Anyone who has visited Traverse City knows one of the best things to do is explore the amazing wineries! Did you know that within 45 minutes from downtown Traverse City you can get to over 50 wineries!? Pretty crazy huh? So you can imagine, putting my favorites together is pretty damn hard. Here they are listed in alphabetical order. Although they might not be right downtown, the furthest one is 40 minutes from downtown Traverse City.
As I’ve said before, I work for Traverse City Wine and Beer Tours and believe that is the best way to visit the wineries. If you decide to go this route, it’s not only amazing because you don’t have to worry about driving but they will also set up private tastings for you and plan your whole schedule for you! If you aren’t visiting the wineries with a tour company, make sure you call or check their website for tasting room hours because Google isn’t always up to date, especially in the winter!
45 North Vineyard and Winery
Leelanau Peninsula: 30 minutes from downtown Traverse City
Before I moved up to Traverse City I had only visited one winery and it was 45 North Vineyard and Winery. It’s funny to think of now because I visit it so often for work, but I remember walking in and being so enamored by it. As you walk in, you’re greeted with western decor and for me a nostalgic smell of cedar. They are known for their gorgeous vineyards, outdoor activities, wine, cider, and yummy small plates too!
Some of my favorite people that work in the wine industry work at 45 North, they are so knowledgeable about the wine and are just great people overall. My personal favorites offered here are their Cabernet Franc, Lemberger, Marsanne, Unwooded Chardonnay, 2017 Reserve Chardonnay, and their Pinot Noir Rose. Their best seller is their Sparkling Peach and that’s super good too! You’ll have tons of different wines to choose from.
If you plan to visit in a large group I’d recommend calling in advance and reserving their private tasting area upstairs. It fits up to 20 people and they offer tastings and you get to keep your glass if you want! Keep in mind this tasting is led with specific wines chosen by the winery, but you can go down to the bar after to taste any extras you are interested in. Also, if you are visiting in the fall or summer and want to have a private tasting you’ll have to call well in advance as they book up.
45 North always has awesome events going on throughout the year and it’s so fun to either cross country ski or fat tire bike around their vineyard or even snowshoe through the woods from 45 North to Blustone Vineyards which is my next favorite on this list!
Blustone Vineyards
Leelanau Peninsula: 30 minutes from downtown Traverse City
Another great winery on Leelanau Peninsula is just a mile down the road from 45 North Vineyard and Winery and it’s called Blustone Vineyards. Their contemporary tasting room is perched up on top of a hill and overlooks the Leelanau countryside and offers some of my favorite views and wine in Northern Michigan!
I absolutely love their tasting room. They have giant windows that look over the vineyards and it’s so bright, minimalist, and clean in there!
They have a good cheese plate that you can enjoy out on their patio in the summer and even have a fireplace outside to enjoy one outside in the winter as well. As for what to try, their Ad Lib red blend, 2018 Naked Chardonnay and their Ginger Apple Cider are my favorites!
From their tasting room, you can see many different fruit trees, their vineyards, and the colors are gorgeous in the fall!
Bowers Harbor Vineyards
Old Mission Peninsula: 20 minutes from downtown Traverse City
Bowers Harbor Vineyards is one of my favorites for a few reasons.
1. They are dog-friendly winery so they allow you to bring your fur babies and enjoy the outside patio.
2. They have the most friendly and knowledgeable staff in my opinion and the wine and cider are SO good.
3. It’s just so “homey” here! The owners live right on the property and when you’re here you feel like you to do too. Here is a picture of some of my favorite gals I’ve ever given a tour to walking into Bowers Harbor!
In the Spring there is a GORGEOUS wisteria that spreads across the entire roof of the tasting room! I get just as excited about it as I do for the cherry blossoms. It only lasts a few weeks so try and catch it while it’s in full bloom. It blooms anywhere between late April and early June depending on the weather up here.
