What Is The Best Winery To Visit In Michigan?

Michigan's wine industry has grown to 258 commercial wineries, 13,346 acres of vineyards, and a $8.96 billion economic impact. The number of producers has never been higher, even as demand patterns shift. At Traverse City Wine Tours, we track the real data. The question "What is the best winery to visit in Michigan?" does not have a single answer, but the 2026 competition calendar and the geography of the two peninsulas give us a shortlist that is rooted in fact, not opinion.

The Traverse Wine Coast, anchored by the Old Mission and Leelanau Peninsula AVAs, produces over 60% of Michigan's wine grapes. The Leelanau Peninsula AVA, established in 1982, holds 23 member wineries on its trail. The narrower Old Mission Peninsula AVA, established five years later in 1987, has 10. Together they form the densest concentration of quality wineries in the state, and the 2026 Taste Michigan Governor's Cup, which drew 214 entries from 44 wineries, confirmed that the region's cool-climate varieties, Riesling, Chardonnay, Pinot Noir, and Cabernet Franc, are competing at a high level. Our best wineries in Traverse City guide walks through the full roster of rooms worth visiting on both peninsulas.

What Is The Best Winery To Visit In Michigan?

Michigan's best winery depends on your criteria. French Valley Vineyard on Leelanau won the 2026 Governor's Cup Best of Show, making it the current competition leader. For a first visit, Black Star Farms offers the broadest portfolio. Riesling lovers should target Dune Bird, and view-seekers Mari Vineyards. The state's 258 wineries offer no single winner, and the shortlist below is built from real 2026 results.

The two peninsulas framing Grand Traverse Bay are the heart of the state's wine country. The Leelanau Peninsula AVA, established in 1982, holds 23 member wineries, while the narrower Old Mission Peninsula AVA, established five years later, has 10. Together they produce over 60% of Michigan's grapes, and the region's cool-climate varieties have earned national attention. The 2026 Taste Michigan Governor's Cup, the state's top competition, drew 214 entries from 44 wineries, and the results reshuffle any "best" list. If you want to know which winery has the most hardware, our most awarded winery in Michigan article breaks down the trophy count across multiple competitions.

Before we dive into the criteria, note that the best way to sample several top wineries in one day is a guided tour. Here are three tours that visit wineries mentioned in this article.

Now, let's look at the wineries that stand out for different reasons. Each criterion below is built from a specific question a visitor actually asks, and the answer is supported by real competition results, published tasting fees, or the winery's own stated hours.

Which Michigan Winery Is Best For A First-Time Visitor?

Black Star Farms on the Leelanau Peninsula is the strongest first-visit choice. Its tasting room offers a broad range from sparkling to ice wine, it appears on both peninsula wine trails, and its inn was voted the country's best wine country hotel in the 2025 USA Today 10Best Readers' Choice Awards. The Suttons Bay tasting room is open daily and pours flights that represent the region's cool-climate strengths.

Black Star Farms is one of the few wineries that appears on both the Leelanau and Old Mission wine trails, though its primary production is on Leelanau. The Suttons Bay tasting room at 10844 E Revold Road pours a flight that might include a dry Riesling, a barrel-fermented Chardonnay, and a late-harvest Gewürztraminer. Tasting fees are around $10 to $15 per person, and the inn's award as the top wine country hotel in the country adds a layer of credibility for a first-timer unsure where to start. The Old Mission tasting room at 360 McKinley Road E is open Sunday to Thursday 11am to 6pm and Friday to Saturday until 7pm, giving visitors on either peninsula a convenient option.

A first-timer should also know that Black Star Farms is a regular stop on the Leelanau 5-hour wine tour, which handles the logistics of appointments and driving. The tour visits three wineries across the Leelanau Peninsula, and the operator makes arrangements at each stop so you do not need to call ahead. For a broader look at the peninsula's layout, see our Leelanau Peninsula wine trail guide.

If you want to visit Black Star Farms and two other Leelanau wineries, the Leelanau 5-hour wine tour covers it.

The tour also stops at Shady Lane Cellars and Rove Winery, giving a first-timer a representative cross-section of the peninsula. The 5-hour Leelanau tour, from $79 per person, carries a 4.9 rating across 427 reviews on the live listing, and the operator makes appointments at each winery so you do not have to call ahead. Shady Lane Cellars took Double Golds for its 2024 Gruner Veltliner and 2022 sparkling Riesling at the 2026 San Francisco Chronicle Wine Competition, so the tour's winery roster is backed by recent results.

Which Winery Has The Best Riesling In Michigan?

