Lake Michigan Shore Wine Trail Features Beautiful Views and Unique Tasting Rooms
In partnership with: Michigan Department of Agriculture & Rural Development
The southeastern shores of Lake Michigan are prime wine country, home to 90% of Michigan’s vineyards. Nestled among the region’s rolling hills and inland lakes, the Lake Michigan Shore Wine Trail features 15 diverse wineries for visitors to explore.
“Lake Michigan Shore Wine Trail is a place like no other, with its southern Lake Michigan climate and beautiful natural areas,” says Jenelle Jagmin, director of the Michigan Craft Beverage Council, which supports wineries, breweries, cideries and craft distilleries. “It is nestled between fun, vibrant cities and numerous quaint beach towns.”
Plus, the unique climate makes for lush, flavor-rich wine grapes, which benefit from additional ripening weeks compared to those grown further north.
“This can be tasted in the rich reds and supple whites that are produced from this region,” Jagmin says.
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Filkins Vineyards Putting Michigan Wine on the Map
The tasting rooms along this route offer visitors a diverse sipping experience. For instance, Filkins Vineyards in Coloma, which opened its doors in spring 2024, leans into the sustainable agriculture techniques employed by its previous owners, Joe and Sue Herman.
“We’ve been able to inherit a really beautiful vineyard and some of those regenerative mindsets,” says Zach Filkins, who owns the property alongside his wife, Lindsay.
For instance, the Hermans hadn’t used herbicide for more than 10 years, Filkins says, adding, “We’ve been able to take that torch. We want to do our part to move forward and really care for the soil and for the land.”
The couple first visited the vineyard, known then as Karma Vista, in 2019. Filkins, guitarist for the band OneRepublic, had just finished a gig in Grand Rapids, and the two decided to drive back to their Chicago home, stopping for their first-ever sip of Michigan wine. They began the acquisition process for the property in late 2023, and the rest is history.
Filkins believes Michigan wine is underrated and wants to help change that.
“One of the main goals for me is to get this wine outside of Michigan into all the other states and then even possibly into other countries with the sole purpose of putting Michigan on the map,” Filkins says. “I think a lot of us on the trail want to prove that Michigan can grow excellent fruit and that our climate can produce really delicious wines.”
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Creating a Wine Trail Experience
True aficionados believe that wine is an experience, and Golden Muse Winery in Baroda – another destination on
the wine trail – has taken that idea to another level. Dr. Analisa Leppanen, owner of Golden Muse Winery, themed her tasting room around the Golden Age of Paris, a time that this former art historian and flamenco dancer describes as the beginning of the “cult of celebrity.”
“The wine bottles all feature different artists, writers and performers from that era,” Leppanen says. “And I tell their story on the back – their eccentricities and free-spirited lifestyle that we celebrate.”
For instance, Golden Muse’s Toulouse-Lautrec Meritage pays tribute to Henri de Toulouse-Lautrec, a French artist who immersed himself in Paris’ 19th-century theatrical scene. The winery also features an art gallery and live music, plus the staff dresses in Victorian steampunk style to round out the aesthetic.
Leppanen, an executive board member for the Lake Michigan Shore Wine Trail, also hopes to increase awareness for Michigan-made wine. The board is looking to grow tourism and get Michigan wines into local restaurants and stores.
In March 2024, it held an industry event in St. Joseph that featured four wines from each vineyard.
“We did that so that these different restaurants, wine boutiques and stores can see the quality that we’re offering now,” Leppanen says. “It’s not just demi-sec that we’re producing here. It’s top-quality cabernet franc, riesling, dry riesling, chardonnay, merlot, etc.”
To learn more about the Lake Michigan Shore Wine Trail, visit miwinetrail.com.
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