There is a wide world of wine out there that we’ve not begun to explore.
Join us for week 3, as we delve into some of the forgotten wines and grapes from Europe.

We’re continuing our exploration of beers in, and around, Grand Rapids as part of the First Annual Furniture City Beer Month.

But we’ve got a bit more in store for you as well.

Yes, there will be beer, ARVON, in fact. One of favorite breweries in all of Michigan has been pumping out the quality brews since 2018, and havent looked back since.
From very humble beginnings, to surviving the pandemic, to being one of the highest rated breweries in the state, this crew has seen it all over the last 8 years, and don’t plan on stopping any time soon.

Well, except for stopping by our humble store to try out some of their newest, freshest barley pop.

BUT THAT’S NOT ALL!
Sweet Racks and Smokin’ Butts BBQ of Grandville are parking their truck outside The Grape, and will be serving their delicious food, for all you ravenous types. Bring your wallet, you’ll want to try it all!

Then, at 6, after you’re done with us, pop on down to the Celadon Amphitheater and enjoy the first FREE concert of the year.
It’s going to be a great Thursday!

One of our favorite breweries/restaurants in the GR will be joining us in person to help us celebrate Furniture City Beer Month.

That’s right, Jackson and the team will be stopping by with a bunch of cold ones. They’re bringing the tent, they’re bringing the tunes, and they’re bringing some pies! 🍕🍕🍕🍕
Yes, we’re doing a pizza and beer tasting with the man himself, as you taste through what makes this brewery so damn delicious.

Limited food available, so come early, and let’s keep the fun rolling!

Breweries and beers are subject to change

One of the reasons we love wine, apart from the fact that it’s delicious, is that there’s always MORE to discover.

New regions
New styles
New grape varietals…

We’re running with that idea this summer and jumping outside the norm, and exploring wines from regions you may not be familar with.
For example; Did you know that Romania is the 5th largest wine producing country in the EU? They pump out more wine than New Zealand!

All that, and more, this Summer as we explore OFF THE BEATEN PATH.

Grand Rapids
fka
Furniture City
aka
Beer City USA

Grand Rapids is a city where small-scale experimental home brewers taste and tinker right alongside master brewers from some of the nation’s most acclaimed names in beer.
Join us every Thursday in June as we explore the breweries and beer that make Grand Rapids, Beer City.

Breweries and beers are subject to change

The Palasek Family, led by wine-maker Crystal Palasek, is committed to becoming a benchmark wine-maker located in Belding, Michigan, crafting wines that represent family made/owned, and the family that supports the Local Michigan Farmers.

I say this without hesitation, that Crystal is one of the unheralded winemakers in the State of Michigan, and her talent should be on your radar.
Producing a wide range of wines, from dry and bold, to sweet and desserty, LOST FAWN is a gem of a winery, and a great way to finish off our Celebration of Michigan Wine Month.

In our last week covering the beers and breweries of Southern Michigan, we travel South on 131 towards Kzoo, and the beers of One Well Brewing Company.

Opening in November 2014, One Well has been an unstoppable force of the craft beer scene in Kalamazoo. Expanding nearly every year since, either through the state, or their amazing taproom and pinball hall in the mall (alliteration intended).

Not afraid to take chances, their beers have been overlooked, and should be back on your map.

See you Thursday!

Michigan.
The land of The Rising Wolverine

Or something like that

Hey, we’re also known for our wine, and it makes sense, Lake Michigan is a great weather insulator. If you stop to think about it, all the World renowned wine regions have a LARGE body of water to their West. Think about it; California, Bordeaux, Chile, Oregon…etc

So come out and see what makes our region so special for wine.

Michigan.
The Land of 10,000 Lincolns…

Or something like that

Hey, we’re also known for our wine, and it makes sense, Lake Michigan is a great weather insulator. If you stop to think about it, all the World renowned wine regions have a LARGE body of water to their West. Think about it; California, Bordeaux, Chile, Oregon…etc

So come out and see what makes our region so special for wine.

Plan to join us on Thursday, May 14 for a night of food, wine, beer, auction fun, and live music!

