A LEELANAU WINERY INSPIRED BY LIFE “IN THE COUNTY”

French Valley Vineyard is home to 70 beautiful acres in the heart of Leelanau County. In addition to fertile farmland, our region enjoys the temperature-regulating effects of Lake Michigan just a few short miles away. Our geographical location makes Leelanau County uniquely suited for fruit production. Cold-sensitive plants such as grapevines benefit especially from Lake Michigan's vast water reservoir which retains heat through early winter and helps increase the amount of snowfall in our area by producing multiple feet of insulating "Lake Effect" snow to protect tender vines from the devastatingly extreme low temperatures of late winter.

We planted the first 5 acres in French varietals in 2000. Not long after planting our first grapes, we acquired a beautiful Amish-crafted barn and had it renovated on our property. The two-story barn is fully restored with wrought iron details and impressive hand-hewn beams and posts throughout. The perfect location for a wedding, family reunion, graduation party, and more, guests of The Barn enjoy picturesque views of cherry orchards and farmland as far as the eye can see.

As the years continue, so does our passion for Leelanau wine and agriculture. We have continued to add new varietals to our vineyard which now includes Pinot Noir, Cabernet Franc, Merlot, Chardonnay, Pinot Grigio, Riesling, Frontenac Gris, and Marquette, and we’ve added an orchard of Montmorency cherries as well. The juice from our grapes and cherries is used exclusively to produce our award-winning estate-grown wines.

In 2020 we began the transformation of our existing warehouse into a new tasting room and wine cellar. Our uniquely designed space is housed within our existing structure and includes apple box walls, thick hand-sewn posts and beams, intricate chandeliers, and vintage touches as well as four hand-built saddle seats. Outside we’ve constructed a four-season pavilion and playground for the kids.

In the fall of 2022, we installed our first hops poles and are working to include a microbrewery on the property. It’s constant evolution here at French Valley, and we wouldn’t have it any other way.