Discover the Best of Tabone Vineyards on Old Mission Peninsula
The Story of Tabone Vineyards
Many of you have anxiously waited all summer long for the new tasting room to open in Northern Michigan. Well, you are in luck, after four years of hard work Tabone Vineyards has opened its doors on Old Mission Peninsula! Tabone Vineyards opened just 2 months ago and are the newest vineyard in the area. We’ve been bringing groups to their tasting room since they’ve opened, but we just had the chance to get out there and try their wine for ourselves! Just because their tasting room is brand new, doesn’t mean Tabone is new to grapes and wine. The owner, Mario Tabone, and his family have been farmers since he was born and inherited vines that have been on Old Mission for over 30 years. The Tabones were originally growing grapes and selling them to winemakers in their area, but decided four years ago they were going to start keeping their grapes and start making their own wine!
Aside from the wine, the question we’ve had the most on tours is, “What does the cross stand for?” You’ll see it on all their products. So, we had the opportunity to ask Mario himself and learned it is the Maltese cross! Mario’s family is from Malta, a small European country and archipelago in the central Mediterranean between Sicily and the North African coast. Mario has worn the Maltese cross since he was little and he loves bringing his heritage to his vineyard!
The Tasting Room at Tabone Vineyards
Tabone Vineyards is right in the middle of two wonderful wineries we know you’ve visited before. Just a mile North of Bowers Harbor Vineyards and a mile South of Chateau Chantal. Tabone Vineyards sits on 30 acres and their tasting room is a gorgeous brand new bright room with high ceilings. There is even a window peeking into the production room!
Right now you can head to the tasting room Friday-Sunday and sample 7 wines through December. Their tasting room is closed January and February. Tasting is $7 for 5 samples and includes your souvenir wine glass.
As of now they don’t have small plates so outside food is welcome. The tasting room has been filling up on weekends because it has been such a big hit.
The Wine at Tabone Vineyards
As we mentioned before, there are currently 7 wines to try at Tabone Vineyards. These wines are 100% estate grown and right now there are 6 white wines and 1 red. One of the whites is even a bubbly!
Their best seller is their Estate Red Wine made with Baco Noir, Marechal Foch and De Chanac. Our personal favorites were the Estate Red Wine, 2016 Chardonnay Oaked and their 2016 Bubbly Riseling. What’s so exciting about Tabone Vineyards is how much growth we will see from them in 2019. They are looking to release more wines and rumor has it there may be a cider to try next year, for you cider lovers out there. As for a wine club, it’s in the process, so for now, just head to the tasting room and buy a case at a 20% discount. We couldn’t be more excited to add Tabone Vineyards to our list of wineries we visit on Old Mission!
How Do I Get to Tabone Vineyards
Here is the best part! Don’t worry about driving the 30 minutes 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 to Tabone Vineyards to enjoy their wonderful wine and tasting room.
Give us a call at (231) 499-2656 to book over the phone or book your next wine or beer tour online HERE. Stay up to date with our latest specials and events on this blog and also check us out on Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram.
