The heart of Michigan's wine country

This part of Berrien County is the center of Michigan’s oldest and largest wine region, the Lake Michigan Shore. The reason is the lake itself. Lake Michigan acts like a giant temperature buffer: it keeps the air cooler in spring (so vines and fruit trees don’t bud too early and get killed by a late frost) and milder in fall (so the growing season stretches longer). Even the lake-effect snow helps, blanketing and protecting the vines through winter. Add in the rolling, glacier-made hills that let cold air drain away, and you get land that’s unusually good for growing grapes — and the peaches, apples, and cherries that give the area its other nickname, the Fruit Belt.

Dozens of wineries dot the countryside around towns like Baroda, Berrien Springs, Buchanan, and Bridgman, many with tasting rooms, vineyard views, and farm stands. Some have been at it for decades — a few of the state’s pioneering wineries planted their first vines here back in the 1970s and ’80s.

One caveat if you garden or farm here: the lake’s protection isn’t a guarantee. Every so often a hard winter slips past the buffer and damages fruit and grape crops, so local growers plan around the occasional tough year.

Look for the Lake Michigan Shore Wine Trail (lakemichiganshore.wine) for a map of the wineries.