Buchanan
Stranger Wine Company
Drive: 90 minutes
In 2021, husband-and-wife team Maxx Eichberg and Sidney Finan began growing Pinot Noir, Chardonnay, and Riesling — grapes that thrive in Michigan’s cool climate — at their 15-acre estate near Harbor Country using organic and regenerative farming. (They also grow Cab Franc, a grape that’s widely planted in the area.) Their wines are low intervention and acid driven, and you can try them at the couple’s tasting room, located in a former bank building in downtown Buchanan. With a rotating selection of wines (some unique to the tasting room), you may find a vibrant Kerner, a creamy lees-aged Chardonnay, or a Cab Franc bursting with blue fruit. Don’t be surprised if Eichberg or Finan fills your glass themselves. Have a favorite? Grab a bottle from the literal vault to take with you. 201 E. Front St.
Fennville
Modales
Drive: 2.5 hours
Near the vacation towns of Saugatuck and Douglas and next door to Virtue Cider, you’ll find this 40-acre certified-organic vineyard estate, which opened in 2019. Here, the talented Andrew Backlin, who once worked in Napa Valley, makes terroir-driven wines using sustainable practices. At the bar in the lively tasting room, you can get a 60-minute guided sampling for $22 (reserve ahead), or grab a table, inside or on the patio (both offer views of the vines), for flights and wines by the glass. Backlin produces a wide range of offerings. Alongside popular Michigan varietals like Pinot Gris, he’ll experiment with grapes less prevalent in the region, so you’ll get to try some fun, unexpected wines like white Petit Manseng, a varietal that hails from southwest France. 2128 62nd St.
Traverse City
Left Foot Charley
Drive: 5.5 hours
This urban winery, started 22 years ago by Buffalo Grove native Bryan Ulbrich, is located on the grounds of the historic Village at Grand Traverse Commons. Ulbrich buys fruit from 16 local growers and produces an astonishing array of bottles. You can sample his Pinot Gris, Cab Franc, and signature Blaufränkisch — plus some ciders — in the light-filled tasting room. Order by the glass or bottle, or try flights of four wines and ciders for $16. A 90-minute guided tour ($35) takes you to the barrel room, a 19th-century root cellar where Ulbrich ages wines. There, you can try six specialty types, from small-batch selections to older vintages, paired with a cheese and charcuterie board. 806 Red Dr.