A picture of me and one of my favorite people in the world while my friend Lindsay gives us a tasting! My aunt loves their Pinot Noir and my personal favorites are their Brut Rose, 2018 Chardonnay RLS Reserve, 2018 Claret, and their peach cider.
For larger parties, you can reserve a table in their pavilion. Our groups always have a blast down there. The pavilion is also used for some awesome events like trivia, snowshoe Sundays and dinner events. Check out their calendar to hear about all the events going on!
Brys Estate Vineyard and Winery
Old Mission Peninsula: 20 minutes from downtown Traverse City
Brys Estate Vineyard and Winery is one of my favorite Traverse City wineries because of its awesome deck, seasonal wine drinks, lavender farm, cornhole, award-winning wine and in my opinion they have the best charcuterie board out of all the wineries!
Brys Estate was the first winery I ever went to on Old Mission Peninsula, we had just moved up here and I remember thinking it was one of the most beautiful places I had ever been!
This picture of these awesome teachers is the perfect representation of Brys Estate! In the summer they offer their Frosé. It’s their award-winning pinot noir riesling in slushie form and I gotta tell ya, it’s to die for and perfect on a warm sunny day! Enjoyed with your best gals and a couple of charcuterie boards make for the perfect day. If frosé isn’t your thing you can enjoy a glass of wine on the deck or a tasting inside. I love their 2018 Naked Chardonnay, Pinot Grigio Reserve, and their Cabernet Franc Reserve.
Frosé is seasonal and only served until late September but if you miss it, don’t worry because in the fall they offer their hot mulled cider and although it’s a bit sweeter, it is also delicious.
If you are in Traverse City between late June and early July you must visit the Secret Garden at Brys Estate. They have over 7,000 lavender bushes down in their secret garden and I definitely recommend giving yourself an extra 15 minutes to go down and see them. There is also a little shop down there and they sell all things lavender!
A few of the wineries offer tours of their facility and one of my favorites is the wine wagon tour at Brys! It includes the history of Brys Estate, a tour of their production facility, a golf cart tour through the vineyards and down to The Secret Garden, and a tasting and charcuterie board!
Green Bird Organic Cellars
Leelanau Peninsula: 40 minutes from downtown Traverse City
This winery is the furthest from downtown Traverse City but it’s so worth the drive! Tucked away in the woods in Northport is Green Bird Organic Cellars. They are the only certified organic winery and they recently have new owners and they and their wine are awesome.
We are wine club members here because we are a huge fan of their Empire cider, Ciderye, and their Farmhouse Rosé. They’ve also got some great Gewurztraminer and other whites! Although it’s a bit sweet for me, people go crazy for their sangria as well.
If it’s Saturday when you visit do not leave without a salted caramel chocolate chip cookie. I am not kidding it’s my favorite cookie I’ve ever had. They also have some farm animals you can say hello to!
Left Foot Charlie
Located right downtown Traverse City in the Grand Traverse Commons
Left Foot Charley is the only winery located right downtown Traverse City. It’s the perfect location if you want to have dinner at one of the awesome restaurants in the Commons and then zip over for a tasting or glass of wine and cider! They even have their own dinner specials sometimes so be sure to check those out!
Their tasting room is awesome and has some of the best wine and cider in Northern Michigan in my opinion. My personal favorites are their Pinot Blanc, Rosé, Blaufränkisch, and The Cunning Ham cider. But really you can’t go wrong. They also have live music Fridays and open mic night on Mondays!
Mawby Vineyards and Winery / Big Little Wines
Leelanau Peninsula: 20 minutes from downtown Traverse City
Two tasting rooms for the price of one! Well sort of. You still have to pay at each but you only have to park once to visit both of them. Mawby was one of the first wineries on the Leelanau Peninsula and they specialize in sparkling wine.
They have an awesome flight/snack board available where you can pick two different sparkling wines and it comes with one of their homemade dips served with crackers, it’s the perfect thing to enjoy on their patio.
