Fall in Southwest Michigan tastes pretty good.
Apple season arrives, local farm stands fill with fall produce, and cooler afternoons are practically made for exploring wine country. If you're staying in New Buffalo or Harbor Country, you don't have to travel far to turn an ordinary fall afternoon into a tasting trip.
The Lake Michigan shoreline and surrounding countryside are home to vineyards, wineries, tasting rooms, orchards and farms, many within an easy drive of New Buffalo. Harbor Country's agricultural landscape has been producing fruit and grapes for generations, helped by the moderating effect of Lake Michigan.
Here are some of our favorite ways to experience wineries, cider and orchards near New Buffalo, Michigan this fall.
Start With Wine Tasting in Union Pier
You barely have to leave Harbor Country to start tasting Michigan wine.
St. Julian Winery & Distillery Tasting Room in Union Pier offers Michigan-made wines, cider and spirits, making it an easy first stop from New Buffalo. Just down the road, Round Barn Tasting Room - Union Pier offers wine along with beer and spirits from the Round Barn family of brands. Both are established Harbor Country tasting stops, and the local visitor bureau currently lists both among the area's wine and spirits destinations.
Because they're so close together, Union Pier is an easy choice if you want the wine-country experience without committing your entire day to driving.
Head North to Sawyer
Continue up Red Arrow Highway and you'll reach Sawyer, where wine tasting can easily become part of a larger fall day.
Solasta Winery sits on Red Arrow Highway near Warren Dunes, making it particularly easy to pair a tasting with a walk near Lake Michigan. The Harbor Country Chamber includes Solasta among the region's year-round wineries.
Spend the morning exploring the dunes, stop for wine afterward, and take the scenic route back toward New Buffalo as the leaves begin changing.
Make Time for Southwest Michigan Wine Country
If wine is the main event, venture a little farther into the countryside.
Southwest Michigan's wine-growing region extends beyond Harbor Country into communities such as Baroda and Buchanan. You'll find destinations including Tabor Hill Winery & Restaurant, Gravity Vineyards and Winery and Baroda Founders Wine Cellar.
Pick two or three wineries, enjoy the countryside between them and give yourself enough time to actually sit down and enjoy where you are.
Fall is especially beautiful here, when vineyards and surrounding farmland begin changing with the season.
Where to Find Apples, Pumpkins and Fall Farm Stops
Wine isn't the only thing growing in Southwest Michigan.
The region's farms produce grapes, apples, pumpkins and plenty of other seasonal produce. The Harbor Country Chamber's current agritourism guide highlights Twin Maple Orchards in Galien for U-pick fruit, a bakery, fresh produce, ice cream and farm animals, while Dinges Fresh Produce & Fall Harvest in Three Oaks offers pumpkins, gourds, squash, grapes and a corn maze.
For something closer to downtown New Buffalo, the same guide recommends Farmette, a small farm, marketplace, bakery and café.
This is one of the easiest ways to add a little Michigan fall to your trip without planning an entire day around it. Stop for apples or pumpkins on the way back to your rental and suddenly you've got dessert, decorations and an excuse to stay in for the evening.
Don't Forget the Cider
Michigan and apples are a pretty natural pairing, and fall is the season to take advantage of it.
You'll find Michigan cider incorporated into tasting-room menus throughout the region, including at St. Julian Winery & Distillery Tasting Room, while local orchards and farm markets offer seasonal apple products and fresh produce.
If you're specifically looking for the classic cider-and-orchard experience, check what's being pressed or offered before you head out. Farm availability changes throughout harvest season, and different apple varieties ripen at different times.
That's part of the fun: a September visit and an October visit don't necessarily look or taste the same.
Build Your Own New Buffalo Fall Tasting Day
You don't need to visit six wineries in one afternoon.
For an easy fall day trip from New Buffalo, start with breakfast or coffee in town, head toward Union Pier for a tasting, continue north along Red Arrow Highway toward Sawyer, then turn inland for an orchard or farm stop.
If you'd rather focus on wine, head into Southwest Michigan wine country and choose a couple of wineries where you can slow down instead of spending the entire afternoon getting in and out of the car.
And if the leaves are changing, take the long way home.
A Few Tips Before You Go
Hours, harvest schedules and available experiences can change throughout the fall, especially at seasonal farms and orchards. Check directly with each business before heading out, particularly if apple picking, pumpkin picking or a specific tasting experience is important to your plans.
If you're tasting wine, designate a driver or arrange transportation ahead of time. Rideshare availability can be limited around Harbor Country, especially once you leave the busier areas.
And leave some flexibility in your schedule. Half the fun of exploring Southwest Michigan in fall is finding something you weren't looking for.
Turn Your Tasting Day Into a Fall Getaway
The best part about exploring wine country from New Buffalo is knowing you don't have to drive home afterward.
Stay for the weekend and give yourself time to experience more of Harbor Country. Spend one day exploring wineries and farms, another walking Lake Michigan or taking a fall color drive, and leave plenty of room for slow mornings and evenings back at your vacation rental.
Third Coast Vacations offers homes throughout New Buffalo, Harbor Country and Southwest Michigan, giving you a comfortable home base for your fall getaway.
Bring back a bottle of Michigan wine, pick up something local for dinner and settle in.