Southwest Michigan's Wine Country Gets No Love

Baroda — Nobody talks about the fact that Southwest Michigan is wine country.

When people ask who's got the best wine in Michigan, everyone points Up North. Traverse City has spots like Chateau Chantal and Mari Vineyards, and there are dozens of other well-renowned wineries scattered across the Old Mission and Leelanau peninsulas.

But did you know there are also more than 20 wineries and vineyards in the southwest corner of the state? In fact, nearly 80% of Michigan's vineyard acreage is there.

Around 50 years ago, winemakers discovered that the Lake Michigan shoreline creates an ideal climate for growing European vinifera grapes, and ever since, Southwest Michigan has developed into one of the premier winemaking regions in the Midwest.

I had to see what all the hype was about, but unfortunately, due to the restraints of my bank account, I was only able to visit one of these magnificent wineries.

And with so many choices—all with unique atmospheres, specialties, and reasons to visit—it was nearly impossible to choose.

But after doing some research, I landed on Dablon Vineyards and Winery in Baroda. It's a family-owned winery sitting on a 75-acre estate that's been growing grapes since 2009.

What really confirmed my decision to visit there was finding out that in 2023, Dablon was ranked one of the top 10 wine-tasting rooms in the entire country by USA Today. It was the only winery in Michigan, or even the Midwest, to make the list.

This was also my first time ever going to a winery, so I wanted to make sure I got the full experience. I booked Dablon's $50 Tour & Tasting, which starts with a guided walk through the vineyards before taking you behind the scenes to see how everything is made. You get to visit the production area, barrel room, and wine library before ending with a curated wine tasting in their award-winning tasting room.

Tours can accommodate groups of up to 14 people, but unlike a lot of other vineyards, there's no minimum group size required to book.

We were scheduled for 11 a.m. on a Saturday, and, to our surprise, nobody else had signed up for our time slot.

Our tour guide was Dablon's events manager, Karen, who has studied winemaking for more than a decade. And because we were the only people on the tour, we got all of her expertise and attention entirely to ourselves.

She started by walking us through the vineyards, showing us the different grape varieties and even letting us pick a few straight off the vines to try. Along the way, we learned how the vines are planted, how the grapes grow, what harvest looks like, and what all it takes to maintain 45 acres of vineyards.

One thing we learned that I found particularly fascinating is that because Southwest Michigan's climate is slightly warmer than the state's northern wine regions, even though it's a minor difference, it gives this part of the state a huge upper hand.

They get a much longer growing season and have fewer limitations on the types of grapes they can actually grow. Dablon grows nearly 20 different varieties, including cabernet sauvignon, malbec and petit verdot, which can only survive in a warmer climate.

What I loved most about Dablon specifically is that you can get exactly what you want out of the experience, no matter who you are.

These aren't prestigious wine snobs who only want to talk to people with an elite understanding of the craft. If you are that person, they absolutely have the knowledge to get technical and answer just about any question you throw at them.

But if you're like me—barely past legal drinking age and knowing next to nothing about winemaking—it's just as fulfilling of an experience.

I told Karen right away that I was a total newbie and probably asked her a million dumb questions, but she never once made me feel dumb or like I was unqualified to be there. Instead, she patiently answered every question I came up with and explained everything in a way I could actually understand.

After walking through the vineyards, she took us up to an overlook of the entire estate, and the view was incredible. Even if you have absolutely no interest in wine whatsoever, the property alone is worth seeing.

Dablon grows many of the same grape varieties traditionally found in the Burgundy and Bordeaux regions of France, and the atmosphere definitely fits. There are rolling green hills and rows upon rows of vines stretching as far as you can see. The whole place looks straight out of Napa Valley.

From there, Karen took us down into production and the barrel room. It was fascinating to learn about the process and actually see how long it takes and how many steps it goes through before a freshly picked grape becomes the wine served upstairs. We also got a look inside the wine library, where they've kept a bottle from almost every batch they've ever made, including one that dates all the way back to 2009 when they first started.

After going behind the scenes, it was time to head back upstairs for the wine tasting, and there's a reason Dablon's tasting room was ranked one of the best in the country. It has an elegant, rustic-modern wine bar feel with high ceilings, a beautiful fireplace, and plenty of charm.

But what I loved most is that there's a huge outdoor terrace connected directly to the building that overlooks all the vineyards. They host different events and have live music out there all the time, and I can see why. The view is everything you'd want and more, and if it looked as good as it did on the cloudy August morning we were there, I can't even imagine what it looks like on a perfectly sunny afternoon or during a July sunset.

The tasting itself includes five different mini glasses of your choice, but I opted to have Karen pick out all of mine because, like I said, I don't know what I'm talking about.

The five I tried were outstanding and easily the best wine I've ever had—although that isn't saying much.

They currently offer more than 30 different wines, and for the level of craft and care that goes into each bottle, I actually thought they were pretty reasonably priced. Plus, purchase of the tasting includes an automatic $10 credit towards a bottle, which is a nice bonus.

I'd say my first experience with Southwest Michigan's wine country was a total success, and I would 100% recommend Dablon to anyone else who wants to experience it for themselves. They’re open year-round, and because harvest is about to begin, apparently right now is one of the best times to go.

Whether you're a certified wine snob or just a bachelorette party trying to catch a quick buzz somewhere pretty, there's something here for you.

Ditch that trip to Tuscany, Napa Valley, Traverse City, or wherever else you were planning to go and show Southwest Michigan's wine country some love.