Big Little Wines is right in front of Mawby tucked away in the corner. The brothers who own Big Little work hard to produce full-bodied handcrafted wines. I love their tasting room, it’s tiny but perfect and has two gorgeous white birch trees right when you walk in.
My favorite wine here is their Dune Climb Sauvignon Blanc but it’s always sold out because it’s so damn good. I also love their Crayfish and Treehouse. I like their wines because they always have a few unique ones you rarely see anywhere else in this area!
Mari Vineyards
Old Mission Peninsula: 10 minutes from downtown Traverse City
A winery that has some of the best wine plus an amazing view is Mari Vineyards. They also have one of the most beautiful tasting rooms I’ve ever seen in my life. It’s a 12 million dollar estate that resembles a Tuscany style experience.
When you first arrive you are greeted with a beautiful view of East bay and then you walk in the doors and see this giant cork art. I used to despise Riesling until I learned how great dry riesling is in Northern Michigan. It was Mari’s dry Riesling that made me start adventuring into trying Rieslings up here! But enough about riesling because they have so many other great wines. I think they have some of the best reds and they have unique varieties that no one else grows here. Make sure to try their Praefectus, Troglodyte Rosso, Sauvignon Blanc, and Dry Riesling.
The view for pictures is awesome!
If you only have time to do one tour of any winery I would have to recommend Mari Vineyards. Their wine caves and tunnels are absolutely stunning and it’s a great experience! They take you through their whole facility and you end with a tasting and charcuterie board, it’s awesome. Click the link to learn more and sign up for their tours.
Shady Lane Cellars
Leelanau Peninsula: 20 minutes from downtown Traverse City
Shady Lane Cellars is just of M22 and the tasting room is in the cutest stone house. They have a huge selection of wines and an amazing outdoor patio as well.
This is my favorite outdoor tasting bar of any of the wineries up in Northern Michigan. Make sure to try their Blaufränkisch, Gruner Veltliner, and Pinot Gris.
This is also a great place for live music in the summer.
Located just across from part of the TART trail this is a very popular stop when people are enjoying a bike ride through Leelanau Peninsula, so if you feel like biking instead of driving this is always a possibility.
Verterra Winery
Leelanau Peninsula: 35 minutes from downtown Traverse City
Not a lot of people know but there is a tasting room located right downtown in Leland aka Fishtown, but there is and it’s called Verterra Winery and it’s awesome!
They also have a wedding venue called “The Ridge” and in the summer on certain days it’s open to the public for wine flights and snacks. It’s absolutely beautiful! Their hours for the ridge change depending on what events they have going on so make sure you call before you head on up. It’s about 5 minutes North of the downtown Leland tasting room.
Willow Vineyards and Winery
Leelanau Peninsula: 20 minutes from downtown Traverse City
In my opinion, Willow Vineyards has the best bay view of all the wineries on the Leelanau Peninsula. From their tasting room, you look over Power Island and West Bay and it’s so damn beautiful.
The owners built the tasting room and house all by themselves and were the 5th winery to ever open on Leelanau Peninsula. This place has so much history and you can feel it as soon as you arrive.
They have seven wines to offer you by the glass or tasting and on a nice day, you can enjoy their beautiful patio and take in the view. My personal favorite is the Pinot Gris but people go crazy for their Sweet Rain Chardonnay and Pinot Noir.
This is one of my favorite places to take friends when they visit, the owners are so sweet and the view is unreal.
As you can see, there are so many amazing wineries in the Traverse City area and this is just a few of them! If you’ve got a few days in the area I recommend hiking one day and then spending a day on Leelanau Peninsula and a day on Old Mission Peninsula. Some of these wineries are so amazing you could spend the whole day at just one or two. Thanks for reading along! Do you have a favorite when visiting Traverse City? If so, comment below! Also, Click this link to read about great places that I love to visit that aren’t wineries in Michigan.
