Michigan is the fourth largest grape-growing state with 13,700 acres of vineyards.
Michigan has two main grape growing regions, both of which are located along the eastern shore of Lake Michigan. The northern area is comprised of the Leelanau Peninsula American Viticultural Area (AVA) and the Old Mission Peninsula AVA. Slightly more than half of Michigan’s wine grapes are grown in these two AVAs. In SW Michigan, the Lake Michigan Shore and Fennville AVAs are responsible for producing approximately 45% of Michigan’s wine grapes.
Michigan wineries continues to shift their focus from French-American hybrids to cool-climate vinifera such as Riesling, Chardonnay, Pinot Noir, Pinot Gris and Cabernet Franc. Although most of Michigan's wineries are concentrated in the west and northwest regions of the state, there are also dozens of wineries located near the Ann Arbor and Detroit metropolitan areas.
Tours typically last from 30 to 60 minutes per tour and they are well worth your time to check out the different ones. Each one has their own flavors, beauty, and charm to experience.
What is even more awesome is that most wineries offer free samples of their wines when you go through a tour as well. Some do more formal tasting events as well. The tours are extremely interesting and fun to do too. They aren't just there to sample the wine that you're looking forward to but are actually very informative and you get to meet a lot of like-minded people usually that are also doing the tour. It's always nice to a fellow wine lover! - Be sure to call ahead if you are planning on doing a tour at one of the wineries or vineyards though to check on availability since many of them get very busy during season.
