Come and See What USA Today is Talking About! Northern Michigan- Traverse City travel

Recently, USA Today featured an article about Leelanau County wines. October and November are great times to tour the many wineries in Leelanau AND on Old Mission Peninsula. We can find you a rental property that puts you in great central locations to tour them all. Plan a whole day and use By the Bay Shuttle for transportation!

Riesling rising, and more, in Leelanau Peninsula, Michigan
By Jerry Shriver, USA TODAY

The state’s 56 wineries — six opened in the past year — are spread across Michigan along four wine trails, but most of the best grapes are grown near the eastern shore of Lake Michigan and its bays. Top wineries are positioning themselves as small but key players in the Riesling renaissance that is taking hold across the country, and nearly 1 million visitors will arrive this year to sample the offerings. The most popular wine region, because of its prime setting along Lake Michigan, is the Leelanau Peninsula, home to about 20 wineries, 16 of which have public tasting rooms.
Be sure to stop at: Black Star Farms in Suttons Bay (blackstarfarms.com). In addition to wines, it also offers tastings of fruit brandies and artisanal cheeses and has a B&B inn. L. Mawby in Suttons Bay (lmawby.com) is the area’s sparkling-wine specialist. Forty-Five North Vineyard in LakeLeelanau (fortyfivenorth.com) is putting the finishing touches on a reassembled 120-year-old barn to house its tasting room. And Shady Lane Cellars in Suttons Bay (shadylanecellars.com) showcases its wines in a fieldstone tasting room on a 150-acre estate.