Leelanau Peninsula AVA Wineries

Visit Aurora Cellars, a full production boutique winery with old world charm nestled in the heart of the Leelanau Peninsula. We’re proud to offer our award-winning wines from grapes grown throughout the peninsula along with epicurean small plates sourced locally to complement your wine tasting experience.

Established in 1992, Bel Lago began serving wine on the edge of Lake Leelanau in 1999 Today, our northern Michigan winery is known for crafting flavorful and complex red, white and sparkling wines. We take pride in growing over 100+ varieties of grapes at our vineyards in nearby Cedar and scenic Northport near the shores of Lake Michigan. Varieties include local favorites Pinot Grigio, Blaufrankisch, Chardonnay, Cabernet Franc, Pinot Noir, Gewurztraminer and Riesling, in addition to rare varieties like Auxerrois, Siegerrebe. With an emphasis on cultivation, we firmly believe in the adage that “wine is made in the vineyard” – and the results speak for themselves. Our attention to detail and focus on the grape sets our wine apart from other northern Michigan wineries. Stop in and taste for yourself!

Michigan's first and only winery awarded Best in Show at the Canberra International Riesling Competition. The Winery at Black Star Farms invites you to embrace the enticing aromas and flavors of our hand-crafted wines and spirits, showcasing our region’s unique lake-effect climate and agricultural bounty. Since 1998, we have been producing wines from local vineyards on the Leelanau and Old Mission peninsulas, providing you with a product we consciously craft from vine to bottle. Because of our commitment to preservation, many of our vineyards are protected from development and can only be used for agricultural purposes or green space. In addition, on our Suttons Bay farm, all cropping, livestock, and forestry standards meet or exceed the Michigan Agriculture Environmental Assurance Program (MAEAP) set forth by our agricultural governing bodies. At Black Star Farms Suttons Bay on the Leelanau Peninsula, we invite you to explore our 160-acre winery estate, including our red wine processing facility, spacious tasting room, outdoor terrace, distinctive Inn, onsite bistro, equestrian facility, and recreational trails. Just minutes from downtown Traverse City, you will find our second winery and tasting room located on the Old Mission Peninsula. This "recycled" facility was once an apple cider mill but now focuses on our white wine production. With over 50 wines and European-style brandies, we have something to please every palate. So join us on your next visit to the Traverse Wine Coast!

Finding a piece of Leland Blue stone on the shore of Lake Michigan is finding a rare treasure of nature. Blustone wines are inspired by these unanticipated moments in life. Our Story Our story started over 30 years ago visiting the Leelanau Peninsula as a family for the first time. The simplicity and beaty of the "tucked away" secret of this part of Michigan has always been what we trasure most. There is a connection to the land found only here amongst the lakes, dunes, hills and sunlit fields and our dream to start Blustone was born out of that. Our namesake is reflective of that connection and the celebration of life which we hope to inspire with every sip of wine. Our Vineyards This is where the story starts each season. Our vineyard team works nonstop year-round to create the outstanding fruit that makes Blustone's exceptional lineup of wines year after year. Our vineyard management team spends countless hours with each grape across our portfolio of properties to ensure only the best fruit makes it to the crush pad. Our vineyards are located near the 45th Parallel North – the same latitude as the Bordeaux and Rhône wine regions in France. We've learned there's nothing quite like the trademark Leelanau sunshine and temperate Lake Michigan climate to create such optimal growing conditions. Our Winemaking Our winemaking process starts with a principle: let the wine express itself. It takes a lot of time and patience to make a stand-out bottle of wine and while it's tempting to make wines that answer to deadlines and constraints, we're constantly refocusing to make it all about a product that reflects the labor of the vines and the joy of tasting a piece of Leelanau. You might taste the slope of the hillside in the rich flavors that develop only with constant sunlight exposure or the minerality in our soil that yeild complexity often missed in Michigan wines. These are just a few examples of things we take into account during each growing season. Our fermentation, barrel selection, aging method and release date for each wine changes each year. Each year, you'll experience the Blustone terroir and true varietal character in with every sip.

