The Barrel Room Wine and Ciders

More than one hundred years ago, the State Hospital built this building, now known as the Barrel Room, to cellar the fruits and vegetables grown on campus so patients and staff could enjoy them year round. Over sixty years after the last fruits were taken from the root cellar, LFC began using it for its original intention- aging and storing locally grown crops. Thank you for coming to taste the fruits of our labor!

 

 

◊indicates Barrel Room exclusive wines

Dry White Wines

2022 Crémant

–28 bottle – 10 GLass –
Club 63 – 22.4 Bottle

Crémant is a designation used for sparkling wines not made in Champagne. They can be made anywhere and often reflect blends of local significance. This style produces a fruit forward sparkling wine similar to Prosecco.

2021 KERNER

DAN BERGER’S INTERNATIONAL WINE COMPETITION – SILVER
JEFFERSON CUP INVITATIONAL – SILVER
– 25 BOTTLE –  8 GLASS –
Club 63 – 20 BOTTLE 

The Kerner grape is a cross of Riesling and Trollinger, a red grape. Kerner is not widely planted, but a favorite of ours. The wine is dry, aromatic, and distinctive.

2021 Pinot Blanc

Island View Vineyard
Best in Class and Gold Medal: 2022 Dan Berger International Wine Competition
–28 bottle – 10 glass –
Club 63 – 22.4 bottle

The Island View Vineyard is Michigan’s oldest Pinot Blanc planting dating back to 1995. There are 1100 plants that have been farmed for decades under the watchful eye and expert hands of Werner Kuehnis. 

2020 Pinot Blanc

Prairie School Vineyard
– 24 BOTTLE – 10 GLASS –
Club 63 – 19.2 bottle

For this vintage and vineyard, we extended our yeast time in hopes of drawing out a little more earthy quality and broadening the structure of the wine. To keep the fruit alive there is a touch of natural residual sugar.

2021 Gewürztraminer

– 20 bottle – 8 glass –
Club 63 – 16 bottle

This is a dry Gewürztraminer fermented entirely in stainless steel. Gewurz has an excellent aging potential for at least ten years, although this wine is showing a lot of spice and aroma right now.

2017 SEVENTH HILL FARM RIESLING ◊

2019 JEFFERSON CUP winner
– 28 BOTTLE  – 11 GLASS
CLUB 63 – 22.4 BOTTLE 

This vineyard has an esteemed reputation and back-to-back Jefferson Cups. This prestigious award is earned by the top wines at the invitation-only competition.

2021 LE CABAN RIESLING

DAN BERGER’S INTERNATIONAL WINE COMPETITION BEST OF CLASS – GOLD
JEFFERSON CUP INVITATIONAL – SILVER
– 20 bottle –  glass
CLUB 63 – 16 bottle

We find this Riesling to be a melodic poem of delicate sweetness wrapped around an electric core of acid.

Reds, Rosé, and Skin Fermented

2020 SKIN FERMENTED PINOT GRIS 

 28 BOTTLE  – 10 GLASS
CLUB 63 – 22.4 BOTTLE 

We fermented and aged this Pinot Gris with the skins as we would a red wine fermentation, which imparted on this wine a beautiful orange hue, floral aromas, and structured tannin. This Pinot Gris was recently named one of wine journalist R.H. Drexel’s Top 50 Wines of 2022.

2022 ROSÉ

-20 BOTTLE – 8 GLASS –
CLUB 63 – 16 BOTTLE 

We whole-cluster pressed Blaufränkisch and Dornfelder for the first time to produce this dry Rosé. The resulting wine is beautifully hued, fruit-forward, and aromatic.

2020 MacDonald Blaufränkisch

-55 bottle – 15 glass –
CLUB 63 – 44 bottle

One of our trio of single vineyard Blaufränkisch from 2020, the MacDonald Vineyard wine has flavors and textures that rise with a burst of acidity and then resolve slowly into a focused finish.

Red Drive

-25 bottle – 9 glass –
CLUB 63 – 20 bottle 

Each vintage of Red Drive we’ve made has been distinct. In 2022 we used primarily Dornfelder, a “grandkid” in the Blaufränkisch family tree. The wine is deep-hued and rounded with supple berry notes. We serve this red lightly chilled, which softens the oak and boosts the fruit.

