Mawby
Week 11 - March 12-18, 2023
Something(s) to Love
Being on the recieving end of exceptional hospitality is wonderful and vastly underrated. As someone who has worked on the other side of the counter & table, I know that our training as hospitality workers teaches us to be both invisible and attentive. Mawby is a masterclass of this paradox. Come here and just be taken care of.
Center Road is such a pretty drive, feeling relatively interior although it's less than a few hundred meters from West Bay; My favorite Organic Farm, Lakeview Hill, is nearby, and they operate a year-round farm stand and will soon be opening a more expanded operation in the nearby schoolhouse.
Summary
Mawby is legendary for many reasons. They are the only start to finish producer of sparkling wines in the region and are responsible for the training and development of many of the most respected winemakers. The Mawby tasting room is a masterclass in hospitality. After being cared for at every moment, there's nothing better than settling in to the complimentary glass of Sandpiper, and maybe nothing worse than having to choose a responsible selection beyond that especially if you are driving. 2023 is their 50th anniversary.
Two Wines
I broke my rules and ordered a flight instead of two wines. I literally could not live with myself without diving deeper into the Mawby wine menu than two glasses would allow. I went bougie with all Methode Champenoise and it's apples to oranges comparatively to anything else produced in the region. Therefore, my ratings are rogue.
NV Gold 🥂🥂🥂
NV Grace 🥂🥂🥂🥂 - top 1% for me
NV Talismon 🥂🥂🥂
NV Bourbon Barrel Aged Redd 🥂🥂🥂🥂 - also top 1%
NV Sandpiper - complimentary tasting upon arrival 🥂🥂
TCWY Wine Ratings, useless this week:
🍇🍇🍇Best of the region (top 10%)
🍇🍇As good as the rest of the region
🍇Not as good as the rest of the region
To learn more about our wine rating system, click here
Something to Do
It means a lot when a place with serious standards doesn't take itself too seriously. There are clever, funny, signs of it everywhere. My advice of what to do is to lean into the opportunity to bathe in the serious wine and exceptional hospitality while relaxing in the vibe where the excellence does not take itself ever too seriously. I mean, their most popular wine, of which I have been an "investor" for many years, is called "Sex," and is one of the most iconic wines of our region, even though I understand the grapes for it are not produced in Michigan. [Rumor has it they come from Rombauer!]
Something to Hope For
The only thing that bothered me about this visit - and let me reiterate how exceptional the hospitality, vibe, and wine are - was the brick wall of communication I encountered when asking about some of the finer points of (Larry) Mawby's living legacy. I couldn't get the wine stewards at bigLITTLE to talk specifically about the location of their vineyards or the relationship to Mawby a few weeks ago - not exactly hidden but also not transparent; Larry's "family tree" of working winemakers - why not be proud and transparent, here too? Brian from Left Foot Charley has spoken openly about Larry Mawby's influence, and there are certainly others, but to outsiders like me it's treated like a secret or a taboo subject. What I hope for as inspired by this amazing wine brand is to lead transparency in the way they lead everything else in this region. Authentically, fun-forward, and with high standards. Why hide it?
