No matter the season, Michigan's wineries provide a superb destination. This summer, why not couple the region's natural beauty with a sampling of the area's best vintages?
NORTHWEST
Black Star Farms: Renowned for its unique pear brandy in which the pear is grown inside the bottle, Black Star Farms also features European-styled Rieslings, Gewürztraminer, Pinot Noir, and Cabernet Franc. Visit the farm in Suttons Bay, offering event space, sumptuous overnight accommodations, and a new restaurant: Hearth & Vine, or the tasting rooms on Old Mission Peninsula and at Grand Traverse Commons. All sites feature farmstead cuisine crafted from meats, vegetables, and fruits raised on Black Star Farm and cheese from nearby Leelanau Cheese Company.
L.Mawby: Specializing in sparkling wines, the L.Mawby winery produces less than four thousand cases each year, in order to stay true to their style of winemaking—barrel-fermented in small lots. The L.Mawby tasting room, which looks out over the rolling hills of the Leelanau Peninsula, offers gourmet pairings to compliment the bubbly.
SOUTHWEST
Warner Vineyards is one of Michigan's oldest wineries, with Michigan Historical Site designation. Located on the riverbank of downtown Paw Paw, the Wine Haus is the village's old waterworks building. Award-winning wines (which have been served at the White House), entertainment on the waterfront deck, and a variety of event spaces make Warner Vineyards an appealing location for a range of purposes.
Fenn Valley Vineyards & Wine Cellar, near Fennville, offers a range of events, including July's Grape Jam Vineyard Music Festival, summer evening cookouts in July and early August, and vineyard tours, in addition to its award-winning wines.
For more winery suggestions, and wine-tasting tips, click here to read this article in its entirety in the digital edition of West Michigan Woman Magazine.
Photos courtesy of Black Star Farms, L. Mawby, and Fenn Valley Vineyard.
