Mackinaw Trail Winery blazes a trail as the first in the UP

MANISTIQUE — As the first winery in the Upper Peninsula, Mackinaw Trail has set the bar high.

They produce over twenty varieties of wine and many of them are award winning.

“We enter competitions not only just within the state of Michigan, but national and international competitions also. The first wine that was entered by the winemaker was the 2005 Cabernet Franc and the 2005 Cabernet Sauvignon, and that’s when he was just starting out, and they both god the double gold and double silver!” said Michele Earle, the Tasting Room Manager in Manistique.

The wine making operation itself has since moved downstate to Petoskey, but that hasn’t changed the quality of the wine. Attention to detail remains a key goal.

“All of our wines are made from fruit and grapes that we get within the state of Michigan so it’s a pure Michigan product, and all of our fruit wines are made from the solid fruit. We don’t blend it with grape wine or add artificial flavorings, so they’re going to taste exactly like the fruit that they’re made out of. They’re not necessarily really syrupy sweet, they have the crispness of the fruit,” Earle added.

Just because Manitique is a small town doesn’t mean you don’t get people from all over the place looking for some wine.

“It’s a really wonderful clientele and fun people. They’re having a good time, drinking the wine, trying the new beers and they’re really interesting people. You can get off on all sorts of subjects. They come from all over the state, all over the country, all over the world!” Earle said.

And if that wasn’t enough, Mackinaw Trail is located right on the banks of the Manistique River, so you’ll have a great view while you enjoy your wine.