The fun activity of wine tasting has grown substantially over the past several years. I remember when finding a winery or tasting room was rare and when we did find one, it was so exciting. (Let’s be real… it’s still pretty exciting) Now, it seems there are wine tasting rooms in almost every town. It is not surprising, because wine is fantastically delicious and has become very popular! With my love for wine, I decided to travel around to some wineries and tasting rooms in a small section of Southeast Michigan along M50 and US12. I found 6 wineries to visit within a 35 mile stretch! Wow!
Each winery has a unique feel with their own signature flavors. From quaint little downtown buildings, to brand new modern construction, to huge party pavilions. There is such a wide eclectic range of atmospheres to choose from. It is not hard to find a place to fit your style.
I started in Dundee, Michigan and made my way to Brooklyn, Michigan traveling West on M50 and continuing West on US12. I had such a great time learning about each of these wineries and what they have to offer. They all have a wonderful variety of wines. It was easy for me to find more than one that I really enjoyed at each location! I love that even during these Covid-times, you can still taste wine and experience each of these locations in unique and fun ways.
Below you will find information, photos, and reviews on each of the wineries on our wine trail. Listed in East to West order. I hope you all find your way to some or all of these wineries! Let me know in the comments if you complete this wine trail and which wine is your favorite! Please remember to drink responsibly and always have a designated driver. (Thanks, Dad, for being mine!) Enjoy!
St. Julian Winery – 700 Freedom Ct., Dundee, Mi 48131
St Julian is celebrating its 100th Anniversary! Being Michigan’s longest running winery, they have a wide variety of wines (some award winning) to please any pallet! Wine tasting flights are $8 unless you are a wine club member (wine club members taste for free) They also sell long pours, wine by the glass, that you can enjoy in the winery or on their patio. {Visit St. Julian’s website here}
While the staff was very friendly, the tasting did not include much of an explanation or any education. Our server did show us which wines we were tasting and did a fantastic job of ‘surprising me’ with a flight when I couldn’t decide what I wanted to taste. Very good recommendations. The feel of the experience was classy yet a little commercialized.
Pentamere Winery – 131 E. Chicago Blvd., Tecumseh, Mi 49286
Michigan’s first urban winery opened in 2002 and offers tastings in a quaint downtown building. You can see the wine being made in the unique overlook of the wine vats down below. Tastings are $1 per one ounce pour. The first rule at Pentamere is to drink what tastes good to you! {Visit Pentamere website here}
Pentamere Winery is always a pleasure to frequent. Every staff member there is an expert on their wines and will educate you on flavors and pairings as you taste your way through their broad collection of wines. You can tell they love the craft of wine making and it shows in their award winning wines. They will not rush you through your tasting and will attend to all your questions like you are their best friend having a nice conversation.
Blackfire Winery – 1261 E. Munger Rd., Tecumseh, Mi 49286
Opening in 2016, Blackfire winery delivers a tasting room overlooking a vineyard. The first commercial vineyard in Lenawee County. Blackfire Winery offers a unique collection of small batch wines to savor as you enjoy weekend entertainment or quiet views of the vineyard. Tastings are $3.00 for a flight of 4. (choose from wine, cider or beer) PLEASE NOTE, DUE TO A FLOOD, THIS WINERY IS TEMPORARILY CLOSED AND SET TO RE-OPEN MARCH 5. Please visit their facebook page for details. {Visit Blackfire website here}
Chateau Aeronautique Winery & Blue Skies Brewery – 12000 Pentecost Hwy., Onsted, Mi 49265
The Irish Hills location of this winery opened in 2017 and features a WW2 glider wing as a counter and a newly built biergarten! The original location of Chateau Aeronautique is in Jackson Michigan in an airplane hangar. This second location hosts a plethora of cover bands and tribute bands every weekend. Friday night there is no cover charge, but there is on Saturday. You can also reserve a table for the night. There are a few tables inside, but most of the space is outside in the HEATED biergarten. They have a full kitchen and tastings run $11-$13 for a flight. {Visit Chateau Aeronautique website here}
The atmosphere here is very industrial and seems like a great place to party. The staff is very friendly. But, I did order an appetizer and it took a pretty long time to be served to the table. (This actually happened another time we visited as well)
The Winery North of 12 – 12775 Knapp Rd., Brooklyn, Mi 49230
Opening in the midst of a pandemic, The Winery North of 12 brings 12 wines/ciders to our table. While the building’s exterior isn’t much to look at (during the winter anyway), the inside is very warm and inviting with a clean modern look. Enjoy a wine tasting flight of 5 for $7 or a full glass. There is plenty of room to enjoy their wonderful wines while maintaining social distance. In the warmer months, I am sure the outside patios have beautiful views. Lets not forget the food trucks and live music that will be there! I can’t wait! {Visit North of 12 website here}
With the greeting when I walked in the door and the conversations happening all around the room and at the counter, I couldn’t help but think of the TV show Cheer’s! I really feel like this is a great place to hang out with friends. The staff are very friendly and easy to strike up a conversation with. The wine flight I sampled was delicious. There is a great variety of dry and sweet wines along with a couple of ciders.
Cherry Creek Cellars – 11500 Silver Lake Hwy., Cement City, Mi 49233
Created in 2003 by 4th generation winemakers, Cherry Creek Cellars brings a large variety of handcrafted wines. Located in an old schoolhouse with a beautiful hilly view of grapevines, the atmosphere is very elegant and charming. Their covered veranda style patio features live music when the weather allows, but at this time hosts several igloos that you can rent. (They are first come first serve if any are available and not reserved) Their igloos are delightful and comfortably furnished. They are the perfect place to enjoy wine by the glass (or bottle) and maybe something from the kitchen. Although wine/beer/cider samples are not available at this time due to Covid restrictions, when they are able to start tastings again, you can choose 4 samples from the menu for $5. {visit Cherry Creek website here}
The super friendly and attentive staff were very knowledgeable about Cherry Creek and the surrounding area. We had a great conversation with the super nice young lady who was working. She helped us pick a few wines that were newer to the collection for us to take home and sample. She also gave great explanations of what the flavors were.
*Special shout out to: Flying Otter winery — is not currently open but could have easily been included in this wine trail… Please also consider this fun outdoor tasting venture, when they are able to open. 3402 Chase Rd., Adrian, Mi 49221 {Visit Flying Otter website here}
Don’t forget to like, share and comment down below 🙂 Thanks for reading and happy wine trails to you! 🙂
The Mouse Traveler 
You have inspired me, Kim. Standby. ❤️😎🤓📽🎶🎭🎞🥁🎧🎼🎵🥸
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Great read!
Unfortunately I have had the same slow service at Aeronautique as well. Fortunately Winery North of 12 and Cherry Creek are fabulous and both close to my home and never had bad service at either place. Some friends and I plan to try out the Blackfire Winery as soon as they open back up.
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You cannot go wrong with Cherry Creek! Their staff are all top notch, the wines are delicious and the food is amazing! Black Fire Winery is also a must stop!! Michael the owner is always so enjoyable to talk to and they have an amazing variety of drinks for all tastebuds!
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