On the Sweeter Side

2021 mISSING SPIRE RIESLING

– 22 bottle  – 8 glass
CLUB 63 – 17.6 bottle

The spire depicted on the label was torn down in the 1960s as part of a fire deterring mentality. It was the most ornate section of the building and there is a noticeable vacancy where the spire once stood.

2020 LATE HARVEST RIESLING

INTERNATIONAL EASTERN WINE COMPETITION SILVER
– 28 bottle – 10 glass
CLUB 63 – 22.4 bottle

A late harvest Riesling made from one of our most renowned vineyards.

tien

– 30 375 ml bottle  – 10 3 oz glass 
CLUB 63 – 24 bottle

A sweet but structured dessert apple wine made by partially freezing the juice of heirloom apples such as Rhode Island Greening, Porter’s Perfection, Jonathan, and Tremletts Bitter.

Hard Ciders

BAYEUX TAPESTRY

2021 GLINTCAP BRONZE MEDAL
–22 BOTTLE (750ml)/ 9  GLASS –

The original Bayeux Tapestry was made to commemorate the Battle of Hastings in 1066. In this battle, a small Norman Army invaded Anglo-Saxon England to begin the Norman conquest of England and establish a new monarchy. This cider represents this notion by combining one French bittersweet apple – Binet Rouge – with two bittersweet English varieties – Yarlington Mill and Ashmead’s Kernel. The cider is dry and structured, with a broad display of flavor bound to the palate by an array of cohesive tannins. 

Harrison

–14 bottle – 

Harrison was one of the most famous 18th century cider apples. We isolated this varietal, grown on Engle Ridge Farm, to bottle just 38 cases of cider. Served in a wine glass, this cider drinks much like Sauvignon Blanc, with a green herbal qualities and a bright acidity.

OTTERSON APPLE

–12 BOTTLE (500 ML) – 

Otterson is the name of a red-fleshed apple variety grown for us by the Michigan State Extension program. Red-fleshed varieties were propagated throughout the 20th Century in New Zealand and elsewhere. This rosé cider is dry and tart.

GOLDEN RUSSET

2021 GLINTCAP BRONZE MEDAL
– 22 BOTTLE (750ml)/ 9 GLASS –

Golden Russet is another American Heirloom apple discovered by chance in the 1800s. The skin of this apple is russetted like a potato which lends some texture to the juice. The tannins combined with high sugar make a natural  apple wine with elevated alcohol and age worthy potential. We left a touch of residual sugar in this cider to keep the alcohol moderate and to balance the heat and acidity.

Bottle-Conditioned Cinnamon Girl ◊

– 10 bottle (500 ml) –

A new take on an old favorite, this cider was bottle-conditioned (rested on the yeast in the bottle, like a Champagne method wine) for three years. The resulting cider is drier than expected with a creamy texture, flamboyant mousse (the bubble at the top of the glass), and a pie crust quality from the yeast. 

a bite to eat

Barrel Room Board

-20-

A curated selection of cheeses and cured meat served with flatbread crackers and accoutrements

Whitefish Pate

– 11 –

Local whitefish paté made by Natural Northern served with flatbread crackers and cherry-pickled jalapeños

The Goat

– 10 –

Goat cheese spread from The Cheese Lady of Traverse City made with crème fraîche, figs, walnuts, basil, and thyme; served with flatbread crackers

Red Pepper Hummus

– 10 –

Made locally by Natural Northern and served with local veggies and seasoned rice crackers.

Shortie’s Shortbreads

– 8 –

Locally made shortbreads available in sweet and savory flavors. Select from Sweet and Salty Pistachio or Parmesan Black Truffle Salt.

Left Foot Charley

Wine Club

For access to exclusive prices on bottles, glass pours, merchandise, events, and more join one of our Left Foot Charley Wine Clubs.

BARREL ROOM HOURS

Monday 4pm - 9pm
Friday-Saturday 1pm - 7pm

The Barrel Room
1400 Yellow Dr
Traverse City, MI 49684

Tasting room Hours

Sunday-Monday 12pm - 6pm
Tuesday-Saturday 12pm - 7pm

The Tasting Room
806 Red Dr
Suite #100
Traverse City, MI 49684