Family-Friendly Wineries in Southwestern Michigan
Here are three of the area’s most intriguing wineries, all within a few miles of each other in scenic, rural southwestern Michigan.
Lemon Creek Winery and Fruit Farm
Lemon Creek came to be when Benjamin Lemon set up his sawmill on a wilderness creek in 1855. The landmark Lemon’s Creek was accessed then – and now – by the rural Lemon Creek Road. The Lemon family and descendants have grown grapes and fruit in southwestern Michigan’s wine-perfect terrain for 150 years, setting up the winery on their 140 grape-laden acres near Baroda in 1984. Shortly afterward, the family introduced the state’s first commercially-grown Cabernet Sauvignon grapes, and recently unveiled its progeny, Cabernet Sauvignon Ice Wine.
The lovely Lemon Creek Farm is also home to 60 acres of fruit trees and berries, hence the family’s offerings not only of tons of fresh fruits in-season, but also an assortment of refreshing non-alcoholic sparkling juices in peach, white grape, cherry and raspberry.
Visitors enjoy wine-tasting, vineyard tours and a host of special festivals throughout the year, including the big, annual Father’s Day Festival now in its second decade. Expect more than 60 classic Corvettes, live music, kids’ and adults’ games, hayrides, and hours of free wine-tasting.
You can reach Lemon Creek Winery and Fruit Farm from Interstate 94. Take Exit 16 which spills off onto Red Arrow Highway. Take Red Arrow north about two miles to Lemon Creek Road and turn right (east). Travel five miles down Lemon Creek Road, past the blinking light in Baroda village, until you reach the winery’s driveway at 533 East Lemon Creek Road.
Hours vary by season, so be sure to call first. For more information or a roster of current activities, call 269-471-1321 or visit http://www.lemoncreekwinery.com.
Tabor Hill Winery & Restaurant
One of the region’s best-known wineries and most popular restaurants, Tabor Hill’s vineyards are set in the glacial-cut rolling hillsides in rural Buchanan, where top-quality wine grapes have been grown for more than 40 years.
Since Tabor Hill began commercially producing wine in 1968, the winery has garnered dozens of national and international awards, and continues to work with expert winemakers to perfect new blends and variations. Tabor Hill takes pride in entering – and winning – the California, west coast and even Pacific Rim wine competitions to demonstrate the confidence the winery has in its ability to “best the best.” New labels on the 2004 vintages announce the vaunted Lake Michigan Shoreline, or LMS, appellation.
Tabor Hill Restaurant features indoor and outdoor dining overlooking the vineyards,. An on-site tasting bar allows visitors to sample any of Tabor Hill’s wines and sparkling juices, obtain instant discounts, arrange for off-site quantity shipping and sign up for membership in the winery’s Wine Clubs.
The winery and restaurant are located at 185 Mount Tabor Road in rural Buchanan, Michigan. To reach Tabor Hill:
From Chicago and west: Take I-94 east to Exit 16 at Bridgman. Turn right (north) and proceed to the stop light at Lake Street. Turn right (east) and drive through Bridgman city. Lake Street becomes Shawnee Road. Drive about 5 miles to Hills Road (there is no stop sign or light at this corner, so watch for it.) Turn right and follow the red and white signs to Tabor Hill Winery & Restaurant.
From the east, Detroit, Kalamazoo or Grand Rapids: Take I-94 west to Exit 16 at Bridgman. Turn left (north) and proceed to the stop light at Lake Street. Turn right (east) and drive through Bridgman city. Lake Street becomes Shawnee Road. Drive about 5 miles to Hills Road (there is no stop sign or light at this corner, so watch for it.) Turn right and follow the red and white signs to Tabor Hill Winery & Restaurant.
For more information, or to arrange tours, call 1-800-283-3363 and ask for the Hospitality Manager, or visit http://www.taborhill.com.
Round Barn Winery, Distillery and Brewery
There’s nothing typical about the Round Barn, a family-owned winery, bed-and-breakfast, and purveyor of wines, fruit brandies and microbrews in the rural, rolling countryside outside tiny Baroda village.
The Amish-built Round Barn is the site of many local weddings and banquets, and is home to the facility’s copper-pot still, a design based on Chinese and Arabic brandy stills, used to produce fruit-based and preservative-free brandy, cognac and sweet fruit cordials. The lovely wine and spirits tasting room is found in an older, post-and-beam barn that’s more than 100 years old.
Special events include a special couples’ winemaking weekend, where 25 couples learn the “art of the grape” and actually do the job themselves, from hand-picking the fruit in the vineyard, through crushing, de-stemming, pressing, taste-adjusting and finally, bottling 24 bottles to take home.
Games, hayrides, horseshoes, dancing and, of course, hours of delicious barbeque dishes, paired with Round Barn favorite beverages, are on tap at the annual mid-summer “Red, White and BBQue” on the Round Barn’s property. This festive outdoors event draws crowds from far and wide to sample a real taste of country-style living and eating.
Round Barn Winery, Distillery and Brewery, and the Vineyard Bed and Breakfast, are located at 10983 Hills Road outside Baroda, Michigan. They’re open all year, Mondays through Saturdays from 11a.m. until 6 p.m., and on Sundays from noon until 6 p.m. EDT. You can reach the facility by calling 1-800-716-WINE.
A map of the Round Barn location and a guide to customizing directions from your point of departure can be found at http://www.roundbarnwinery.com/directions.php.
