From 5:30-7:30pm the public is invited to a wine tasting for $7/person at the Traverse City Opera House. Cheeses, breads, crackers, and fruits will accompany the featured wines of the Leelanau & Old Mission Peninsulas. An abbreviated “State of the State” will be offered at 6:30pm.

A fun atmosphere will feature games, trivia, door prizes, and small silent auction to benefit the Michigan Wine Foundation. Many local restaurants will offer special discounts on Monday evening to patrons with a NoMiWi ticket!

Get all the details at

If it's wine you want, find an alternative to Napa Valley in Michigan's Leelanau and Old Mission peninsulas.

Here you'll discover more than 850 acres of land and more than 20 wineries for your choosing.

The area offers tastings and gourmet meals, and Kantrowitz says, "The region is particularly known for its great pinot blancs."

It also boasts plenty of opportunities for outdoor activities like scenic bike tours of the wine trails and camping on the lakeshore.

Andrew McFarlane, spokesperson for the Leelanau Peninsula Vintner's Association, considers Michigan wine country unique because the effects of the Great Lakes perfect the wine and the atmosphere.

He says, "It's blue skies, no humidity. It's an absolutely beautiful place to come in any season."

Check out Leelanau's and Old Mission's Web sites for winery lists, wine trail maps, special events and more.

Photo: the best by n.elle

We've come a long way since Jack Keller and Alder Yarrow introduced the beginning of wine blogging back in ‘03 & ‘04. Since then, the wine blogosphere has exploded and I've lost track of the number of blogs out there. Amazingly enough, using a key term "wine blog" on a search engine can return millions of hits! So how do you decide which ones you should visit?

There are a number of ranking systems out there but I chose to use Google because they are really good at ranking sites and returning the most reputable and relevant content.

We're number 96 right now! Look for us to move up as we focus on revamping the blog this winter. Thanks John Roddy of The 45th for letting us know!

The photo is Ciconne Vineyards by artsy_T and one of many that have been shared in our Leelanau Wine group on Flickr!

The state's 56 wineries — six opened in the past year — are spread across Michigan along four wine trails, but most of the best grapes are grown near the eastern shore of Lake Michigan and its bays. Top wineries are positioning themselves as small but key players in the Riesling renaissance that is taking hold across the country, and nearly 1 million visitors will arrive this year to sample the offerings. The most popular wine region, because of its prime setting along Lake Michigan, is the Leelanau Peninsula, home to about 20 wineries, 16 of which have public tasting rooms.

Read the rest of Riesling rising, and more, in Leelanau Peninsula, Michigan from USA Today.

The photo is Willow Vineyard VI by Cotopaxi Sprattmoran (whose photography was also used for the article). Check out her whole August at the Wineries of the LPVA set to see the amazing beauty of our wineries and vineyards!

There are so many things to do and see in the area and we hope the guide will help you plan your visit to Leelanau!

The photo is Window Shopping by KT of Lake Orion. KT is one of the photographers with photos in our Leelanau Wine group on the photo sharing site Flickr has a cool photo in the brochure – please feel welcome to add your own photos of Leelanau wineries & wine touring
to the group!