Plenty of people in the Traverse City, Michigan area would prefer you didn’t read this story.
Residents of the area feel lucky to live there. They are surrounded by the sparkling waters of Grand Traverse Bay, green hills dotted with wineries, farms, and charming villages. It’s no wonder that The Wall Street Journal named it one of its 10 best places to visit in 2025.
So locals might be tempted to keep this all to themselves, and wish you’d visit, say, Wisconsin instead. But they somehow greet visitors with smiles!
Headed to Traverse City? Be sure to read this story on its award-winning wineries.
Wine, Food, and Fun in Traverse City
In 2025, Traverse City hosted its inaugural Wine & Food Festival. Visitors came from as far as Texas, Florida, California, and New York. Guests ate and drank their way through more than 70 events over five days. Choices ranged from farm tours to wine tastings, as well as wine-paired lunches and dinners in scenic vineyards. The capstone was the sold-out, half-day Grand Tasting, featuring celebrity chef demos, food tastings, and wines from 20 local wineries.
“There’s no reason we shouldn’t aspire to have a culinary reputation like Aspen, Charleston, or Sonoma Valley,” says Whitney Waara, chief operating officer for Traverse City Tourism. “This event celebrated the quintessential elements of the region: a passion for flavors, creativity, innovation, and all things local.”
Traverse City, the Cherry Capital and More
For over 100 years, Traverse City has been recognized as the “Cherry Capital of the World.” Those cherries spawned an agricultural evolution. Peaches, apricots, and apples thrive here, as do blueberries and raspberries, corn, wheat, asparagus, and more.
Wine has been produced in the area for more than 50 years. Today, more than 40 wineries dot the two American Viticultural Areas (AVAs) of the Traverse Coast Wine Region. The two AVAs are the Old Mission Peninsula and the Leelanau Peninsula. Riesling is the varietal that put Traverse City on the map. It was closely followed by other varietals, including Pinot Gris, Chardonnay, Gamay, Pinot Noir, Cabernet Franc, and Nebbiolo.
Distilled spirits and craft beers also thrive here. Many producers incorporate local honey, hops, fruit, and other ingredients into their products. (Ethanology Distillation in Elk Rapids makes a delicious spirit called Mel. It is distilled with local cherry blossom honey and aged in honey barrels – seek it out.)
Global wine critic and former editor-in-chief of Wine Enthusiast magazine Susan Kostrzewa grew up in Traverse City. She returned to host two tasting events for the Festival. “I knew this place was perfect for attracting food and wine travelers,” she said at one sold-out tasting. “The lake moderates the climate and grapevines love the glacial terroir here.”
Unparalleled Wines of the 45th Parallel
The 45th Parallel is the line of latitude that is equidistant between the equator and the North Pole. Land on the 45th Parallel is home to famous wine regions, including Oregon’s Willamette Valley, Italy’s Piemonte region, and France’s Bordeaux, Bourgogne, and the Rhône Valley. The Traverse Coast Wine Region also sits squarely on the 45th Parallel.
These regions share a generally moderate climate in which grapes thrive—the Traverse Coast benefits from cooling breezes from Lake Michigan and warm, sunny summers. Winter snows act as insulation for grapevines, allowing them to stay healthy year-round.
When people first started making wine up here, much of it was sweet, to please the local palate. But farming and winemaking have evolved, and the wines are impressive. You’ll find award-winning wines, including sparkling wines that are often compared to those from Champagne. There are also well-made off-dry and sweet wines.
Larry Mawby kicked off the wine boom in Traverse City planting vitus vinifera vines at Mawby Wines 50 years ago. Today, Mawby is all-in on sparkling wines, using Riesling grapes plus Chardonnay, Pinot Gris, Pinot Noir, and others.
Traverse City Wine Tasting and So Much More
While traditional tasting rooms (most of which don’t require reservations) remain popular, many wineries go beyond. Several wineries offer experiences for visitors who love wine and food, as well as activities such as boating, hiking, and biking.
- At Black Star Farms Winery in Sutton’s Bay on the Leelanau Peninsula, managing owner Sherri Fenton curated a list of experiences for guests. “I thought about what I love about living here and created those types of experiences for guests.”
©Liz Barrett
Visitors can choose a sailing trip on Lake Michigan, complete with a gourmet picnic basket including Black Star Farm wines. Black Star Farm also offers an Adventure Experience with a biking excursion and paddleboard experience on the shimmering waters of Lake Michigan. It’s accompanied by a picnic from Black Star Farms’ Bistro Polaris.
- North Farm is home to hillside vineyards (local winery Bel Lago uses the fruit), fruit orchards, chickens, and a herd of Highland cattle. North Farm is also home to a bee colony that feasts on wildflowers and flowering fruit trees to make honey. Walking tours of the farm are offered on a weekly basis. There is a beautiful short-term rental home on the property that accommodates up to 14 guests. A second, more intimate property may soon be available through VRBO. Guests have the run of the property for hiking and communing with nature or just rocking on the porch, with a glass of Bel Lago wine in hand.
- Chateau Grand Traverse has an inn with six rooms. Guests can customize stays with Chateau Grand Traverse wines (their dry Riesling is sublime), chocolates, flowers, and food.
If You Go
- Traverse City can be reached via car from Chicago (5.5 hours) and Detroit (4.25 hours). Milwaukee is 5.5 hours, including a 3.5-hour car ferry trip to Muskegon, Michigan. The Cherry Capital Airport in Traverse City offers nonstop flights to 20 cities, including Atlanta, Boston, Chicago, and Dallas/Fort Worth. Worth, Ft Lauderdale, New York, and Washington, D.C. See the current list here. (Subject to change.)
- However you get there, save room to bring home a taste of Traverse City with wines and perhaps some tasty dried cherries, cherry salsa, or cherry mustard from Cherry Republic. This small chain of stores offers an endless variety of products made with the region’s signature fruit.
- While summer is tops for tourists, late summer, fall, and spring are excellent times for visiting. Winter has great appeal for winter sports enthusiasts.
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Liz Barrett writes about wine and travel at What’s in That Bottle.
