Shady Lane Cellars

Shady Lane Cellars is an estate winery in Suttons Bay on Michigan’s Leelanau Peninsula, built on a historic fruit farm first planted to vines in 1989. The estate now spans 150 acres, with more than 70 acres under vine and a mix that goes well beyond the usual Northern Michigan basics: Riesling and Pinot Noir remain core plantings, joined by Cabernet Franc, Merlot, Gewurztraminer, Blaufrankisch, Pinot Gris, and Vignoles. Production stays relatively small at about 8,000 cases a year, which helps explain why the winery feels more focused than sprawling.

The winemaking side is led by Kasey Wierzba, who joined Shady Lane Cellars in 2013 after seven years at Far Niente, Rudd, and Frog’s Leap in Napa Valley and became Executive Winemaker and General Manager in 2022. In the vineyard, sustainability is not just brochure language: Shady Lane Cellars is MAEAP verified and SIP Certified, a meaningful distinction in Michigan. For visitors, this is an easy Leelanau stop about 20 minutes from Traverse City, with a tasting room that pours customizable three-wine flights, glasses, and bottles, plus small plates if the group needs a snack. The winery also sits right on the TART Trail, which makes it one of the better bike-to tasting room options in the region.