Researched and written by Bryan V. Last updated October 18, 2026. Winery hours, tasting fees and seasonal schedules change, so check each winery’s website or social page before you go.
Michigan has more than 190 wineries and tasting rooms, five federally recognized wine regions, and a wine scene that runs from the cherry-and-vineyard peninsulas near Traverse City to a boutique wine trail a short drive from Metro Detroit. If you want the short answer on the best wineries in Michigan, start with the table below, then use the regional sections to build a trip that fits where you live and how far you want to drive.
The Best Wineries in Michigan at a Glance
These ten stops each have something you can verify: a first-of-its-kind history, a national award, or an experience you will not find at an ordinary tasting room. They are spread across the state so you can find one near you.
| Winery | Where | Why it makes the list |
|---|---|---|
| Chateau Grand Traverse | Old Mission Peninsula | Founder Ed O’Keefe planted the state’s first large-scale vinifera vineyard in 1974 and built a Riesling-focused winery around it. |
| Chateau Chantal | Old Mission Peninsula | A working winery with an inn and views of both arms of Grand Traverse Bay. Named the No. 2 wine country hotel in the U.S. in USA Today’s 2025 10Best Readers’ Choice Awards. |
| Black Star Farms | Suttons Bay (Leelanau) | Winery, distillery, farm and inn in one place. Its inn took the No. 1 spot in the same 2025 10Best list. |
| Leelanau Cellars | Omena (Leelanau) | The longest-running winery on the Leelanau Peninsula, with a waterfront patio on Omena Bay. |
| Mari Vineyards | Old Mission Peninsula | Known for an underground barrel room that is one of the most striking tasting spaces on the peninsula. |
| Tabor Hill | Buchanan (Southwest) | Opened in 1971 as the first Michigan winery to specialize in European vinifera wines. Has a restaurant on site. |
| St. Julian Winery | Paw Paw (Southwest) | Michigan’s oldest continuously operating winery, founded in 1921. |
| Round Barn Winery, Distillery & Brewery | Baroda (Southwest) | Wine, spirits and beer in one stop, centered on a turn-of-the-century round barn. |
| Fenn Valley Vineyards | Fennville (Southwest) | A family-owned estate established in 1973 inside Michigan’s first wine region. |
| Fieldstone Winery | Rochester (Southeast) | A member of the Thumbs Up Wine Trail, the best way to taste local wine without leaving the Metro Detroit area. |
Michigan Wine Country by the Numbers
Michigan’s wine industry is bigger than most visitors realize, and the numbers have moved a lot in the last few years.
- Economic impact: A 2025 WineAmerica study by John Dunham & Associates put the Michigan wine industry’s total economic impact at about $8.96 billion, up from roughly $6.3 billion in its 2022 study. That figure counts everything tied to wine, including wholesale, retail and tourism, not just winery sales.
- Wineries: The state’s May 2025 Michigan Wine Month proclamation counts more than 196 wineries and tasting rooms. WineAmerica’s count of wine producer facilities is higher, at 279, because the two sources define a winery differently.
- Vineyards: More than 3,500 acres of wine grapes are planted statewide, and Michigan growers work with more than 45 grape varieties.
- Production: About 1.9 million gallons of Michigan wine were bottled in 2024.
- Lake effect: Almost all of Michigan’s wine grapes grow within about 25 miles of Lake Michigan, which moderates winter lows and delays spring budding past late frosts.
One caution for anyone researching this topic: older articles, including the first version of this one, still quote the $5.4 billion figure from a 2017 industry study and “more than 140 wineries.” Both are out of date.
Michigan’s Five Wine Regions (AVAs) Explained
An American Viticultural Area, or AVA, is a federally recognized grape-growing region with its own climate and soil. When a Michigan wine label names an AVA, at least 85 percent of the grapes came from that region. Michigan has five.
