There is a moment when the sun sets through whisps of clouds over Grand Traverse Bay, when you have a realization that you never knew the color red had so many shades. Sitting on the hilltop at Chateau Chantal, you see those colors emblazoned in the sky in front of you. It’s a moment that can never be captured through the lens of a camera. The colors will never be that vibrant. The panoramic scope will never be fully appreciated. It’s a moment that will only play out in your mind. There it will replay again, and again, and again. Those vibrant colors may lose some of their vibrancy, but the memory will leave a constant glow in your heart.
For just a few days, I had the opportunity to be a guest Innkeeper at Chateau Chantal Winery on Old Mission Peninsula. I shared the sunsets with guests as we sat around a crackling fire. The flames danced, the aroma took me back to the days of camping with my family, and the popping of the wood vibrated throughout the lobby. A group of strangers gathered to share a common bond: the awe-inspired love of northern Michigan sunsets, and an appreciation for an experience of staying at a place that looks more like a castle than just a comfortable place to lay your head for the evening.
Here I met six strangers who were friends from Lake Orion. These strangers quickly became my friends. They were quick to tell me how each of these three couples used Chateau Chantal as a way to escape to a wonderful area and find respite from being parents. Others told me how they return year after year. Another couple relived getting engaged on these grounds nearly 20 years ago, long before the winery had expanded. All the guests had a story. All the guests had a memorable connection.
“It really is a magical experience,” said Marie-Chantal Dalese, the second-generation caretaker of the estate. “It’s that VIP treatment. You’re behind the magic curtain. You have your own chateau with a few close friends. You have fun. And it is a castle.”
When the last guest leaves the busy tasting room, the Inn guests enjoy roaming around the property on their own. They walk through the rows of grape vines. They stroll through the Inn. If they want a bottle of wine, they take it from the shelf and just make a note of it when they check out. They are free to build a fire in the outside pit or stoke the flames at the inside fireplace. Chateau Chantal becomes their place to explore, relax, play games, read a book, or just watch the setting sun.
As soon as the Inn is embraced by the watchful eyes of the guests, it becomes their domain. It reminds me of staying overnight on Mackinac Island when the last ferry takes the last visitor to the mainland. There is a different feeling. You are not trapped on the island; instead, you take ownership of the island. Sure enough, after the last Tasting Room guest leaves and the front door is locked, those staying at the Inn take ownership.
Friends and families rekindle relationships, and strangers are brought into the conversations. A grandfather’s clock records the passage of time with a gentle, rhythmic chime. And a warm light glows on neatly stacked bottles on a classic wine rack. The warmth of this place is an extension of the Chateau founders, Bob and Nadine Begin. It was named after their daughter, who brings her own personal family charm.
When the glow of sunset is replaced by the morning glow of sunrise, there is a new experience at the Inn. Guests gather together in the dining room. There, the chef explains the creation that was thoughtfully conjured up to start the day off right. This will not be a mass-produced breakfast, but a carefully crafted meal. Many of the recipes come from Mom’s (Nadine’s) cookbook. Just make sure you savor the bites of the brown-sugared bacon that is included every morning. And of course, enjoy plenty of coffee and orange juice.
“One of the things that makes the guest experience here at Chateau Chantal so warm and homey is the interaction with our family and staff,” said Dalese. “It’s really about the convivial nature of hosting. And you know, it’s a peaceful community. So, it really is a retreat for people.”
A retreat where you put an extra log on the fire, grab another glass of wine, put your feet up, and tell long tales to your new best friends.