Our wineries are dishing up some delightful delicacies for our Taste the Passion wine trail tour, held February 4th & 5th, 2012. Tickets are limited – get them before they’re gone!!

Bel Lago will serve a Decadent Dark Chocolate Brownie topped with a Rich Balaton Cherry sauce and will be pairing  it with their new release 2010 bottling of  Bel Lago Red Wine, a barrel aged cabernet franc and merlot blend.  Their cellar is filled to the rafters (almost) with barrels, so no basketball in the barrel room this year. But they will have all the  makings for you to create you own Valentines!

Black Star Farms presents a molten chocolate cake with vanilla bean infused crème anglaise and pistachio cranberry white chocolate bark paired with their Sirius Cherry dessert wine. If someone has a marriage license, Black Star Tasting Room manager Chris Lopez will marry you!

Brengman Brothers will pair Runaway Hen Syrah and a bittersweet chocolate truffle with Parmesan cheese, coarse sea salt, and bacon. Weather permitting, Brengman Brothers will offer cross-country ski trails in their vineyard!

Chateau de Leelanau is serving up Cherry Chipotle Mole Chicken Wings paired with their Riesling Harvest Select.

Chateau Fontaine offers Greek-inspired Chocolate Chili Dogs, topped with Cheddar Cheese and optional onions paired with their Big Paw Red.

Cherry Republic will be serving a chocolate coffee cake truffle with their Shook Dessert Wine. All you “swish and spitters” can have a go at their cherry pit spitting contest with a chocolate gift basket for the winner!

Ciccone Winery features Italian Bruschetta – a slice of grilled Italian bread, rubbed with garlic, sprinkled with salt and pepper, drizzled with olive oil and topped with fresh diced tomatoes paired bringing out the flavor from their 2009 Cabernet Franc. For added fun, they will also feature cork fishing & a wine bottle ring toss!

Forty-Five North will have red wine marinated figs wrapped in bacon with mascarpone cheese and drizzled with a red wine chocolate sauce paired with 45 Red, a blend of Pinot Noir, Cabernet Franc, & Merlot. They will also have their 1-3 mile groomed trail loops open for skiing.

Gills Pier will be serving Double Fudge Delight Cupcakes and Frosting with Toasted Coconut Sprinkles, paired with their Whitewater, a semi-sweet white wine made with Vignole grapes. They will also give away a VIP Tasting for 8 people – register to win on Saturday or Sunday – a $200 value!

Good Harbor offers Chicken Jalapeno Soup paired with their Pinot Grigio.

L. Mawby will give you one piece each of chocolate/bacon and maple/bacon fudge from 45 Parallel Candy World along with their sparkling JADORE.

Leelanau Cellars will serve a Chocolate Fondue with angel food cake and fresh fruit to dip, paired with their Vintage Port.

Longview Winery Will pair their newly released 2010 Cabernet Franc with the first release of a developing line of new products from The Cedar Rustic Inn: Cherry Wine Chutney atop a delicious braised pork loin.

Silver Leaf entices you with chocolate almond & cherry clusters, paired with two-time gold medal awarded, “Chafia Cherry” wine featuring their new label. They will be offering cross country skiing or snow shoeing on their 2-mile trail during Taste the Passion weekend.The trail starts in the vineyard, winds through the woods & cherry orchard and crosses Tyler Creek. The trail is marked with red ribbons and maps are available. (No equipment provided)

Tandem is serving crepes with chocolate cream cheese filling topped with a Bardenhagen Farms strawberry sauce and paired with cider, of course!

Verterra is serving Vol au Vent Baked French Brie with Verterra Jam (preserves made from wine grapes) and Granny Smith matchstick apples paired with their award-winning Pinot Gris.

Photo credit: L. Mawby’s Pistachio Pound Cake by explortise