Vineyards amidst the fall colors, Leelanau Peninsula
Photo ©2025 Tom Hyland
You probably don’t read much about Michigan wines; chances are you’ve never tasted one. That would be a shame, as there are many impressive examples being produced in the state, especially in the Leelanau Penisula, where I recently spent a few days meeting with several of the area’s finest vintners.
The Leelanau Peninsula is located in the far nothern sector of Michigan’s Lower Peninsula; Leelenau is just north of Grand Traverse, on the border with Lake Michigan to the west, with other bodies of water to the east, including Lake Leelanau and Grand Traverse Bay. The 45th parallel, marking the halfway point between the Equator and the North Pole, runs though the peninsula.
The 45th parallel runs through the Leelanau Peninsula
Photo ©Tom Hyland
This is a cool continental climate, ideal for growing apples and cherries, but is it the right area to grow grapes and produce wines of impressive complexity? Sam Simpson, co-proprietor of Good Harbor Vineyards in Lake Leelanau, believes so, and explains why. “Lake Michigan is the reason we exist as a wine region up here. The closer you can be to Lake Michigan, the more successful you’re going to be in terms of a vineyard site. We benefit from a delayed frost in the spring. Because of the lake effect, we benefit from the cooling during the season; it (the lake effect) retains heat during the fall, so it extends the fall … Also, we get a lot of lake effect snow, and that acts as a blanket for the vines.”
At Verterra Winery in Northport, owner and founder Paul Hamelin discusses the beneficial effects of Lake Michigan in further detail. “Because of the warmth in Lake Michigan, the warmth up here is different than the warmth in Lake Michigan and Chicago business channel, where we’ll see some freezing in the bottom one-third of it. It doesn’t freeze up here. The temperature of the water in January and February out here will be 39 degrees Centigrade.” Hamelin goes on the explain that the cold winter in this area will pick up moisture and form clouds, resulting in a cloud layer and lake effect snow, which is quite different from Traverse City, the largest city in the area, about 45 minutes south of the majority of the vineyards in the peninsula. “We’ve never gone below zero here in the Leelanau Peninsula,” notes Hamelin.
There are over 50 grape varieties grown in Michigan, with a mix between French/American hybrids such as Vignoles, Seyval and Traminette (white) and Chanceller, Chambourcin and Marechal Foch (red), and the more famous vitis vinifera such as Chardonnay, Sauvignon Blanc, Riesling, Merlot and Cabernet Sauvignon; clearly the emphasis in the Leelenau Peninsula is on the latter category. I tasted numerous examples of vitis vinfiera wines during my time here, with Chardonnay (especially unoaked versions), Pinot Noir, Cabernet Franc and Gewurztraminer being among the most consistent, while the biggest and most pleasant surprise for me came from tasting various offerings of Blaufränkisch. This is an important red varietal in Austria, and I found that the grape performed beautifully in the Leelanau Peninsula, with distinct red and black spice, very good acidity and medium-full tannins. Blaufränkisch is not grown much in California, so the producers of Leelanau Peninsula have taken the lead with this grape, and it’s a great example of how distinctive this area’s wines are today.
Here are thumbnail notes on the wineries I recently visited in the Leelanau Peninsula:
Kasey Wierzba and Maddie Vint, Shady Lane Cellars
Photo ©Tom Hyland
Shady Lane Cellars – Winemaker and general manager Kasey Wierzba and assistant winemaker Maddy Vint have teamed up to make Shady Lane one of the most successful producers in the area. As with most local wineries, several varietals are produced, with the finest examples being the Grüner Veltliner 2024 (91 points), the Gewurztraminer 2023 (91) and the Blaufränkisch Riserva 2021 (92 points); the wines offer impressive varietal purity and harmony across the board.
Good Harbor Vineyards – Located two miles east of the Lake Michigan coast, Good Harbor is operated by brothers Sam and Taylor Simpson. The wines here are well-made with good varietal character in a crowd-pleasing style. The most impressive offerings here are the Unoaked Chardonnay 2023, which displays excellent complexity (92), the Pinot Noir/Zweigelt 2021 that offers appealing berry and spice notes (90), and the Blaufränkisch 2021 (90).
