Another successful anniversathon

[Enzo]

As June 1 comes to a close, so does our latest anniversathon. The annual May 21 through June 1 celebration.

Today we drove south a ways to Jackson and went to a buffet. On the way down the highway I spotted a road sign that there was a winery off some exit. So off the ramp we went looking for the winery. Out in the middle of nothing I almost drove past their driveway when wring shouts "WINERY!!!" Screeching brakes and up the drive we went. Unlike much of mid Michigan, this is a morainal area, and so hilly. Pretty.

At the top of the drive is a young man power washing the driveway. I ask him if they are open or had I chosen a bad time? Open, let me get the owner. OK. A short time later, a middle aged man comes out and greets us to Chateau Aeronautique Winery. Into the tasting room, he gives the quick tour: look around inside and now look out the rear windows. A quick timeline, and he points out it is an air park, the grass strip out the rear windows, and see the neighbors have hangar garages. And thus the name of the place. he introduced himself as Lorenzo, and I introduced myself as just Enzo.

I asked him what he flew, and he said a Cessna 172. I asked is that the little high wing plane? yep. I admitted my very limited knowledge in that area. He then added, "Oh and I also fly the A310 Airbus for Delta." "Oh, that won't land on the grass though, right?" I ask good questions, I think. I didn;t get to see his Cessna, or even cooler, he has a Stearman.

he then handed us off to his wine steward/consultant/ bartender. And we sat at their bar for a tasting. The guy told us the story on each wine as he poured a sample. We tried all eight wines on their "sweets" list. They were all pretty tasty, I thought. I liked some better than others. I let wring chose a bottle, and I got it for her as my last anniversathon gift of the year. The guy seemed very knowledgeable about the wines. And seemed genuinely amused by our patter. I knew it would be a fun event when wring couldn;t climb up onto the tall bar stools. Teehee...

Apparently the wine sampling in $10, but they knock $5 off that if you buy something. And they throw in a nice glass, stemware etched with their logo. I declined the tasting because I was driving, wring says "Well I'm not driving." So I sipped a little of hers. So we got a nice bottle and a stem glass and a fun adventure, huddled around an air strip in the woods of nowhere. With a clean driveway.

Oh, and the poor wine guy, he never had a chance. We were chatting about something, and mentioned Greenpeace. I said "Oh don't get me started on Greenpeace." He nodded in sympathy... "Yeah, every time I go to the beach, these Greenpeace guys keep trying to pull me back into the water."

Thank you, I'll be here all week...

He never saw it coming.

Here they are:
http://www.chateauaeronautiquewinery.com/index.html

[Heid the Ba]

Sounds like a fun day, and congratulations!

[Arneb]

Chateau aéronautique. That is just awesome. I didn't even know there was wine Michigan, I thought that tough continental climate precluded that. Have anice evening with the Wife and the bottle!

[Lianachan]

A grand day out, and more of Enzo's wanderings to piss time away with on Google Maps.

[Enzo]

Michigan has a very active wine industry.

here is another winery up in "wine country".
http://www.cicconevineyard.com/about-us.html

They don't mention it, but those are the parents of Madonna - -yes THAT Madonna. This is the vineyard she bought for them.

yeah, I figured pretty soon here I'd get google earth or something onto the Jackson and Lansing railroad out our back door and follow it down to that winery, just to see their air strip from above.

[Lance]

It's much easier than that.

Chateau Aeronautique Winery on Google Earth

I just Googled the name, clicked on the map that came up and switched to Earth view.

[Enzo]

Sure, but then you miss the journey. I have been known to take a 20 mile jaunt up the road on street view before it just gets tiring moving a few yards at a time.

Not to worry though, I just started there and wound my way back up to here. The train tracks wander quite a bit it seems.

[Lance]

Yeah, I've done that. Maybe not for 20 miles, but wandering around the map can be fun.

[wring]

I knew it would be a fun event when wring couldn;t climb up onto the tall bar stools. Teehee...

Asshole.

The chair seat is taller than my waist. I'd like to see YOU try it.

grumble grumble grumble,.

Although I did not have a wine making duck (and I didn't have the grape duck with me), he DID seem to appreciate the Oktoberfest duck I gave him. And since he played along so nicely with us, he also got his choice of Enzo item - he opted for the Hackey sack, with the caption "My head hurts" Good choice.
Yes, it was a nice little winery, and a fun end to anniversathon (we did, also have the traditional day we exchange wheels of Brie - it happened spontaneously one year, same brand even, but we've continue w/it 'cause it's fun. ) I note that today, the 4th of June, he finally finished his first gift of anniversathon - a bottle of George Dickle Rye whiskey.

[Lance]

I knew it would be a fun event when wring couldn;t climb up onto the tall bar stools. Teehee...

Asshole.

The chair seat is taller than my waist. I'd like to see YOU try it.

Cyndi has the same problem... She thinks I'm an asshole.

[wring]

we vertically challenged people suffer so...

[tubeswell]

Cool Stearman. Dad flew planes. He and mum had a flying school with a whole collection of them. At one time of other there were a couple of 172s, a 150, an Airtourer, 2 x 337s, a Cardinal, a couple of 185s, a couple of Piper SuperCubs and a Piper Tripacer amongst others. He also had another company doing a regional commuter service with a couple of 402s and a 410. Back in the swingin' seventies.

[Enzo]

Cool.

Back in the early 1980s I used to fly a lot - nothing like Mactep though - and frankly my favorite ride was the little Piper Navajo Chieftain. A small "commuter" airline flew them from Detroit to Akron. Eight passenger, non-pressurized. never went over like 8000 feet. SO without pressurization, the windows could be huge, it was like riding a station wagon around the sky. You could see everywhere, including out the front. I loved that. It was stunning to watch the plane fly into a crosswind, crabbing its way along. Strange to see the airport you were headed for out the side window. Last second before touchdown, he straightens it out and puts it down.

Before taking off, the copilot just turned around in his seat and delivered the safety speech directly.

I always had a hankering to do a loop in a biplane.

[Мастер]

Cool.

Back in the early 1980s I used to fly a lot - nothing like Mactep though - and frankly my favorite ride was the little Piper Navajo Chieftain. A small "commuter" airline flew them from Detroit to Akron. Eight passenger, non-pressurized. never went over like 8000 feet. SO without pressurization, the windows could be huge, it was like riding a station wagon around the sky. You could see everywhere, including out the front. I loved that. It was stunning to watch the plane fly into a crosswind, crabbing its way along. Strange to see the airport you were headed for out the side window. Last second before touchdown, he straightens it out and puts it down.

Before taking off, the copilot just turned around in his seat and delivered the safety speech directly.

I always had a hankering to do a loop in a biplane.

I've had that kind of experience on Beechcraft 1900s, in Wyoming.