White Pine Winery

White Pine Winery is a Southwest Michigan producer with unusually deep vineyard credentials behind it. Owner and winemaker Dr. Dave Miller built his career in grape research at Michigan State University, then spent years at St. Julian before launching White Pine with his wife, Sandy. That background shows up in the winery’s focus: fruit from Berrien and Van Buren counties, careful site selection near Lake Michigan, and a lineup built around varieties that make sense here rather than grapes chosen for show. Riesling and Pinot Grigio are central, with Chardonnay, Traminette, Merlot, Cabernet Franc, Cabernet Sauvignon, Chambourcin, and blends like Serendipity and Dune Shadow Red rounding out the range.

One of the details that sets White Pine apart is Sophie’s Vineyard, planted by Dave and Sandy in 1999 and named for their daughter. It supplies Riesling from Geisenheim clones 110, 198, and 239, along with Cabernet Franc used in Serendipity. The tasting room sits on State Street in downtown St. Joseph, a practical stop for anyone already spending time near the Lake Michigan shore. Tastings run as a five-pour flight, generally without reservations, and the room can handle larger groups earlier in the day with advance planning. For travelers, this is less a polished-tour-bus stop than a smart place to taste what serious vineyard and winemaking experience looks like in Southwest Michigan.