Vineyards at Rove Estate, Leelanau Peninsula
Photo ©Tom Hyland
Rove Winery – McKenzie and Creighton Gallagher own and manage this winery that has a bright, welcoming tasting room and a charming patio that overlooks their rolling vineyards. I enjoyed every wine here, as there is consistent excellence in the whites and reds; my scores were only one or two points apart for the offerings I tasted. Most impressive here are the Merlot 2022 (91), Pinot Noir 2022 (91) and the Reserve Chardonnay 2022 (92).
Bel Lago – While I was impressed with all the wineries here, I’d have to say that Bel Lago certainly captured the soul of the Leelanau Peninsula wine region as well as any. Auxerrois, a grape native to France’s Alsace region is a featured wine here, with the sparking version (Brut) displaying the most complexity; there are also two still examples of Auxerrios, with each offering pleasant melon and green apple flavors. Pinot Noir is the true calling of winemaker Charlie Edson, and it shows in several wines, including the Moreno Reserve 2020 (91), the classic Pinot Noir from the 2021 vintage (92) and the Reserve Pinot Noir from 2017 (92); the cool climate of the Leelanau Peninsula is ideal for Pinot Noir, and these were the most sensual examples I tasted during my visits. But my highest scoring wine from Bel Lago was the Blaufränkisch 2017 (92); the current release from 2019 is quite good (89), but needs two to three years to round out and display its best qualities. Blaufränkisch may turn out to become the signature red varietal of the Leelanau Peninsula.
Vineyards at Blustone Vineyards, Lake Leelanau
Photo ©Tom Hyland
Blustone – Named for a stone found along the nearby Lake Michigan coast, Blustone is arguably the most beautifully sited winery in the Leelanau Peninsula, with its handsome tasting room surrounded by pristine vineyards. The wines here tend to be on the lighter side, with a few examples having more richness on the palate. The top wines here are the Gewurztraminer 2023 (91), Riesling 2022 (91) and the beautifully balanced Merlot Reserve 2022 (91).
Black Star Farms – Head winemaker Lee Lutes has assembled a nice variety of wines that are beautifully balanced with impressive quality. The metodo classico Blanc de Blancs, a blend of Chardonnay and Pinot Blanc that receives a slight percentage of oak aging, is medium-full, dry and very appealing, especially paired with lake fish or vegetarian dishes (90). The Gamay Noir 2022 (90), the only example of this varietal I tasted during my trip, is a medium-bodied red that would be ideal with veal, chicken, salmon or tuna, while the 2021 Pinot Noir (93), with fruit sourced from Leelanau as well as a neighboring territory, was the finest Pinot Noir of my visits. There is excellent varietal purity, restrained oak notes and a lengthy finish. I look forward to sampling more examples of Michigan Pinot Noirs over the coming years.
Emmy Neighbors, winemaker, Boathouse Vineyards
Photo ©Tom Hyland
Boathouse Vineyards – Owner Dave Albert and winemaker Emmy Neighbors believe in producing wines that are varietally pure and terroir-driven, a winning combination. The Pinot Blanc 2023 (91) displays lovely yellow apple and jasmine aromas, and is a rich, dry white with instant appeal. The Chardonnay 2022 (91) and Dry Riesling (90) are also striking, while two reds, the Cabernet Franc 2023 (92) and the Syrah (93) are the finest wines of the current releases. Most of the examples of Cabernet Franc I tasted in Leelanau display very good complexity; this is one of the top red wines from the area. The Boathouse Syrah was the only one of its type I tasted during my visits; Albert is convinced that this area is ideal for Syrah. Given the character of this example, I have to believe that he right.
Geoff Hamelin, winemaker and co-owner, Veterra Winery, Northport, Michigan, Leelenau Peninsula
Photo ©Tom Hyland
Verterra Winery – While I was happy with the overall quality of the Leelanau Peninsula, Verterra Winery stood out as the finest for several reasons. One is the location of the tasting room outside the town of Leland, a short distance from Lake Michigan; the vistas here are awesome. Another is listening to the father and son team of Paul and Geoff Hamelin talk about the history and climate of this area. But the most important reason is the overall quality of the wines. As is typical in Leelanau, several types of wines are made here; what is not common is the outstanding quality of each offering. Briefly, any producer anywhere (not just in Leelanau) that can craft an excellent example of a metodo classico vintage Brut (92 for the 2013 vintage), Gewurztraminer 2024 (93 points) and a blended Bordeaux-style red (the Reserve Red Cabernet Sauvignon/Merlot 2021 (93 points) is a world-class winery in my judgment. While I love Gewurztraminer for its incredible aromatics and spiciness, some versions are a bit too rich and over the top. Not the Verterra example, one that delivers classic varietal aromatics in a subtle fashion.
