Traverse City Wine Experience and Scenic Tour

Skip the hassle of a party bus and let us handle the driving! Enjoy stunning views with no buses, and no rush, and visit iconic wineries while savoring stellar wines and receiving 5-star Celebrity customer service. Experience the VIP tour with expert wine connoisseurs and guides – this is not just transportation to wineries, but THE WINE EXPERIENCE, complete with real wine recommendations. Our knowledgeable staff knows the wines and tours better than anyone else. Tours are flexible with pickup and drop-off in downtown Traverse City (at select locations).
Wine samples are included, but tastings, wines, and food are not part of the tour price. The tour is semi-private, combining groups of couples or small parties. Larger groups of 6-7 will typically have a private GMC Yukon.

Meeting Point

303 E State St

303 E State St, Traverse City, MI 49684, USA

East side of Hardy Parking Structure near the State Street Entrance next to Middlecoast Brewery, look for some Yukons. Staying local? Let us know, We may be able to get guests back to local hotels after the tour depending on location.

What's included:

• Wine Samples/Splashes ARE available on our tour- flights, bottles, food are extra
• NON PARTY BUS - semi private, we combine couples, groups of 6-7 most likely have their own vehicle
• Luxury SUV - GMC Yukon/Chevrolet Suburban - coming soon Cadillac Escalade
• Law Enforcement/First Responder/Military friendly - owned/operated by former Law Enforcement
• Expert Wine Tour Guides- Wine enthusiasts, Wine Experts
• Local Traverse City Guides - UofM Grads (owner) / MSU, EMU Grads (some guides)

Not included:

• Food, flights, bottles, glasses available at extra cost- old former school buses excluded as well

What to expect:

Duration: between 3 hours and 4 hours

Hawthorne Vineyards

1000 Camino Maria, Traverse City, 49686-9310, Michigan

Tour guests can buy flights, wine by the glass, bottles or join the wine club during the wine tour.
One of the best vineyards in Traverse City, guest can sip, savor and taste some of the best reds and whites on the peninsula. Red wine drinkers can sample Merlot / Cab Franc blend and for the white drinkers try the Auxerrois or Dry Riesling. Guests can get a popcorn flight and even a charcuterie board. One of the newest up and coming wineries on Old Mission Peninsula.

The Hawthorne Vineyards site is arguably the most secluded Old Mission Peninsula tasting room site. The tasting room is location on a high bluff with views of both East and West Grand Traverse Bays. Our visitors will be seeing nature– no view of traffic, no close neighbors -- just vineyard, woods and water.

Guests can see both bays from the tasting room. An outdoor patio area will provide a relaxing environment with stunning bay views and a cozy outdoor fireplace.

55 minutes

Bonobo Winery

12011 Center Rd, Traverse City, 49686-8379, Michigan

Tour guests can buy flights, wine by the glass, bottles or join the wine club during the wine tour.
A place where guests feel like Movie Stars, with wines you cannot wait to brag about and share...
Bonobo Winery was founded by brothers and longtime Traverse City natives, Todd and Carter Oosterhouse. Stunning views, excellent wines and top notch customer service!

Guests on our tours can sample expert level red wines like the BDX and a top shelf Pinot Noir. White drinkers can sample a bubbly Blanc de Blancs, top notch chardonnays and a Fume Blanc. This is the only winery on Old Mission Peninsula where our tour guests can sample a glass of whiskey! Frozen drink lovers can get a frozen lemonade lavender vodka based frozen drink. Guests can also get some amazing pretzel bites, an expert level charcuterie board or fried goat cheese (food depends on availability). This winery is one of the most memorable locations on our wine tour- it's quite an experience.

55 minutes

Bowers Harbor Vineyards

2896 Bowers Harbor Rd, , Traverse City, 49686-9735, Michigan

This is a seasonal stop-ALTERNATE STOP
Tour guests can buy flights, wine by the glass, bottles or join the wine club during the wine tour.

Bowers Harbor Vineyards stablished in 1991 is one of the original wineries in the area. Initially a horse farm, the estate now boasts 20 acres of vinifera vines. An inviting tasting room is a former horse stable, and a friendly staff will welcome and introduce our tour guests to an extensive selections of top wines by the glass, bottle or by the flight.

Bowers Harbor Vineyards is nicknamed the "dog winery" and guests might see various dogs at the winery.

Bowers Harbor grows Riesling, Chardonnay, Gewurztraminer, Pinot Grigio, Merlot, Pinot Noir, Cabernet Franc and Cabernet Sauvignon. The real show stopper is the Pinot Secco (bubbly Pinot Grigio) and a Pinot Secco Rose (Magic Mike's pick).

Guests can order wine flights and head to the patio, fire pit, pavilion, and tables tucked alongside the vines on the property.

55 minutes

Grand Traverse Bay

Center Rd, Traverse City, 49686, Michigan

Grand Traverse Bay is an arm of Lake Michigan. The bay is separated from the rest of Lake Michigan by the Leelanau Peninsula. The bay is some 32 miles long, ranges from 7 to 10 miles wide, and up to 620 feet deep in spots. It is the second-largest bay of Lake Michigan, behind Green Bay.
Grand Traverse Bay earned its name from 18th-century French voyageurs who made "la grande traverse" or a long trek or crossing, across the mouth of bay.

The most famous feature of the Grand Traverse Bay is the division into East and West arms by the Old Mission Peninsula.

During this tour, on the way from Traverse City to Hawthorne Vineyards, our tour guests will see stunning views of the East Bay. Tour guests will be driven right along the shoreline at times. On the drive from Hawthorne to Bowers guests will see views of the West Bay. Tour guests will see views of both East and West Bays during the rest of the tour as well. A very large part of this award winning tour are the views!