Filkins Vineyards

Filkins Vineyards brings a new chapter to a well-known Coloma property in the Lake Michigan Shore AVA. Zach Filkins of OneRepublic and his wife Lindsay take over the former Karma Vista winery in 2024, turning the first Michigan winery that hooked them on the region into their own 90-acre estate. The setting matters here: vineyard views, a hilltop feel, and a tasting room that looks out over Southwest Michigan wine country rather than trying to distract from it.

The winemaking side has real experience behind it. Jason Johnson comes from Napa Valley cellars including Beaulieu Vineyard, Provenance/Hewitt, Conn Creek, and Beringer, and now leads the wines at Filkins. In the vineyard, the estate continues a herbicide-free farming approach first put in place in 2009, with cover crops and compost instead of bare rows. That gives Filkins something more interesting than a celebrity-owner headline: a serious agricultural foundation under a very visible relaunch.

For visitors, this is an easy stop just off I-94 and a practical one for groups. Smaller parties can usually walk in, while larger groups and tour buses are accommodated with reservations. Tastings and pre-poured flights keep things moving, charcuterie is available, dogs are welcome in designated areas, and the property also offers seasonal walking tours through the vineyard. The tasting room itself has a little personality, including colorful murals painted by general manager Melissa Feris.