I predict that not too far in the distant future, Verterra will be known as a top American wine producer, and not merely as one of the best in the Leelanau Peninsula.
Finally, I want to recommend two excellent restaurants in the area. Wren, in the charming village of Suttons Bay, offers a seasonal menu that is inventive and beautifully prepared; even the selection of breads is special; I enjoyed the fennel and chive bread with whipped butter; this was heavenly! Meat and fish are excellent, as is the well-thought out wine list, which of course featured local Leelanau wines, but also a few artisanal wines from numerous regions of Italy.
The Riverside Inn, located in Leland, as you might imagine, is situated by the side of a river; it’s a charming, brightly-lit restaurant with comfortable seating, complemented by very friendly, knowledgable service. The seasonal menu means extremely fresh ingredients from numerous local farms; bread and pastas are first-rate, as is the seafood. The wine program is excellent, as my dining partners and I enjoyed a textbook Albariño from Coto de Gomariz in Ribiero, Spain, along with a sumptuous single vineyard Barbaresco from Luigi Giordano; as I had never seen these wines on any lists in my hometown of Chicago, I was delighted to see their inclusion here in the small town of Leland. Compliments to the wine director.
Rove
Very good wines across the board, especially the Reserve Sauvignon Blanc. Regular Sauvignon Blanc was also very good. Pinot Noir and Merlot were excellent. Beautiful setting for vineyards, and a nicely designed tasting room and patio.
Good Harbor
Well-made wines across the board, with most of them clean and nicely balanced, but safe. Blaufrankisch was quite good, while the Unoaked Chardonnay was excellent. I saw a lot of new plans for the winery, which is a good sign. If they put more effort into their wines, they could be considered an excellent producer, rather than a very good one.
Bel Lago
A lot of Auxerrois here – interesting, but nothing special; the sparkling was the best of these. Pinot Noir is the star here, especially the Reserves – excellent varietal character and complexity. Impressive examples of Blaufrankisch, especially the 2017, which is outstanding. A solid winery.
Blustone
The Merlot Reserve is excellent and is the star here. I was not impressed with the other wines. That’s a shame, as the vineyards are beautifully sited, and there is a beautifully designed tasting room (which was very busy when I was there). Tom is a great guy, very friendly and informative, but the wines are really lacking in complexity. Perhaps they need to cut the yields to craft more engaging wines. One other thing – the large tasting glasses did not do justice to the wines. I noticed this immediately, and asked for different glasses, which were smaller. The wines showed better with these new glasses.
Maybe the consumers don’t notice the flavors of the wines in the large glasses, but I would imagine most wine writers and critics would have had the same opinion of the wines as I did. The glass situation as well as better farming are something that needs to be looked at if Blustone is to be considered a top area winery; this despite the beautiful location and well-tended vineyards.
Shady Lane
Impressive wines all the way around, especially Gruner Veltliner, Gewurztraminer, and the Blaufrankisch. The Cabernet Franc and Sparkling Riesling all also very good, but the Blaufrankisch Riserva is the star here.
Boathouse
Beautiful vineyards and above average to excellent wines here. The Pinot Blanc, Dry Riesling and Chardonnay are impressive; the Pinot Noir was a bit of a disappointment, as it didn’t have that much varietal character (maybe an off bottle?) However, the Cabernet Franc and the Syrah – this last a varietal I did not taste anywhere else during my visits – were outstanding. Overall, Cabernet Franc performs well in Leelenau, while based on this one example of Syrah, I would imagine this grape could also be a star here; I hope that more producers will plant Syrah in this area.
Black Star Farms
Impressive wines, such as Blanc de Blancs (nice to see a metodo classico succeed in the area) and Pinot Blanc. Gamay Noir is well done, and a pleasant surprise. The Pinot Noirs are the top wines here, especially the 2021 Michigan Pinot Noir, which was one of the three or four best wines I tasted during my trip.
Verterra
This was the best experience for me, both in terms of the quality of the wines, but also with the graciousness and know how of Paul and Geoff. Every wine was of excellent quality, and I am impressed that a single producer can make excellent examples of three very different types of wine: Metodo Classico Brut, Gewurztraminer (outstanding) and a Bordeaux-style red; this last compares well to many fine Bordeaux.
Dining and Cooking