelanau Peninsula Wine Trail. “It’s a month-long event.”
“It’s also an opportunity for our guests to enjoy (the different wineries) for 30 days, rather than two days,” DeBlasio added.
The new event also offers a chance for guests to experience what DeBlasio called the “highest level of VIP for wineries.”
“This is really an opportunity to become a wine club member for a month,” DeBlasio said in a release announcing the event. “It’s as if there was a Wine Trail Wine Club, so to speak. Each winery you visit will extend member benefits to the ticketholder. This will create a unique experience at each winery because wine club benefits vary.”
Each winery will be able to decide what a Harvest Days ticket entitles the consumer. DeBlasio said this could include exclusive tastings, special seating, priority reservations and other special events.
DeBlasio said a Harvest Days ticket will likely mean “deep discounts” on additional purchases.
In the release, DeBlasio noted that all LPVA member wineries “are practicing safety protocols and meeting the requirements of the Centers for Disease Control and the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services guidelines which include but are not limited to: mask requirements, social distancing and capped group sizes.”
“We tried to create an event that not only allows us to offer a safer environment, but a way for guests to interact with these wineries in ways that they never had before,” DeBlasio said in a phone interview.
DeBlasio said advance ticket sales the last full week of August were “climbing up there” and expected the sales to continue as Harvest Days draws near. He said people can purchase tickets at each of the tasting rooms before or during the event.
DeBlasio said tickets will remain on sale throughout the month.
“You could decide to purchase at the end of the month and still have great value,” he said.
Following Harvest Days is The Hunt for the Reds of October. The event, which began as a weekend event, is in its fifth year and expanded to 31 days.
According to a release, each stop on the Leelanau Peninsula Wine Trail features a red wine. Tickets are $25 and will be available at the wineries or online at lpwines.com.
A portion of the proceeds will be donated to the American Red Cross.
In its fifth year, The Hunt for the Reds of October grew in 2016 from a weekend event to a month-long endeavor.
It provides a memorable experience and a chance for winemakers to spotlight reds in a region traditionally known for world-class white, sparkling and rose wine.
“Michigan grape growing and winemaking is all about capturing the cool climate characteristics of our region,” DeBlasio said in the release. “This means that red wines are bright and vibrant with lush fruit notes and are refreshing in nature.
“Understanding Michigan red wine is really about understanding style. We grow specific varieties and craft them in ways to truly express our region and our climate.”
Toast the Season, traditionally held the first two weekends in November, was canceled for 2020, according to the release. The LPVA plans to bring the late fall event back in the future, the release stated.
August 30, 2020 at 09:00PM
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Leelanau wine event expands | Business | record-eagle.com - Traverse City Record Eagle
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