By Joanne Bailey-Boorsma
joanne@wktv.org
Some photos by Sam Cooper Photography
When someone says wine tours, you might immediately think Traverse City or Sutton Bay area, but probably not in your own backyard of Greater Grand Rapids.
For Kris Mathis and his wife Chawntrell, both avid wine drinkers and who have been on a number of wine tours, having just such a tour in Grand Rapids made sense.
“People were like how are you going to create this wine experience when there are no wineries?” Mathis said. “What we do have in Grand Rapids is a rich, diverse restaurant scene many of which serve an array of wines from all over the world.”
So Mathis decided to incorporate the restaurants into a wine tour that celebrates the city’s rich diversity of food and culture. The public quickly embraced the tours, which is appropriately called Raise A Glass Wine Tours. The popularity of these weekend events, many of which have sold out, has encouraged Mathis to expand to include a walking tour that makes stops at downtown’s House of Wine and Bar Divani.
No matter what tour you attend, Mathis said it is all about the experience and breaking down the barriers to wine tasting and enjoyment.
“People view wine tastings as you have to have a certain level of knowledge, which is not true,” Mathis said, adding that when people sign up for a Raise A Glass tour, they are asked about their level of knowledge along with if there are any food allergies.
“Often times when my wife and I would go to wine pairings or tours, we would be the only African-American couple in the room,” Mathis said. “I saw the tours as way to introduce more people into the world of wine where sometimes they feel like it is over their head.”
Mathis added that the ulitmate goal is to make everyone feel welcome enough to share their experiences and thoughts regardless of their expertise.
What to expect?
Recently Mathis and his wife were host to a media tour that was A Taste of Culture Dinner Tour. The program, which takes about four hours, includes three stops: Forty Acres Soul Kitchen, 1059 Wealthy St. SE; St. Julian Winery – Rockford Tasting Room, 4425 14 Mile Rd. NE; and House of Wine, 53 Monroe Center St. NW.
The entire venture is like a progressive-style meal with the first having appetizers, the second, a small plate meal, and the third, dessert. All the pairings were small plates and to be honest, all the restaurant hosts offered more than just what was on the menu. In fact, owners and representatives were on hand to talk about the food and wines, answer questions, and discuss trends in the industry.
Kris Mathis and his wife Chawntrell 
Forty Acres Soul Kitchen Chef Trimell Hawkins 
Salmon Chowder Soup at Forty Acres Soul Kitchen 
Earl Stevens’ Tropiscato at Forty Acres Soul Kitchen 
Nashville Hot Chicken at Forty Acres Soul Kitchen 
Meochia Thompson and her daughter Disha Roddy at Forty Acres Soul Kitchen
Forty Acres Soul Kitchen
1059 Wealthy St. SE
Our hosts from Here.To.Serve, a local hospitality company, commented on how much they love going to Forty Acres because the experience is never the same. In fact, Holland-raised Chef Trimell Hawkins delivered an incredible sampling of food from a watermelon salad to Nashville Hot Chicken (which I did not know you could get in Grand Rapids).
Co-owner Lewis Williams came to the table to talk about the night’s presentation which he said focused on traditional African-American soul food that has been upscaled paired with wines from African-American-owned wineries such as Earl Stevens, better known as rapper E-40, who had a twist on the moscato called Tropiscato.
St. Julian Winery offers more than just wine. 
Cheers with the A&G Reserve brandy 
Guest Becky DeYoung and Editor Joanne Bailey-Boorsma 
The Brushetta from Flo’s Wood Fired Pizza
St. Julian Winery – Rockford Tasting Room
4425 14 Mile Rd. NE.
St. Julian Winery is a familiar name to many Michigan residents having operated in the Paw Paw area for almost 100 years. More recently, the winery entered into a joint venture with Flo’s Wood Fired Pizza and thus the tasting room in Rockford was opened last year. Brushetta, Caponata (an eggplant dip) and cheese bread from Flo’s menu were paired with wines from St. Julian which included a Pinot Grigio, Michcato, and Red Sangria.
Another item people may not know is that St. Julian also has its own line of spirits, A&G Reserve, which has been aged in Hungarian and French barrels. The winery also has a line of ciders.
Come on in: House of Wine 
At the House of Wine
House of Wine
53 Monroe Center St. NW
Tucked neatly along Monroe Center, House of Wine is a father-daughter team of Jim and Emily Lynch. Opened in December 2018, House of Wine offers more than 70 wines that are from Michigan and beyond. The reason for the range is to allow patrons to discover what they like and to be able to venture out of their confront zone.
For us, it was samplings of a Canard Duchene Champagne, a Chateau de Sancerre Sauvignon Blanc, and a Napa Valley Quilt Cabernet Sauvignon paired with a three-generation recipe cheesecake — all of which made for a nice conclusion to the evening.
Wrap Up
The tours are all inclusive so the $129.99 per person covers all the wine tasting fees, six different wine tastings, dinner small plates at each location, a wine tour guide and gratuity along with some other amenities. The walking tour, which is $74.99, includes the same amenities except there is no transportation as you walk to the different locations. To contact Raise A Glass Wine Tours, visit raiseaglasstours.com.
Mathis said expansion is definitely in the future which is mostly focused on building the brand of Raise Your Glass. He has no intention of moving into beer, a market that has a number of tour and tasting opportunities. He also noted that beer and cider changes the tour and he wants to continue to provide that luxury experience (which includes a Mercedes 12-seat bus) for people to explore wine and its many facets.
And in a city that is known for its beer, it is nice to know there is another option that celebrates the state’s long history of wine making by not only presenting Michigan wines but expanding upon it to give residents a better understanding of the global affair with wine.
