Bel Lago Winery

Bel Lago Winery is one of the early standard-bearers on Michigan’s Leelanau Peninsula. Founded in 1987 by Charlie Edson in Cedar, Bel Lago built its reputation on cool-climate wines that make sense here rather than trying to imitate somewhere else. Auxerrois is the clearest example. Edson encountered the grape in Alsace, planted it at Bel Lago in 1987, and made the winery the first in Michigan — and one of the first in the country — to bet on it. That decision still gives Bel Lago a point of difference in a region full of Riesling and Pinot Grigio.

The range runs from crisp whites and rosé to reds like Blaufränkisch, plus late-harvest and ice wine bottlings that fit Northern Michigan’s strengths. Recent competition results back up the depth of the lineup: at the 2025 San Francisco Chronicle Wine Competition, Bel Lago earned six medals, including Silver for its 2019 Blaufränkisch, 2023 NoMI Rosé, 2023 Auxerrois Moreno Vineyard, 2023 Pinot Grigio, and 2023 Late Harvest Gewürztraminer, plus Bronze for its 2022 Riesling Ice Wine. In 2026, the winery added Gold medals for its 2024 Riesling Semi-Dry at the San Francisco International Wine Competition and 2025 Late Harvest Riesling at TEXSOM.

What makes Bel Lago worth a stop is that the place does not feel generic. The winery ties its identity closely to North Farm on the shore of Lake Leelanau, where SIP-certified farming, cover crops, and even American kestrels play a role in vineyard management. For visitors, that translates into a winery that is as interested in the land as the tasting flight, with a steady calendar of pairings, live music, guided experiences, and estate stays that make it easy to turn a tasting into a longer Leelanau weekend.