Chateau Chantal Spotlight: Traverse City, Michigan

The Old Mission Peninsula divides Grand Traverse Bay into two bodies of water, and from the right spot on the peninsula you can see both. Chateau Chantal occupies that right spot, and from their estate vineyards and inn, the views across West Bay to the south and East Bay to the north make it clear why this particular piece of land produces grapes worth growing.

Located at 15900 Rue de Vin on the Old Mission Peninsula, Chateau Chantal has been producing estate wines since 1993, when Robert and Nadine Begin established the winery on their family property. The peninsula sits on the 45th parallel, the same latitude as the great wine regions of Burgundy and Bordeaux, and the lake effect from both bays creates a microclimate that allows grapes to ripen fully in a northern setting.

The wine portfolio covers the range of varieties that perform well on Old Mission: riesling, pinot grigio, chardonnay, pinot noir, and several blends and dessert wines that take advantage of the late-season conditions that concentrate flavor. The tasting room is open year-round and draws visitors who understand that wine country tourism has a Michigan chapter worth reading.

Chateau Chantal also operates as an inn, offering guest rooms in the winery building with views that are genuinely difficult to walk away from. Staying overnight gives guests access to the property at evening and early morning, when the light on the bays produces the kind of stillness that makes people extend their trip.

Visit at chateauchantal.com on the Old Mission Peninsula.

Michigan Small Business Spotlight is proud to feature Chateau Chantal as one of Northern Michigan’s most scenic and accomplished estate winery destinations.