Step back in time and enjoy a Pure Michigan experience when you visit Brys Estate Vineyard & Winery. Spanning 155 acres, Brys Estate is the largest contiguous winery estate on the Old Mission Peninsula. Opened in 2005, they are a family-run business that crafts wines from 53,000 vines planted less than a mile from Lake Michigan. The Brys experience includes an old-world tasting room, outdoor deck with panoramic views of their expansive vineyard and East Grand Traverse Bay, a Private Guesthouse offering seasonal overnight accommodations, and a serene Secret Garden where 6,000 lavender plants bloom alongside grapes and apple trees. Walter and Eileen Brys, proprietors of Brys Estate, planted the first of 53,000 vines in 2001 and opened the doors of their tasting room in 2005. Their 44-acre vineyard is part of the 155 acres that makes up Brys Estate. Today there are eight different varietals planted; Merlot, Pinot Noir, Cabernet Franc, Chardonnay, Pinot Gris, Riesling, Pinot Blanc, and Gewürztraminer. Director of Winemaking & Estate Manager, Coenraad Stassen, has earned over 500 medals in national and international wine competitions for Brys Estate since joining Walt and Eileen in 2007. Coenraad has a strong focus on producing high-quality dry reds and has a crisp, clean approach in producing whites. His focus is to be able to make world recognized wines from 100% estate grown Old Mission Peninsula AVA vinifera grapes from the Brys Estate vineyards.

Dune Bird is a collaboration of the unexpected. In a twist on the traditional, Dune Bird elevates a craft espresso bar right alongside an exceptional menu of exciting, cool climate wines in a warm, inviting space complete with a hint of aviation and industrial design. Dune Bird’s focus is people. Small, hot plates and later hours are our invitation to linger and to lean in. Welcome to Dune Bird.

Good Harbor Vineyards has been growing grapes and producing award winning wines on the Leelanau Peninsula since 1980. Having over four decades of winemaking history has allowed the Good Harbor winemaking and viticulture team to truly refine what varieties grow best on specific sites. This experience has allowed us to continue to increase the fruit quality and in the end the overall quality of our wines. Good Harbor Vineyards was founded on the idea that people should be able to afford to drink quality wine every day. We continue to strive to grow clean and pristine fruit in the vineyard and to use that fruit to make high-quality wine at an affordable price in hopes that our patrons will be able to enjoy Good Harbor Vineyard wines on a daily basis.

For 20 years, Mackinaw Trail Winery has been striving to enrich lives with exceptional wines. We have a rich passion for the art of wine making and are overjoyed to share our craft with others. Our family is proud to have contributed to the ever growing Michigan wine industry with balanced complex, and deliciously desirable wines. Our family’s viticultural history started when Ralph Stabile was younger and remembered making his families supply of wine alongside his grandfather, Phillip Stabile. Since then, Ralph has had a passion for making wine. In 2003, Ralph and his wife Laurie Stabile moved to commercialize his wines and open a winery of their very own. Together, Ralph and Laurie became the proud owners of the first winery license in the Upper Peninsula. They then opened their first tasting room on the harbor in Manistique, under the name Mackinaw Trail Winery in 2004. Today, Mackinaw Trail Winery is family owned and operated by Ralph, Laurie, and their son, second generation wine maker, Dustin Stabile.

A DESTINATION, ELEVATED The perfect stop along your Sleeping Bear Dunes adventure. Perched at 1165 feet, our tasting room sits at the highest point in Leelanau County. This elevation not only creates breathtaking views and memorable sunsets, but the perfect conditions for making award-winning wines. As a family-owned, fifth-generation farmland, Gallagher Estate focuses on using estate-grown grapes to honor our rich northern Michigan legacy.