Discover the Best of Bel Lago Vineyards and Winery
The Story of Bel Lago Vineyards and Winery
Bel Lago means “Beautiful Lake” in Italian and you’ll understand why they named it this as soon as you experience the drive up to their tasting room! Bel Lago Vineyards and Winery is located on Leelanau Peninsula and offers gorgeous views of Lake Leelanau from its vineyard. The tasting room opened in 1999 and has been a local favorite for many years! “Throughout the years, Bel Lago’s emphasis has always been on quality, with an unwavering commitment to excellence. As farmers and winemakers, we firmly believe the old adage that the wine is made in the vineyard.”
The Tasting Room at Bel Lago
The tasting room is filled with local art, furniture, snacks and of course WINE. Here a friendly staff member will walk you through their extensive list of wines and ciders. When we were here last they had over 20 wines to try and 8 ciders available as well!
One of our favorite things about the tasting room is their “Leelananu Uncorked” art work. The winemaking team and friends worked more than 30 hours and placed roughly 13,500 corks to build this 5′ x 10′ map of the Leelanau Peninsula and surrounding area. It’s now hanging in their tasting room and was even entered into Art Prize in 2016!
The Wine at Bel Lago
Bel Lago Vineyards grows 100 varieties on 37 acres selecting varieties that favor cool climates and express Northern Michigan’s rich soils. They believe one of their defining characteristics is their special focus on extended barrel aging of certain varieties. When tasting this past week we learned that Bel Lago produces between 17-20,000 cases a year for themselves and several other custom clients!
Our personal favorites were the Pinot Grigio and Chardonnay, Gruvee Cuvee, Leelanau Primavera, Pinot Noir Reserve and their Sangiovese. Another favorite we hear when giving our tours is their Cherry Dessert Wine sometimes people leave with cases of it!
To learn more about their wine and wine club click HERE.
Cider at Bel Lago
For our cider lovers, Bel Lago is a great place to check out! Aside from their wonderful wine they have six ciders that you can taste and two ciders sold by the bottle. You can even enjoy a cider flight! Our favorite ciders were the Oak Aged Cider, Hopped Cider and their Chard-INATOR Wine Cider (we’ve never seen it offered anywhere else).
How Do I get to Bel Lago Vineyards and Winery?
Here is the best part! Don’t worry about driving the 30 minutes up to the tasting room, call us! We will pick you up from your Traverse City area hotel or rental, 7 days a week. Then, we will drive you up to Bel Lago to enjoy their wonderful wine, cider and tasting room.
