The Old Mission Peninsula is a 17-mile finger of land that stretches north out of Traverse City, splitting Grand Traverse Bay into east and west halves. It’s also one of two designated American Viticultural Areas (AVAs) in Michigan — the other is Leelanau Peninsula, just across the water — meaning the wine you taste here is grown on this peninsula, made on this peninsula, and (mostly) only available on this peninsula.
Through the summer, the wineries that cover Old Mission host vineyard dinners, harvest events, summer concert series, themed tastings, and the kind of slow late-afternoon experiences that are the entire reason you came up north in the first place. This page is the short version of what’s worth your time.
The wineries worth your time
There are about a dozen tasting rooms on Old Mission. These are the ones we send guests to first.
Chateau Chantal — Higher up the peninsula, with one of the better views from the tasting room patio. Strong Rieslings, occasional vineyard dinners. Reservations recommended on weekends.
Mari Vineyards — Architecturally striking — a stone-walled estate with underground caves you can tour. Lean toward the Italian varietals here. Often hosts evening events with live music.
Bowers Harbor Vineyards — One of the oldest on the peninsula. The patio overlooks West Bay; sunset is the move. Good wine, but the setting is the draw.
Brys Estate — Lavender fields plus vineyards. Walk the lavender labyrinth before tasting. Strong rosés in summer.
2 Lads — Modern winery near the tip of the peninsula. Sparkling and still wines, contemporary tasting room with hilltop views.
Bonobo — Owned by brothers Todd and Carter Oosterhouse — Carter being the longtime HGTV host, married to actress Amy Smart, both of whom live on Old Mission Peninsula. The winery itself is small, friendly, and low-key — a counter-pour to some of the more polished operations on the peninsula.
Chateau Grand Traverse — The largest producer on the peninsula. Older property, restaurant on-site, broad lineup. Good for groups who want options.
Summer event programming
Beyond the standard tastings, most wineries run an event calendar through the summer:
– Vineyard dinners — typically $100-150/person, multi-course, paired with the winery’s lineup. Reserve weeks ahead. Most common at Mari, Chateau Chantal, and Bowers Harbor.
– Summer concert series — Mari Vineyards and a few others host outdoor live music on weekend evenings, $25-50 admission.
– Harvest events — late August / September. Open vineyards, fresh harvest experiences, the start of the next vintage.
– Themed tastings — vertical flights, library wines, special varietals. Watch each winery’s events page.
Each winery publishes its own calendar; check individually.
Practical details
Where: Old Mission Peninsula (M-37 north out of Traverse City). The peninsula starts about 5 minutes from downtown TC and runs 17 miles to the lighthouse at the tip.
When: All summer, with peak event programming June through September.
Tasting Fees: $15-40 per person at most wineries. Reservations recommended on weekends, especially August.
Driving: M-37 (Center Road) is the main route up the peninsula. Side roads connect east and west bay shores. Expect to drive between wineries — the peninsula is bigger than it looks on a map.
The Lighthouse: Mission Point Lighthouse sits at the tip — small but worth the visit. Free to walk around outside; small museum inside.
Food: The local picks for a real meal:
– The Boathouse — at Bowers Harbor, dockside, the right setting after a peninsula afternoon
– Jolly Pumpkin — peninsula-grown food, on-site brewery and distillery, casual
– Bad Dog Deli — for sandwiches, lunch on the peninsula without losing tasting time
– Old Mission Distilling — for a cocktail at the end of the day, locally distilled spirits
Designated driver / shuttle: Several local services run winery shuttle tours — useful if you plan to taste at 4+ wineries. Search “Old Mission winery tour” for current operators.
Three things locals do that visitors miss
- Drive to the lighthouse first, then taste your way back south. The lighthouse is the destination — go there before lunch when it’s quiet. Then work your way back south through the wineries with the bay always on one side. Counter-intuitive, but the view this direction is the better drive.
- Three wineries max per day. It’s tempting to do six. Don’t. The pours are larger than you think and tasting room fatigue is real. Pick three, give each an hour, and you’ll remember more of what you drank.
- Bowers Harbor’s deck at sunset is a move. Sit on the patio facing west, watch the sun go down over West Bay. Reserve a table; weekend sunsets fill up.
Where to stay for an Old Mission wine weekend
The peninsula begins about 5 minutes from downtown Traverse City — and our three TC cottages — Leland’s, Esch’s, and Oneida’s — sit right next to each other on the south side, the right setup for a base camp that’s close to the wineries but quiet at night.
Have a bigger group? Multi-family or multi-couple trips work best as a single booking — separate cottages, one property, no coordinating across rentals. The Partial Estate Retreat takes Esch’s and Oneida’s together (sleeps 8), the right move for two families or a few couples. The Entire Estate Retreat takes all three (sleeps 14) and turns the property into a long-weekend basecamp — everyone has their own kitchen and bedrooms, and you reconvene over the firepit at the end of the day.