Disclosure: I was invited to participate in the SWMI Sip & Stroll wine tour and received comped wine tastings. All opinions are my own.
I had an amazing time on the #SWMISipStroll recap and wanted to share all of my awesome new wine discoveries with you. You can read more about our trip here and about our awesome hotel here. We visited four wineries on our trip and I stocked up on some amazing choices!
Our first stop was Domaine Berrien Cellars, the only winery I was familiar with on this tour. I sort of love that this winery was started as a retirement hobby…there’s hope for me yet! I enjoyed the 2012 Viognier and the Cabernet Franc in particular.
Our next stop was Lemon Creek Winery where we learned about mixing wines. Our host told us that mixing wines is the future and encouraged us to to try his Lighthouse Red and Pinot Noir mixture which I loved. I brought these two home to try again.
Our first stop on the second day was Hickory Creek Winery. I had the most fun at this winery and they laid out a nice spread for us. We got to try all of the wines along with some great cheese and chocolate. We loved this winery so much that I joined the wine club! They even have a quaint little cabin that you can rent out with your girlfriends for a fun wine tasting weekend.
On our way back home we stopped at The Chocolate Garden which I have always seen signs for, but never stopped at…if only I knew! This place is amazing! They hand make decadent chocolate truffles in almost any flavor you can think of. What sets these truffles apart is that there is no hard outer shell to bite through. Each truffle is rolled in coarse chocolate to create a creamy truffle. In case you are interested, you can order these online for a unique gift. I tried Vanilla Rose, Salt & Pepper Caramel and Sticky Bun:
Our final stop was Contessa Wine Cellars. They had a beautiful terrace with an amazing view of the vineyard. I could not get enough of the Cabernet Franc. It had an awesome peppery finish and I knew that it would taste amazing with steak. John made some for me the next day and I was right! So delicious!!! I am saving the last bottle for a special occasion.
This was a great little wine tour and I would love to go back with my husband sometime soon!
Where are your favorite Michigan wineries?
Awesome experience! I haven’t been into any kind of winery before. Hopefully, I will get the chance to or experience something like this soon.
Ron recently posted…11 Amazing Perks Of Living in Michigan, #6 Is Truly Awesome!
I would love to go on a trip like this. How fun!!! The Hickory Creek Winery with the spread sounds awesome. So does the Chocolate Garden. I love anything salted caramel!!! I haven’t been to many winerys. I’d love to go to more.
Looks yummy! I’ve been to the Chocolate Garden before too.
Hope we can do it again sometime! Had a blast with you. 🙂
Mary Hitchings recently posted…Homemade Rainbow Smore’s Ice Cream #ShareFunshine
Me too!!
This looks super fun and delicious! I haven’t tried wineries before but I hope to soon!
This looks amazing! Chocolate and wine, right up my alley!
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Sounds awesome. I’ve never done a wine tour, but I think I’ll have to add it to my list. I’m also taking note of The Chocolate Garden. I haven’t spent much time on the west side of the state, but with my sister moving to Grand Rapids, we’ll be heading west more frequently. Maybe we’ll detour to the southwest sometimes.
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You won’t be disappointed! The chocolate is amazing!
I remember the days before we had kids when my wife and I use to adventure out to wineries and enjoy tasting their samples. Looks like you had a nice time here.
OMG, that’s my kind of tour! We go to Traverse City in January for my birthday and they have a wine tour there–soooo fun! I love BlackStar winery.
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