Are you looking for a little girl’s weekend getaway? I spent this last weekend in St. Joseph, Michigan with a few girlfriends and it was the perfect fall destination for a weekend away!
St. Joseph is just a 2 hour drive from Chicago, making it an ideal location for a girl’s weekend. We drove up early Saturday morning and looked at all the pretty foliage on our way!
We wanted a weekend away full of fall activities and lots of wine! Michigan is slowly becoming the Napa Valley of the midwest. West Michigan has quickly becoming known in the wine world, with Lake Michigan granting the region more temperate seasons and allowing vineyards to flourish. There’s a diverse group of winemakers in the area, each creating and showcasing a wide variety of flavors. In Michigan’s Southwest region, you’ll find classic tastes, new innovations, bold fruit wines, the oldest winery in the state and much more. Many southwest Michigan wineries offer tours, events, and tastings.
This region offers a ton of wine tours that will take you and your group from winery to winery! This is great for bachelorette parties or any girls weekend. We were trying to be more on a budget, so planned a self guided winery tour.
*Ubers/Lyfts are really limited in this area!! Like do not exist practically. Something we did not know. So I would HIGHLY recommend hiring a driver!
We were lucky enough to catch a Lyft from our hotel, and ended up getting his business card and hiring him as our driver for the day. We unfortunately were not as lucky at night time, as we were stranded in downtown St. Joseph trying to find a ride back. We finally were able to get ahold of the local cab driver “Big Steve” to come rescue us to bring us back to the hotel.
4 wineries to check out in southwest Michigan
A little background on the 3 of us girls on the trip:
- Britt – likes reds, rosé, and sparkling
- Kacie – likes whites
- Erica – likes sweet/dessert wines
The 3 of us could not be more different when it comes to wine preferences, but it worked out great because we all got to take little sips of each others!
Tabor Hill Winery and Restaurant
We started our winery tour strong with Tabor Hill, and it ended up being my favorite spot of the day. It just oozes class, the grounds are stunning! We decided to brave the cold and sit on their patio. We were lucky enough to snag a table with a fire pit and we were so comfortable.
You are able to purchase a cabana table, otherwise it is first come first serve. We got a table right away so it was not an issue.
We each got one of their pre-selected flights. Personally I got their dry red flight, and it ended up being my favorite wine of the whole day.
After our flights we ran around the vineyard and took pictures in the vines. It was a great way to start our day! Each flight was $15.
Round Barn Winery, Distillery, and Brewery
Just a short 10 minute walk (Tabor Hill owns Round Barn winery and there is a little path that connects the 2), you will arrive at our second stop of the day: Round Barn. The grounds of this winery were just as pretty as Tabor Hill. It was almost majestic with the massive white round barn at the center of it all.
This location had more of a casual vibe to it. There were picnic tables, cabanas, and everything in between! We made this one our second stop because we knew they sold food and we couldn’t just survive on wine for the day.
We each ordered a taco bowl, and it was super filling. It paired great with our wine flights. Each flight was $15. I again had the dry red flight. I liked 3 out of my 4 wines. Kacie really enjoyed her white wine at this location! If wine isn’t your thing, Round Barn also has craft cocktails, beer flights, and whiskey flights! There is something for everyone! Also enjoy live music on the weekends.
Gravity Winery
Up on a hill over looking a river and with the changing leaves, this was the perfect background for sipping on some wine.
Gravity had the best bang for their buck when it comes to tasting. You could try 6 different ones for $15. You also got to choose from all of their wines, it wasn’t pre-selected. I really enjoyed that because you were able to try a big variety of their wines.
Gravity has more of a traditional tasting room, where everyone stands around the bar sipping on their wines and snacking on some cheese. We elbowed our way into a little corner and were ready to start tasting.
All 3 of us ended up falling in love with the same wine: a cinnamon maple cider wine. It literally was fall in a glass. We loved it so much, Erica and I ended up taking a bottle home.
Lemon Creek Winery
All three of us agreed that the atmosphere of Lemon Creek took the cake. Not only were we feeling extra good after 3 stops before this one, we just really loved this place. Honestly this one was not on our list when planning, but after talking to everyone we met throughout the day, they told us that Lemon Creek was a nonnegotiable and we had to make a stop. We are SO happy we did!
Lemon Creek also has a very casual vibe to it. You order up at a stand, and then take your wines under big tents with heaters. It gave me Oktoberfest vibes, but it was so fun! There were long picnic tables so you were able to chat with the people around you which I thought was cool.
The flights were 5 samples for $15. They had about 15 pre-selected flights to choose from. I liked how they offered both red/wine/sparkling on each of the flights. You could do only whites, only reds, or a combination. I did a combination and loved trying different types from them.
After 4 wineries we were pooped and ready for some actual food! We decided to check out downtown St. Joseph, and went to Silver Habor Brewing Company, where I enjoyed a cold Oktoberfest beer and a Mexican street corn burger. Kacie swore that this was the best chicken sandwich she’s ever had. This was a great spot and would highly recommend.
If you are looking for a mini girl’s weekend, couple’s trip, or just a getaway, I would check out all that Southwest Michigan has to offer. From wine, beer, fall activities, and everything else it is a great destination!
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