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With over 30 wineries to choose from, Southwest Michigan makes for a great day or two of fun and relaxation.
Introduction to Southwest Michigan Wineries
When you think of good wine, Michigan doesn’t immediately stand out. To some, it’s surprising to learn that the state is 5th in the nation in wine grape production, and the southwest in particular has produced some excellent wine.
Situated between New Buffalo and Kalamazoo, the wineries in Southwest Michigan each have a unique atmosphere and something different to offer visitors. Some are more traditional while others are very casual. There are even wineries that provide live entertainment and very good food. You’re guaranteed to have an amazing day, and you’ll leave delighted with the high quality of wines.
I’ve visited the region twice, focusing on wineries around the town of Baroda. On my first trip, I went with my mom and her husband for a day of wine tasting. We tried out three wineries. My second trip was an overnight with Marisol for our anniversary and we had a chance to visit several more. I’ve enjoyed my time there, and I’d like to go back and try even more wineries when I get a chance.
One word of advice: while I’ve visited in both summer and the dead of winter, it’s always best to check directly with the wineries in advance to see when they’re open. Some are seasonal only and others are closed on certain days of the week.
Round Barn Winery
My first stop was at Round Barn Winery. So far, it’s easily been the most entertaining. Round Barn features live entertainment every weekend from May through October and year-round daily wine and beer tastings at US$25 (as of August 2025). We visited on a Saturday in the summer and it was packed.
We went in and paid a small cover charge, opting not to do any tastings. We ended up going to the food truck and getting some lunch. I had a Cuban pulled pork sandwich and the others had burgers. Everything was delicious. Round Barn also has a brewery and distillery on-site, and we washed our meals down with some very good beer. We had the Reverse Psychology, Indecision Ale, and Grape Expectations.
We sat outside at a table and enjoyed the live band playing in front of the vineyard as we had our meals. We were perfectly happy sitting and enjoying the music and scenery, but it was getting late and we had to head out to the next winery. In the end, we never got to the wine but I’ll take my mom’s word for it that it’s very good.
Gravity
The second winery we visited was Gravity. This was our best overall wine tasting experience. The winery is set on a beautiful property with a small pond near the main building, where we chose to do the tasting package for six wines. It costs US$17 (as of August 2025) and includes a souvenir wine glass. The tasting is refunded if you purchase four bottles of wine.
Gravity has a different tasting system than the other wineries. You’re given a sheet of paper to choose the wines you want to taste. They’re poured into glasses and given to you on a flight tray with two cheeses and two crackers, all of which pair well with each of the wines. Then, you can head to the patio and taste them at your leisure. It’s very relaxing and enjoyable.
Dablon
The third winery was Dablon, which was founded in 2009 and sits on 57 acres. They tout their superior location at the highest point in Baroda as the key to their excellent wine. In our opinion, Dablon had the best wines out of the three wineries we visited that day.
The tasting room is nicely decorated. There are comfortable couches around a fireplace in the sitting area and a wooden bar. The wines are poured at the bar one after another like a typical tasting. My favorite was the cabernet franc. Tastings are currently available on Thursdays only and reservations are required. They cost US$25 (as of August 2025) for 5 one-ounce samples, and include a US$10 credit for any bottle of wine purchased that day.