| AVA | Established | Where it is | What to know |
|---|---|---|---|
| Fennville | 1981 | Allegan County, southwest Michigan | Michigan’s first AVA and the third in the U.S. It is the smallest and sits inside the larger Lake Michigan Shore AVA. |
| Leelanau Peninsula | 1982 | Leelanau County | Lake Michigan, Grand Traverse Bay and Lake Leelanau all moderate temperatures. About three times the size of Old Mission by area. |
| Lake Michigan Shore | 1983 | Berrien and Van Buren counties, plus parts of Allegan, Kalamazoo and Cass | The state’s largest wine region by volume, and the warmest of the five. |
| Old Mission Peninsula | 1987 | Grand Traverse County | A 19-mile peninsula that is only about three miles wide at its widest point. |
| Tip of the Mitt | 2016 | Charlevoix, Emmet, Cheboygan, Presque Isle, Antrim and Alpena counties | Michigan’s newest AVA, with the coolest climate and a growing focus on cold-hardy hybrid grapes. |
The Leelanau and Old Mission peninsulas sit near the 45th parallel, the same latitude as Bordeaux, France, and Piedmont, Italy. Southwest Michigan sits closer to the 42nd parallel, with a longer growing season. Travel time matters for planning: Fennville and the Lake Michigan Shore are about an hour from Grand Rapids and two to three hours from Detroit or Chicago, while the northern regions are four to five hours from either city.
Old Mission Peninsula Wineries
If you only have one day, Old Mission is the easiest wine region in the state to cover. The wine trail has about ten wineries along one road north of downtown Traverse City, and you can start within minutes of town by heading north on M-37. Plan on three or four stops and leave time for the views.
- Chateau Grand Traverse: Locals once called Ed O’Keefe’s plan to grow European wine grapes this far north “O’Keefe’s folly.” Five decades later the estate is one of the region’s anchors, with Riesling at the center of its lineup, plus an inn on site.
- Chateau Chantal: A hilltop winery and bed-and-breakfast with views of both East and West Grand Traverse Bay. It is a good pick if you want to stay among the vines.
- Mari Vineyards: Go for the underground barrel room. It is the most photogenic tasting space on the peninsula.
- 2 Lads Winery: A sleek, modern tasting room that is known for its northern-style sparkling wines.
- Bonobo Winery: A boutique winery with panoramic bay views and small plates designed to go with the wines.
- Peninsula Cellars: The tasting room is a restored one-room schoolhouse, which makes it an easy, charming add-on.
- Hawthorne Vineyards: A secluded tasting room overlooking West Bay, only a few miles north of Traverse City. Hawthorne has been open seasonally in the past, so confirm its dates.
- Also on the trail: Black Star Farms (Old Mission tasting room), Bowers Harbor Vineyards, Brys Estate Vineyard & Winery and Tabone Vineyards.
In the city, Left Foot Charley makes its wine at the Grand Traverse Commons, with its vineyards on Old Mission, so it works as a stop when you are not driving the peninsula. A full guide to the peninsula is coming soon. In the meantime, see our Traverse City destination guide and the best things to do in Traverse City.
Leelanau Peninsula Wineries
The Leelanau Peninsula is larger and more spread out than Old Mission, with more than 20 Leelanau Peninsula wineries on the wine trail organized into three loops. You will need more time, and ideally a base in Suttons Bay, Leland or Northport. Northern Michigan’s wine industry started here in 1970, when Bernie Rink planted French-American hybrids at Boskydel Vineyard and showed that grapes could grow commercially this far north.
- Black Star Farms (Suttons Bay): A working winery, distillery, farm and inn. The inn took the No. 1 spot among U.S. wine country hotels in USA Today’s 2025 10Best Readers’ Choice Awards.
- Leelanau Cellars (Omena): The longest-running winery on the peninsula, with more than 50 wines, many available only in the tasting room. The patio looks out over Omena Bay, and the winery has its own private marina.
- Other well-regarded stops: Bel Lago, Shady Lane Cellars, Good Harbor Vineyards and Verterra (with a tasting room in Leland). Aurora Cellars and Green Bird Cellars offer lodging.
Planning a full trip? Our Leelanau Peninsula destination guide covers where to stay, eat and play between tastings.
Southwest Michigan: Lake Michigan Shore and Fennville Wineries
Southwest Michigan is the best choice if you live in Chicago, Northwest Indiana or West Michigan. The Lake Michigan Shore Wine Trail includes 15 wineries and four additional tasting rooms across the Lake Michigan Shore and Fennville AVAs, mixed in with orchards, fruit farms and beach towns like New Buffalo, St. Joseph and South Haven.
- St. Julian Winery (Paw Paw): Mariano Meconi founded it in 1921 in Windsor, Ontario, as Border City Wine Cellars, during U.S. Prohibition. The winery moved to Paw Paw after Prohibition ended and is now Michigan’s oldest continuously operating winery. It makes more than 100 products and is still run by the Braganini family. There is also a tasting room in Union Pier.
