Wineries to host annual Turkey Trot

Staff report

MADISON

The annual Grand River Valley Wine Region Turkey Trot will take place Saturday from noon to 5 p.m. at five wineries.

Participants in the drive-yourself tour can stop at the wineries, which are all within 10 minutes of each other, for a wine tasting and food pairing. The cost is $5 per person at each winery ($4 if you donate a canned food item, which will be given to a local food bank).

Each winery will feature a different part of a Thanksgiving meal and will pair two wines that complement it. The participating wineries are Debonne Vineyards, Ferrante Winery and Ristorante, Grand River Cellars Winery and Restaurant, Laurello Vineyards and St. Joseph Vineyards.

Turkey trotters can visit them in any order. Here is the menu:

Debonne: Turkey sliders on a potato bun.

Ferrante: Cranberry puff pastry square.

Grand River: Cheddar, bacon and cornbread fritter topped with a cranberry glaze.

Laurello: Cranberry DeJohn cream cheese appetizer.

St. Joseph: Ohio corn pancakes with Mackenzie goat cheese.

“The Turkey Trot is a celebration of the end of the harvest as we prepare for the holiday season,” said Nick Ferrante, winemaker and owner of Ferrante Winery. “This year in particular, we have so much to celebrate with a stellar harvest. With the incredibly warm temperatures, the harvest of 2016 is predicted to be one of the best in history, especially for the red wines.”

For more information about the Turkey Trot, call 440-466-3485 or go to www.wggrv.com.