It’s surely a night you wont forget. Join us for an evening along the shores of Root Beer Lake at Indian Trails Camp.
Enjoy delicious cuisine, a variety of beverages, live entertainment, and an exciting auction who’s proceeds benefit facility enhancements at Indian Trails Camp and IKUS Life Enrichment Services.

More information about Indian Trails, IKUS, or RW&B, can be found on the IKUS website

Curated by the Crushed Grape

*All attendees must be 21 or over*

Sponsorship opportunities are available. For information, click here or contact Nikki Outhier at nouthier@ikuslife.org.

Tickets: $100 – all proceeds benefit the High Adventure Course and other facility enhancements.

Hailing from the small burg of Williamston Michigan, Old Nation Brewing Company has been pouring nothing but the highest quality beers this side of the lake.

Steeped in classic German brewing practices, but willing to push the boundaries into “New School” craft beers, Travis Fritts and the fam have been some of our favorite beers produced in the state.

Come by between 530 and 8 to see why!

As the weather begins to change for the better, we find ourselves outside more and more.

Take advantage of Patio SZN™ with this quaffable wines, sure to please.
Porch Pounder, Patio Pounder, Gazebo Guzzler, what ever you call them, just be sure to call them delicious. Best suited for those hot days, and cool nights, these bright whites, and juicy reds are everything your patio party requires, and more!

See you starting at noon!

There are over 400 breweries located in Michigan, the 6th most in the country.
Join us as we make our way around The Mitten State and explore some of our favorites, and some of the forgotten gems that makes our state great for beer.

We welcome in TRANSIENT ARTISAN ALES of Bridgman Michigan for the final week of South West Michigan.
Coincidentally, it happens to line up with their 10th Year Anniversary, so we’ll have to celebrate the only way we know how…with great beer!

Breweries and beers are subject to change
*Must be 21+ with proper ID to partake

April showers and so-forth.

Spring, has sprung? Is springing? Well, at least according to the calendar, it’s here. And there’s no better time to hop into that perfectly pink bottle of deliciousness
Not like we really need any excuses around these parts to drink a great rosé, but it just feels right.

So join us on Saturday as we celebrate Cerealia, and strike a (proverbial) match towards the bonfire we call “ROSESZN”. Floral headdresses always accepted.

There are over 400 breweries located in Michigan, the 6th most in the country.
Join us as we make our way around The Mitten State and explore some of our favorites, and some of the forgotten gems that makes our state great for beer.

This week, we continue through South-West Michigan as we sample some hops and malts from NEW HOLLAND & THREE BLONDES BREWING COMPANY.

Breweries and beers are subject to change
*Must be 21+ with proper ID to partake

After exploring the multitude of “Just Outside the Normal” type Easter wines last weekend, we continue the theme of “Not Quite What You’re Use To” wines, as we head south of the equator, towards the lands of Kiwis and Hobbits.

New Zealand is know for producing some of the finest examples of “New World” Sauvignon Blancs on the planet. Heck, they make some of the best Sauvvy B’s, period.
But you think you know The Blanc? Think again.

Join us as we explore some of the lessor known regions and styles of SB from the neighbor of the Land Down-Under.

There are over 400 breweries located in Michigan, the 6th most in the country.
Join us as we make our way around The Mitten State and explore some of our favorites, and some of the forgotten gems that makes our state great for beer.

This week, we continue through South-West Michigan as we sample some hops and malts from BIG LAKE BREWING and ODDSIDE.

Breweries and beers are subject to change
*Must be 21+ with proper ID to partake

A new month means a new region of Michigan Beer Makers to explore.

Join us this Thursday as we kick off April with Southwest Michigan. St Joe’, Saugatuck, Fennville, Holland, Douglas, South Haven, and More! These are some of the towns we’ll be drinking through, as we bring you the story of Michigan Craft Beer.

All Breweries TBD at this time…but trust us, they’ll be tasty.

You know it.
You LOVE it.

It’s Best In Show!

