Miners’ 9 hosts first wine tasting, plans another after strong turnout

Wine glasses, charcuterie boards and custom tasting placemats turned The Miners’ 9 into something like a small Italian tasting room, as the Iron River venue held its first-ever wine tasting and introduced a new kind of night out to the county calendar. Guests sampled eight wines while learning where the grapes came from and how the bottles were made, giving the evening both a culinary and educational edge.

The draw was Ilaria Zenaro of Fantini Wines, who came from Italy to guide attendees through the wines, the grape varieties and the regions behind them. Zenaro, from a village in the province of Verona, has worked in the wine business for more than a decade and oversees markets that include the United States, Canada and parts of South America. Her presence gave the tasting a level of authenticity that set it apart from a standard dinner event.

Joe Cimerelli and Silvia Cimerelli of Retaggio Imports helped coordinate the evening, adding another layer of international reach. Retaggio describes itself as a wine importer focused on long-term relationships with wineries and distributors, and that kind of connection helped bring an Italian producer, an importer and a small Upper Peninsula venue together for one event in Iron County.

Sari Franzene-Holroyd, the clubhouse manager and events coordinator, said it mattered to have that experience in Iron River rather than asking people to travel elsewhere. She said it was “special to have Ilaria there” and “special to enjoy the event in Iron River.” The response was strong enough that plans were already underway for another tasting.

The evening also fit into a larger reinvention of The Miners’ 9. The 9-hole course sits about 2 miles south of Iron River and has long hosted public and private events, from weddings and fundraisers to class reunions, night golf and the annual Father’s Day Golf Tournament. Under the stewardship of Toby Brzoznowski, Adam Holroyd and Sari Franzene-Holroyd, the property underwent extensive renovations and became a more visible community destination.

That work continued in the clubhouse, where the restaurant later received a refurbished dining room, a new patio and walkway, and chef Tommy Heuer as part of a push to make the property a four-seasons destination. The wine tasting suggested that strategy is moving beyond golf and dining alone. By pairing imported wines with a guided tasting in Iron River, The Miners’ 9 showed it can pull in a broader audience and create a more distinctive evening economy for Iron County.