TRAVERSE CITY — Springtime is still considered the off season for many area establishments, including wineries.
Chateau Chantal on Old Mission Peninsula not only offers wine tastings but also events.
Chef Christopher Mushall said their classes and menus are created with Chateau Chantal's wines in mind.
"We get to sit and enjoy the wine," Mushall said. "There is some cooking with wine and drinking wine while we cook."
The cooking classes, he said, include three glasses of wine. He suggests that participants try a couple different ones and then have their favorite of the two with the meal they cooked.
Mushall said in their "Cinque Terra: The Five Fishing Villages of Italy" class, students break into groups to prepare recipes. They learn about the history, culture and region as well as wine pairings. Then, they make focaccia, cioppino (seafood stew), pasta dough, seafood risotto and more.
"We encourage people to taste the different wines and play with other combinations, as wine and food so subjective," Mushall said. "We found this family-style format encourages a tangible sense of community — something I feel has waned over the years."
Though several events feature Italian dishes, Mushall said they have taken recipes from Thailand, the Philippines and other areas.
"It's all different things, but we tend to stick more toward Western Europe," he said. "We want to break down the walls of pretentiousness. The goal is to make it approachable."
Ann Pettyjohn, Chateau Chantal's director of hospitality, said cooking classes and dinners are usually scheduled from January through June.
A farm-to-table dinner will be served on April 6. Pettyjohn said all the ingredients — from the herbs to mushrooms to beef — are Michigan-based.
"We're really excited about it," she said. "It's hard to do in the summer, our peak busy season."
Pettyjohn said their dinners are "a little more out of the box" because they emphasize pairings people might not think of, like chicken and waffles with wine.
This year, they are bringing back their Mother's Day brunch on May 12. This is a multi-course, plated meal.
"We haven't done this in a few years," Pettyjohn said. "Each course is paired with a different one of our sparkling wines."
The winery's upcoming events include handmade pasta and sauces cooking classes on April 13 and June 1 and the Break the Rules Wine Dinner on April 20.
Chateau Chantal is open from 11 a.m. to 5 p.m. every day on Old Mission Peninsula.
Class sizes are limited. Private dinners and private group events can also occur at the winery. For reservations or more details, call 231-223-4110 or visit chateauchantal.com.
[Originally published online and in print March 30, 2024]
No comments:
Post a Comment