Riesling is Michigan's most-planted wine grape at roughly 670 acres. French Valley Vineyard's 2024 Dessert Riesling won Best of Show at the 2026 Governor's Cup with 97 points. For dry styles, Dune Bird Winery's Dry Riesling took Double Gold at the 2026 San Francisco Chronicle Wine Competition. All three of the top Riesling winners are on the Leelanau Peninsula.

French Valley Vineyard, part of the Bel Lago Ventures group, scored 97 points and a Platinum medal for its 2024 Dessert Riesling, making it the Best of Show winner at the 2026 Taste Michigan Governor's Cup. The winemaker of the year, Blake Lougheed, oversees French Valley, Bel Lago, and Dune Bird, so the Leelanau Peninsula can claim a clean sweep of the top awards. That does not diminish Old Mission: the peninsula's Rieslings from Chateau Chantal and Bowers Harbor Vineyards are respected, but the 2026 results are decidedly Leelanau-heavy. Leelanau Cellars also took Double Golds for its 2024 late-harvest Pinot Grigio and 2023 late-harvest Riesling at the same San Francisco competition, reinforcing the peninsula's grip on the category.

A Riesling-focused visit to Leelanau should include French Valley, Dune Bird, and at least one of the Double Gold winners. The Leelanau Left Foot Charley tour anchors at the urban winery in Traverse City before crossing onto the peninsula, and it can be a good base for a Riesling route if you confirm the winery list with the operator. For a broader discussion of which wines are currently winning, see our best wine in Michigan article.

If you are chasing a specific Riesling, a private tour that lets you set the winery list is a good move. The Old Mission Cadillac Escalade wine tour, from $69 per person, can be customized, and the Leelanau Left Foot Charley tour anchors at the urban winery before heading to the peninsula.

Which Winery Offers The Best View?

Mari Vineyards on Old Mission Peninsula has the most striking view: an unobstructed panorama of East Grand Traverse Bay from its hilltop terrace. The tasting room overlooks vineyard rows sloping to the water. Chateau Chantal, with its château-style deck, and Rove Estate on Leelanau, at one of the peninsula's highest points, are close runners-up for scenic pours.

Mari Vineyards focuses on Italian varieties and offers a glass of their Riesling or Gewürztraminer for $8 to $15. The view is free, and the tasting room is a regular stop on the 5-hour Old Mission tour. The upcoming B&B at Mari Vineyards, scheduled to open in late 2026, overlooks the vineyards and East Grand Traverse Bay, and will become a draw for sunset sippers. The winery is celebrating its tenth anniversary in 2026, and the addition of a winemaker and a director of operations signals a maturing operation.

Chateau Chantal, a few miles north on Old Mission, has a classic château-style building with a deck that looks west to the Mission Peninsula and east to the bay. Its zero-alcohol sparkling brut and its 2023 Cabernet Franc ice wine earned Judges' Selections at the 2025 TEXSOM International Wine Awards, so the view comes with a credible wine list. On Leelanau, Rove Estate at Gallagher Estate sits at one of the peninsula's highest points and offers a broad view of the surrounding farmland and vineyards. The view wineries are spread across both peninsulas, and our Old Mission vs. Leelanau comparison walks through the geography that makes each one scenic.

How Do The Two Peninsulas Compare For Top Wineries?

The Leelanau Peninsula holds more wineries, 23 on its trail, and dominated the 2026 Governor's Cup with the Best of Show winner, Winemaker of the Year, and multiple Gold medals. Old Mission Peninsula has only 10 wineries but claims the best view at Mari Vineyards and the second-best wine country hotel at Chateau Chantal. Leelanau wins on depth and hardware, Old Mission on scenery and accessibility.

The 2026 competition results tilted heavily toward Leelanau. Beyond French Valley's Best of Show, Mawby took Gold in Sparkling for its NV Blanc Brut, Blustone Vineyards took Gold in Vinifera White for its 2025 Chardonnay, and Dune Bird's NV Cabernet Franc was a Governor's Case winner. All are Leelanau producers. The Great Lakes Winemaker Challenge named Two K Farms of Suttons Bay its Winery of the Year, also on Leelanau. Old Mission's counterweight is the hotel award, with Chateau Chantal placing second nationally, and the ongoing investment at Mari Vineyards with its B&B and new winemaking team.

For a visitor trying to decide between peninsulas, the question often comes down to logistics. Old Mission is a single 19-mile spine with no more than three miles of width at any point, so you can see several wineries in a short afternoon. Leelanau is larger, with three distinct loops, and requires more driving. The Leelanau 5-hour tour covers three wineries and is a time-efficient way to sample the peninsula's top rooms. For a deeper dive into the peninsula that suits your style, our best wineries in Traverse City guide sorts the options by both peninsula and criteria.

Which Winery Has The Best Food?

