Travel

Wine Weekend in Traverse City

A few months ago, my good friend texted me and told me she needed to take an international trip and was just craving an adventure. Neither of us are in the financial position to take a quick international getaway, so we decided to plan a dreamy weekend away.

We decided a classy wine weekend in Traverse City, Michigan would suffice. This small town is full of picturesque locations to go wine tasting. We started at the winery at the top of Old Mission Peninsula and worked our way, stopping for lunch halfway down.

| WINERIES |

2 Lads

Located in Old Mission Peninsula, 2 Lads has a remarkably beautiful location with quite a view. Behind a bar, the entire wall is windows, so there is plenty of natural light shining in. Our bartender was kind and knowledgable. She was eager to answer our questions and was happy to take a group shot for us. My favorite wine at 2 Lads was the 2017 Chardonnay.

Chateau Chantel

A cozy winery, Chateau Chantel has the all the vibes of an old home in England. This was the most affordable winery we stopped at all day. The bartender taking care of us was phenomenal, easily the best we had all day. He kindly explained each wine we tasted and offered suggestions. At this location, my favorite wine was the Semi-dry Riesling, with a close second being the Nice Red. My girls and I loved the riesling so much, we each bought a bottle!

Brys Estate

This location has a spectacular deck that is perfect for a summer afternoon, however it was closed because it was covered in snow. It is a fancy winery that has a relaxing and cozy interior atmosphere. Since I have been here before, (and I knew I needed to slow down) I chose to get a glass rather than do a full tasting. The riesling was so popular with me at the previous location, so I tasted their Riesling Reserve and it was fantastic.

Bonobo

Our last winery of the day, Bonobo had an sophisticated and updated feel, much like 2 Lads, and offered a truly remarkable selection of wine. There is plenty of seating, so this was the perfect spot for us to wrap up, take photos, and sit and chat. My favorite wine here was the 2017 Easy Red.

| BEST MEAL |

Jolly Pumpkin

This happened to be between our first two and last two wineries, so it was the perfect location for us to grab a quick lunch. Two of my friends are vegetarian and the other is a picky eater; we all found something to eat and loved it. I ordered the Chicken & Pasta. It was bowtie pasta with pesto, topped with sun-dried tomatoes, spinach, cheese, and pine nuts. The pine nuts were the perfect crunch on top. Super delicious meal!

| LODGING |

Bayshore Resort

This resort thrives in the sunny summer months; covered in snow it is less impressive, but it was in a remarkable location. This hotel was central to everything we wanted to see. We just got a room with two beds and spent around $30 each for two nights. The rooms were tidy and accommodated us nicely. At the end of our long wine afternoon, we enjoyed the hot tub, which was in a cute pool room that was filled with windows. The hotel also offered free breakfast, which helped us get the day going and save some money.

This small trip was the escape we all needed. If you are in search of a quick getaway with the girls, plan a trip within two hours of your hometown and explore somewhere new. If home happens to be Michigan, Traverse City is the dreamy vacation you need!