By Lisa Conley
Traverse City Record-Eagle
TRAVERSE CITY, Mich. (AP) - Biking and vineyard touring are two of the area's most popular summertime activities; combine them and you get "Cycle the Vineyards" by Grand Traverse Bike Tours.
It's not mere tasting room hopping. Most of the tour is off-road, offering an up-close look at Forty-Five North Vineyard & Winery's vineyard-to-bottle operation, said Nick Wierzba, Grand Traverse Bike Tours owner.
"A lot of wineries are very protective of their vineyards but Forty-Five North was very open and receptive to bringing people to their property," Wierzba told the Traverse City Record-Eagle.
The Lake Leelanau winery farms 35 acres with 10 varietals including chardonnay, pinot gris, riesling, vignoles, cabernet franc, merlot and pinot noir. Grapes are crushed, aged and bottled on site.
"There's not very many places in the country that can offer something like this, so it truly is a unique tour," Wierzba said.
Forty-Five North has offered cross country skiing and snowshoeing through its vineyards for about five years but the bike tours are a good opportunity to expand the fun into the summer months, said Channing Sutton, Forty-Five North tasting room manager.
"We thought, 'why not do something during the summer with bikes?'" Sutton said. "And our trails are always open to the public, so we highly encourage people to come out here when they get a chance."
Riders will pedal through the vines of Forty-Five North Vineyard & Winery before continuing on to Aurora Cellars, clocking in 8 to 10 total miles.
Grand Traverse Bike Tours has offered a Leelanau Wine Trail Tour since opening in 2012 but this tour showcases wine-making from pedal to palate.
"It's just as much about the land and vineyard as the wine tasting," Wierzba said. "But without the wine tasting you're not really getting the whole experience."
Tours run Saturdays from 11 a.m. to 3 p.m. or weekdays for groups of five or more. The $79 cost includes bike and helmet rental, a picnic lunch, van support for wine purchases and roadside assistance. Wine tasting fees are not included.
Published: Tue, Jul 14, 2015