- Tabor Hill (Buchanan): The first Michigan winery focused on vinifera wines, opened in 1971. Its Vidal Blanc was served at the White House during Gerald Ford’s presidency. The winery has a restaurant and walking tours.
- Round Barn Winery, Distillery & Brewery (Baroda): A sister property to Tabor Hill, built around a turn-of-the-century round barn. Wine, spirits and beer in one stop makes it the easiest choice for a mixed group. Live music is a regular feature in warm months.
- Fenn Valley Vineyards (Fennville): A family-owned vineyard and winery complex established in 1973, with a long record of estate-grown wines.
- More to explore: Lemon Creek Winery and Domaine Berrien Cellars (Berrien Springs), Karma Vista Winery, Contessa Wine Cellars and Warner Vineyards (Paw Paw).
Our regional hubs for Southwest Michigan and West Michigan have the towns, beaches and restaurants to pair with a winery day.
Wineries in Southeast Michigan
Southeast Michigan does not have its own AVA, but it has two growing wine trails that make it easy to taste local wine in a day without driving north. Because the region has no AVA, wines here are labeled “Michigan.” Several southeast wineries also buy grapes from the Lake Michigan Shore AVA and from out of state, and many specialize in fruit wines, ciders and sweeter styles.
Thumbs Up Wine Trail (Metro Detroit and the Thumb)
Founded in October 2013, the Thumbs Up Wine Trail stretches about 275 miles from Metro Detroit through Port Huron and up to Bad Axe, with about a dozen small, family-owned wineries and cideries. Fieldstone Winery in Rochester and Filipo Marc Winery in Clinton Township are among the members. The trail runs a passport program and hosts group events, and the Macomb Orchard Trail connects a few stops if you want to bike between tastings.
River Raisin Wine Trail (Lenawee County)
Launched in 2023, this trail unites four wineries in southeast Michigan: Cherry Creek Cellars in Brooklyn, Chateau Aeronautique Winery in Onsted, Flying Otter Winery in Adrian and Pentamere Winery in downtown Tecumseh. The trail takes its name from the River Raisin, which early French explorers called the “Rivière aux Raisins” for the wild grapes growing along it. Four of its members came from the former Southeast Michigan Pioneer Wine Trail, which covered the Jackson and Ann Arbor area.
For more to do nearby, see our Southeast Michigan hub and The Thumb hub.
Northern Michigan and the Upper Peninsula
Past Traverse City, the Tip of the Mitt AVA and the Petoskey Wine Region focus on cold-hardy hybrid grapes and sparkling wines. Mackinaw Trail Winery in Petoskey is one of the best-known stops. In the Upper Peninsula, a wine trail connects seven wineries, including Northern Sun Winery in Bark River. These regions are small, so they work best as a bonus stop on a northern Michigan road trip.
Michigan Wine Grapes and What to Order
Michigan’s specialty is cool-climate wine. The state’s top three grapes by acreage are Riesling, Chardonnay and Pinot Gris, and its top three reds are Pinot Noir, Cabernet Franc and Merlot. One industry review found that five grapes make up more than three quarters of the state’s vineyard area: Riesling, Chardonnay, Pinot Noir, Pinot Gris and Cabernet Franc.
- Riesling: Michigan’s signature grape, and the most-planted wine grape in the state. It comes in every style from bone dry to sweet. Ask the tasting room where a wine falls on the dry-to-sweet scale before you pour.
- Pinot Gris and Chardonnay: The cool climate keeps acidity high, so expect crisp, fruit-driven whites.
- Pinot Noir and Cabernet Franc: The two reds to look for. Pinot Noir does best in the northwest, while Cabernet Franc has proven reliable in the southwest.
- Sparkling and rosé: The grapes that grow best here also make excellent bubbles and rosé, and most Michigan wineries produce at least one of the two.
- Cold-hardy hybrids: Marquette, Frontenac and La Crescent handle frost-prone sites and are especially common farther north and inland. Marquette is a good red to try if you want something you will not find elsewhere.
- Fruit wines: Michigan is the nation’s top tart cherry producer, so cherry wine is a regional specialty, especially around Traverse City.
Wineries You Can Stay At
Several Michigan wineries offer overnight stays, which turns a tasting into a getaway and solves the designated-driver problem.
- Old Mission Peninsula: Chateau Chantal, Chateau Grand Traverse and Brys Estate Vineyard & Winery.
- Leelanau Peninsula: The Inn at Black Star Farms, Aurora Cellars and Green Bird Cellars.
