Leelanau Peninsula AVA
Wine Region · Suttons Bay, Michigan
The Leelanau Peninsula AVA is a wine region on the Leelanau Peninsula, the little finger of Michigan's mitten north-west of Traverse City, approved as an American Viticultural Area in 1982. About two dozen or more wineries and tasting rooms are scattered across rolling hills between Lake Michigan and Grand Traverse Bay. The big lake tempers the climate, which makes cool-climate grapes possible: Riesling, Pinot Gris, Pinot Noir and sparkling wines are the usual stars. Tasting rooms cluster around Suttons Bay, Leland and Northport, and the region sits beside cherry farms, Fishtown in Leland and the M-22 shore road. It suits visitors who want a relaxed tasting day or weekend with a driver and a plan. Unlike a single road, Leelanau is spread out, so pick a cluster. Allow a full day, and a weekend if you want to add the dunes and beaches nearby. Fees, hours and appointments vary by winery, so confirm before you go.
Leelanau Peninsula, Suttons Bay, Michigan, 49682, United States
There are no regional opening hours; each winery sets its own. Most tasting rooms open daily in summer and early autumn, commonly late morning to late afternoon, with some staying open into the evening on weekends. From about November to April many cut back to weekends only or to limited days, and a few small producers close for the winter or take visitors by appointment only. Harvest in September and October is busy, and some rooms change hours when picking is under way. Holiday weekends and good-weather Saturdays are the crowded times. Always check each winery's current hours, tasting fees and appointment policy before you set out, especially off-season, and plan the day around a cluster of two or three rooms rather than a long list.
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