Golden Muse Winery

Golden Muse Winery brings a very specific point of view to downtown Baroda, Michigan: part tasting room, part art gallery, part theatrical nod to the Golden Age of Paris. It is a three-generation women-owned winery in the Lake Michigan Shore American Viticultural Area, led by owner and director Dr. Analisa Leppanen, whose background runs through art history, visual studies, and wine education at Lake Michigan College. That mix shows up everywhere here, from the historical figures on the labels to the gallery programming and the steampunk styling in the tasting room.

The wines lean heavily into Lake Michigan Shore fruit, with a mix of dry whites, dry reds, and semi-sweet bottles. Dry Riesling, Chardonnay, Pinot Grigio, Cabernet Franc, Merlot, Malbec, and Syrah all have a place here, along with a sparkling Riesling made by the Charmat method and a semi-sweet Traminette. There is real medal hardware behind the bottle list too: the 2023 Nadar Chardonnay won gold at the 2025 Michigan Governor’s Cup, the 2022 Nerval Syrah won gold at the 2026 Michigan Governor’s Cup, and the 2022 Joan of Arc Malbec and 2024 Josephine Baker Dry Riesling both earned 2026 Governor’s Cup silver medals.

What it is actually like to visit is a little more playful than the average Southwest Michigan stop. The large patio overlooks Lemon Creek and includes a sculpture garden, sun umbrellas, and Calypso, the winery’s outdoor cat. Inside, the rotating Gallery E.G.G. collection, artist talks, paint-and-sip events, and Dr. Leppanen’s art history lectures make this feel like a place built for lingering, not just checking off another tasting room.