bigLITTLE Wines

bigLITTLE Wines is the still-wine sibling to MAWBY Sparkling Wines, built by brothers Michael and Peter Laing on Michigan’s Leelanau Peninsula. The family’s winegrowing roots here go back to 2002, when their parents planted two acres near Suttons Bay. Michael and Peter later joined the work in earnest, both spending formative years at MAWBY before growing bigLITTLE into its own label. Today the winery farms three vineyards in Leelanau County and draws all of its fruit from those sites, giving the project a tighter, more local identity than many northern Michigan brands.

The wines lean small-batch and varied rather than locked into one lane. Current releases highlight Gamay Noir, Sauvignon Blanc, an off-dry blend called Mixtape, and Lee Normi, a pommeau-style dessert wine. Visiting has a casual, distinctly northern Michigan feel: the tasting room is known as the Treehouse, reached by a walkway from the parking lot and set on a deck wrapped around two birch trees. bigLITTLE shares its property with MAWBY at 4519 South Elm Valley Road in Suttons Bay, about 12 miles north of Traverse City, which makes it an easy two-stop visit for travelers who want both sparkling and still wines in one place. Service is generally first come, first served, with larger groups better off reserving ahead.