Mackinaw Trail Winery & Brewery

Mackinaw Trail Winery & Brewery’s Petoskey location is the center of the operation: a 30-acre property in the Tip of the Mitt American Viticultural Area where the Stabile family grows grapes, makes wine, brews beer, and welcomes visitors for tastings. Ralph and Laurie Stabile founded the business in 2004, building on Ralph’s Sicilian family winemaking roots. Their son Dustin Stabile, who studied viticulture and enology at Michigan State University under Stan Howell, has led production since 2008.

This is a good stop for travelers who want a broad Northern Michigan tasting rather than a single-lane wine experience. The estate focuses on cold-hardy varieties that make sense this far north, including Marquette, La Crescent, and Frontenac Gris, and the family farms 54 acres of vineyards overall. Mackinaw Trail has earned more than 500 medals and six Best of Class awards, which helps explain its long reach in Michigan wine. In Petoskey, the draw is not just the bottle list but the scale of the place: vineyard views, a pond-side ceremony area, a covered pavilion for larger events, and a tasting room that also pours beer and hard cider. Small plate appetizers are available, with house-smoked specials on weekends, and the setup stays casual for walk-in visitors while larger groups should call ahead.