Black Star Farms' Bistro Polaris runs pop-up brunches, weekly dining events, and seasonal cooking classes, but it is not a daily restaurant. For a guaranteed meal with wine, the Traverse City Wine & Dine Tour pairs two Old Mission wineries with downtown food stops. Chateau Chantal offers small plates, and several Leelanau wineries host seasonal food pairings during events like Toast the Season.

Black Star Farms' Bistro Polaris operates as a culinary event venue and pop-up bistro. You can catch a weekly dining event, a pop-up brunch, or a seasonal cooking class, but you cannot walk in for lunch every day. The winery's website lists its current schedule, and the offerings change by season. Chateau Chantal's tasting room sells cheese and charcuterie boards, and their Ice Wine Festival in late January includes a ticketed Fire and Ice dinner. On Leelanau, the Toast the Season event in November pairs food with 1.5 to 2 ounce pours at participating wineries, and the LP Harvest Club in September offers a complimentary flight or glass at each stop.

For a visitor who wants a structured food-and-wine experience, the Traverse City Wine & Dine Tour is the only listing that builds food into the itinerary from the start. It visits two Old Mission wineries and then heads to downtown food stops, and at $79 per person, it is priced similarly to the standard wine tours. The trade-off is that it covers fewer wineries, but the food component is built in. For a full rundown of which wineries have kitchens, see our wineries with food guide.

Which Winery Is Best If You Haven't Booked Ahead?

On Old Mission, Bowers Harbor Vineyards, Brys Estate, and Hawthorne Vineyards accept walk-ins outside peak October weekends. The Magic Shuttle Bus tours make appointments rather than full reservations, so you can arrive without calling ahead. Avoid the National Cherry Festival week in July and mid-October fall color peak, when tasting rooms fill fastest.

The key to a successful walk-in visit is avoiding the busiest times. The National Cherry Festival, which ran July 4 to 11 in 2026 for its 100th anniversary, draws heavy crowds, and mid-October falls at the intersection of harvest and peak fall color. In winter, many rooms are quieter, and the Leelanau Peninsula's Toast the Season event in November draws crowds but also offers structured tastings with food pairings. Bowers Harbor Vineyards publishes its flight prices on the operator listings: a glass runs $8 to $10, and a flight of five pours runs $22 to $28. Brys Estate sells glasses for $9 to $11 and a wine country snack box for $9. Both are walk-in friendly most days.

The Old Mission Cadillac Escalade tour, from $69 per person, is a semi-private option that can be booked on shorter notice than a large-group shuttle, and the operator, Movie Stars Wine Tours, handles the winery appointments. For a full discussion of how to tour without a pre-planned itinerary, see our self-guided wine tour guide.

Now, a final look at the criteria and the wineries that qualify. The table below distills the entire article into a single reference: if you know what you want, you can find the winery that fits.

And the factors that knock a winery out of a category:

The bottom line: Michigan's best winery is not a single name. It is a shortlist that shifts with the year's competition results and your own priorities. The 2026 season gave Leelanau a strong edge in medals, but Old Mission's views and walk-in convenience keep it in the conversation. The two peninsulas complement each other, and a visitor who has time for both will get the fullest picture of what Michigan wine can do.

Common Questions About The Best Winery To Visit In Michigan

What Is The Best Winery To Visit In Michigan?

There is no single best winery. The answer depends on your criteria: French Valley Vineyard won the 2026 Governor's Cup, Black Star Farms is a strong first-visit choice, and Mari Vineyards has the best view. The best approach is to define what you want, Riesling, a view, food, or a walk-in, and pick from the shortlist above.

Which Michigan winery won the most awards in 2026?

French Valley Vineyard won Best of Show at the 2026 Governor's Cup, and Two K Farms was named Winery of the Year at the 2026 Great Lakes Winemaker Challenge. Both are on the Leelanau Peninsula. Blake Lougheed of Bel Lago Ventures was named Winemaker of the Year.

Is the best winery for a first visit on Leelanau or Old Mission?

Black Star Farms on Leelanau is a top pick for first-timers because of its broad wine selection, daily tasting room, and the award-winning inn on site. Old Mission's Chateau Chantal is also a strong first-visit choice with its view and range of wines.

What winery has the best Riesling in Michigan?

French Valley Vineyard's 2024 Dessert Riesling won Best of Show at the 2026 Governor's Cup. Dune Bird's Dry Riesling and Bel Lago's cherry wine also took top honors. Leelanau Peninsula wineries dominate the Riesling category in 2026.

Can I visit the best wineries without a reservation?

Many wineries on Old Mission, like Bowers Harbor, Brys Estate, and Hawthorne, accept walk-ins outside peak times. Tours that make appointments, like the Magic Shuttle Bus, handle the logistics so you do not need to call ahead.