Just like our magazine’s coverage, Revue’s wine trail ranges from the Indiana border to the Leelanau peninsula.
There are more than 140 wineries in Michigan, and a majority of them are on our side of the state, which gives a truly overwhelming amount of options for your next winery tour. Rather than attempt to tell you about every one of those, we’ve gathered a few of our favorite wineries in West Michigan, so you have quality recommendations to plan your trip around.
Whether you’re out on a day trip around Southwest Michigan or taking a weekend journey up to Traverse City, here are some great places to start.
Chateau Chantal
15900 Rue Devin, Traverse City
chateauchantal.com
Chateau Chantal boasts a huge, gorgeous estate perched on a tall hill with spectacular views of the Grand Traverse Bay. The tasting room inside is robust, but the patio and its sights are hard to resist. Of course, Chantal’s wine selection is fittingly huge, perfect for flights. Keep it simple with options like the Naughty Red and Nice Red, or get fancy with a Proprietor’s Reserve wine, featuring the best of the best. Also, this season, Chateau Chantal will be featuring delicious multi-course Wine Dinners throughout the summer and fall. And the Jazz at Sunset concert series will be taking place on the beautiful west lawn again this year!
Cogdal Vineyards
7143 107th Ave., South Haven
cogdalvineyards.com
When I’ve spent a day in Fennville, I always like to cap it off with Cogdal Vineyards, home of Little Man Winery. Visiting this little outpost in the middle of a vineyard is a beautiful break from the real world, with all kinds of wine, ranging from a dry cabernet franc to a special maple wine. The thoughtful experience carries through to the winemaking and even labels, each of which has a story. Cogdal is really all about stories, and you feel like you’re in one when you’re here (especially after a day of wine tasting). Plus, they’re launching a Wednesday night music series from June 14 through August 30, with food trucks and music starting outside at 6 p.m.
12 Corners Vineyards
1201 N. Benton Center Rd.,
Benton Harbor
12cornersvineyards.com
This beautiful vineyard is producing classic, quality wines. Winemaker Glen Greiffendorf puts his passion and extensive knowledge together to create unique wines from varying textures and slopes across the 115-acre estate. That said, 12 Corners also has great fruit wines, such as the Tropical Blanc is a “fun and flirty” grape wine exploding with mango and passionfruit. If you want something extra special, try the Vidal Icewine, made from frozen grapes. It’s a rare treat—bursting with fruity flavor despite no added fruit—that requires cold climates like Michigan.
MAWBY
4519 Elm Valley Rd., Suttons Bay
mawby.wine
There’s lots of sparkling wine in Michigan, but MAWBY go all in. They take traditional techniques and mix them with a fun experimental style for high-quality bubbly wine that aims to please. Their best-selling offering is Sex, a fruit-forward rosé with light red berry aromas and a balanced finish. Or reach deep into the cellar with a vintage like Ca. 2013, a traditional method Brut made entirely with Leelanau grapes.
Hudsonville Winery
3768 Chicago Dr., Hudsonville
hudsonvillewinery.com
Frequently voted Best Winery in Best of the West, this combination winery/brewery is clearly a local favorite. Stop in for a flight (and some Pike 51 Beer Cheese) and you’ll instantly feel at home. The friendly bar staff is eager to educate guests about the numerous wines they offer, from shiraz to pinot gris pear to an acai fruit wine. And it’s practically mandatory you try out the signature frozen wine slushies (which can be taken to-go).
Vineyard 2121
4110 Red Arrow Hwy, Benton Harbor
vineyard2121.com
Wine slushees, cider, beer, vodka, a full food menu and more than 20 wines available — Vineyard 2121 has it all! The slushees are a fan-favorite, perfect for summer and made with wine and real fruit. But the wine menu is equally impressive — start with a crisp white like the Polite Disillusionment and work your way to the Fruit Belt Raspberry, a red wine infused with raspberry flavors.
Stoney Ridge Vineyards
2255 Indian Lakes Rd., Kent City
stoneyridgevineyards.com
You can check out “Grand Rapids Wine Country” at Stoney Ridge, a vineyard not too far north of the city, borne out of a desire to bring more than just tasting rooms to the local wine scene. Launched by owners Mary and Dale in 2012, this is a dream come true, and the passion comes through in the wine, which leans toward dry reds and semi-dry whites. The tasting room has a brand new patio with vineyard views, along with a full kitchen offering handhelds, pizza and entrees.
Cody Kresta Vineyard & Winery
45727 27th St., Mattawan
codykrestawinery.com
When you want an intimate environment at a small winery in a vintage homestead, you head to Cody Kresta. This is a family operation, run by a third generation of grape growers in Mattawan. The Tuscan-inspired tasting room is cozy and memorable on its own, but then you step outside and are greeted by a small waterfall babbling away. That’s not to mention the large wine menu, with styles ranging the gamut and vintages going back to 2017. There’s no place like home, but Cody Kresta comes close.