Using a complex, proprietary mathematical formula, we determine what YOU, our loyal guests, has deemed the BEST wines from the first quarter of the year.

Will it be white?
Will it be red?
Will it be bubbly and will you be fed?

Only one way to find out.
Clear your calendars, these are never to be missed!

This free event is part of our continued series we’re calling “Meet the Makers”, as we highlight some of our favorite Michigan based breweries.

Beers TBD.

Wherever I may “Loam”, where I lay my head is home.

What does LOAM mean? Well, it’s typically an equal mix of several different types of soil; silt, clay, sand and organic matter. So basically, a mixture of everything we’ve been teaching up to this point.

Loamy soils are typically TOO fertile for wine grapes. This means that the vines grow to well, and produce lower quality, less intense wine grapes.

However, that doesn’t mean without a rigorous viticulture program, and intense vine training and cultivation, that great wines cant be produced. Napa and Sonoma Valley California are famous loamy soil regions.

Confused yet? Great, stop by and let’s clear it up for you!

This free event is part of our continued series we’re calling “Meet the Makers”, as we highlight some of our favorite Michigan based breweries.

This Thursday sees us continue through the Upper Lower Mitten with two breweries that we feel have been overlooked.

What is this Silt?

Silt, everyone’s favorite nutrient-rich, moisture-retaining soil is in the spotlight!

I can hear you already: “But wait, I thought that we wanted bad soils for growing wine grapes?!”
Yes…but also no.

You can find silt (aka ALLUVIAL) soils all over the place; From the Loire and Rhone Valleys in France, to the plains of Marlborough NZ, and back through the rolling hills of Tuscany.
Alluvial soiled wines are typically soft and delicate, yet fragrant.

Come see what we mean, as we open up 6 bottles that prove “Silt is Built…for growing wines”

Ft: Cheboygan Brewing and Silver Spruce Brewing

This free event is part of our continued series we’re calling “Meet the Makers”, as we highlight some of our favorite Michigan based breweries.

This Thursday sees us continue through the Upper Lower Mitten with two breweries that we feel have been overlooked.

Cheboygan Brewing, known for their delightfully refreshing Blood Orange Blonde, has been serving the Northlands since 2011.
Silver Spruce, a younger brewery that brings LOTS of experience for a team that’s only been around since 2018

The calendar turns over into another month, and we inch closer to warmer weather.

Warmer weather reminds us of beaches…what covers beaches?
Well, yeah, tourists, but also SAND!

Sand is important to the drainage of groundwater, important to the development of grapevines.
Join us starting at noon as we dive deeper (pun intended) into the gritty world of sandy soil wines.

I don't like sand. It's coarse and rough and irritating…and it gets everywhere.

Beers TBD

This free event is part of our continued series we’re calling “Meet the Makers”, as we highlight some of our favorite Michigan based breweries.

The end of February continues our Soil Series into Clay Soils

Clay soils make wines plush and ripe with a full midpalate. Because clay holds water and heats slowly, grapes keep concentrated flavors and softer tannins, producing easy-drinking reds and round, weighty whites. Expect dark/red berries, stone fruit, and earthy notes. In cool climates clay adds richness; in warm ones it helps keep acidity. Clay gives depth, a lasting mouthfeel, and a coating finish.

A lineup that’s not to be missed!

Winter Beer Fest is one of our favorite events of the year!

If you’re going on Saturday, be sure to stop by Thursday night for a preview with Kevin from Marquette based Barrel & Beam. This free event is part of our continued series we’re calling “Meet the Makers”, as we highlight some of our favorite Michigan based breweries.

We’re just getting started with our study of soil types, and their impact on the world of wine!

The 31st marks the start of a new series of wines, VOLCANIC SOILS!
What is a volcanic soil, what does that mean, what are some of the major volcanic regions?

All your questions will be deliciously answered with a selection of 6 wines from major volcanic soil regions.

Join us as we wrap up our Four Week course on limestone soils, and how they impact wine as a finished product.

This week features reds and whites from around the world, including; Paso Robles, Slovenia, Sicily, and more!