When to Visit Michigan Wineries
- May: Michigan Wine Month, and the traditional start of tasting room season. Wineries and restaurants run tastings and promotions all month.
- Summer: Peak season on the peninsulas. Expect crowds, patio seating and live music, so book lodging early.
- September and October: Harvest. This is the best time to see the winemaking process and the fall color, and many wineries run special events.
- Winter: Many tasting rooms stay open, with fewer crowds and a quieter feel. Some seasonal wineries close or cut hours, so call ahead.
Wine Tasting Tips for Michigan Wineries
- Plan on a tasting fee. Many tasting rooms charge for a flight, and some credit it toward a bottle purchase. Ask when you arrive.
- Start light and move to heavier wines. Taste whites and sparkling first, reds last, and sweet wines at the end.
- Skip the perfume. Strong scents get in the way of everyone’s tasting.
- Pace yourself. Three to four wineries is a full day. Eat lunch, drink water, and use the spit bucket if you want to taste more.
- Don’t drive impaired. Arrange a designated driver, a guided tour or a ride, or stay at a winery inn.
- Check the details first. Hours, reservation rules, group limits and policies on kids and dogs vary by winery.
Sample Winery Itineraries
One day on Old Mission Peninsula
Head north on M-37 from Traverse City and pick three or four stops: Chateau Grand Traverse for the history, Mari Vineyards for the barrel room, and Bonobo or 2 Lads for the views. Finish with dinner back in town.
A weekend in wine country (Traverse City)
Spend Saturday on Old Mission and Sunday on Leelanau, with a night at Chateau Chantal or the Inn at Black Star Farms. End at Leelanau Cellars on Omena Bay.
A Southwest Michigan day trip
Start at Tabor Hill in Buchanan, move to Round Barn in Baroda, and finish in St. Joseph or South Haven for dinner by the lake. Add St. Julian in Paw Paw if you want to stretch it into a full weekend.
A Metro Detroit half day
Pick two or three stops on the Thumbs Up Wine Trail, such as Fieldstone in Rochester and Filipo Marc in Clinton Township, and use the trail’s passport to earn rewards as you go.
A Short History of Michigan Wine
Michigan’s first commercial winery opened in 1868 in eastern Monroe County, along the River Raisin. St. Julian started in 1921 and survived Prohibition by moving across the border to Paw Paw. The modern industry took shape in the 1970s: Tabor Hill opened in 1971, Bernie Rink planted Boskydel Vineyard in Leelanau in 1970, and Ed O’Keefe planted the state’s first large-scale vinifera vineyard on Old Mission in 1974. The state’s first AVA arrived in 1981. In 1985 the state created what is now the Michigan Craft Beverage Council to support research and promotion. Wine remains a relatively young industry here, and it is still growing.
Frequently Asked Questions About Michigan Wineries
What is the best winery in Michigan?
It depends on what you are after. For history and estate wines, try Chateau Grand Traverse or Tabor Hill. For a winery stay, Black Star Farms and Chateau Chantal were the top two wine country hotels in USA Today’s 2025 10Best Readers’ Choice Awards. For a one-stop group outing, Round Barn in Baroda has wine, spirits and beer in one place.
How many wineries are in Michigan?
The state’s May 2025 Michigan Wine Month proclamation counts more than 196 wineries and tasting rooms. Other sources count winery facilities differently, so you may see higher numbers.
What are Michigan’s wine regions?
Michigan has five AVAs: Fennville, Lake Michigan Shore, Leelanau Peninsula, Old Mission Peninsula and Tip of the Mitt.
Are there wineries in southeast Michigan?
Yes. The Thumbs Up Wine Trail covers Metro Detroit and the Thumb, and the River Raisin Wine Trail covers Lenawee County. Southeast Michigan has no AVA, so these wines carry a “Michigan” label.
What is Michigan best known for in wine?
Riesling, which is the state’s most-planted wine grape, along with Pinot Noir, Cabernet Franc, sparkling wine and rosé.
When is the best time to visit Michigan wineries?
May through October is peak season, with September and October best for harvest. Winter is quieter, and many tasting rooms stay open.
Do Michigan wineries charge for tastings?
Many do. Fees vary by winery, and some apply the fee toward a bottle purchase, so ask when you arrive.
Plan the Rest of Your Trip
Wine is only part of the trip. Explore our regional guides to find where to stay, eat and play around each wine region, starting with Traverse City, the Leelanau Peninsula and Southwest Michigan.