For a few years now, I have wanted to do a Michigan winery and cider mill day. With so much focus on traveling the world, it’s so easy to sometimes forget the quick places you can explore nearby. Fennville is a little further (~2-2.5 hours) than I would usually choose for a day trip, but was still manageable with someone else driving.
Fennville itself is a very small town of less than 2,000 people, but it is close to South Haven which many Chicagoans know. We started our day at Crane’s Pie Pantry. This recommendation came from my co-workers who all raved about it when I said I was visiting Fennville. I brought home a chocolate pecan pie which is my favorite! Not only does Crane’s sell phenomenal pies, they also have a restaurant, orchard, and wine and cider tasting. We did the tasting where you got to choose 4 samples between wine and cider for only $10. I tried the seyval blanc, cherry fruit wine, rose and the cherry cider.
After Crane’s, we headed over to Virtue Cider, the reason we chose Fennville. I love many of the Virtue ciders and it’s usually my go-to cider choice when I am out. When we arrived, I was shocked at how big it was. I imagine in the summer it is packed as it would be a fun way to spend an afternoon. Since we made a reservation, we had a table with heaters. We grabbed lunch here and let me tell you that the grilled cheese was one of the best I have had. It was so good!
They offer a few different tasting options. We choose the classic tasting and the barrel aged tasting. Each comes with six 2 ounce pours. In the classic tasting, my three favorites were the brut, apple, and cherry. In the barrel aged tasting, my two favorites were the Salut! and Percheron. I was surprised at how much the barrel aged resembled wine. On the day this was the most expensive tasting in the area. You can expect about $20 for a tasting tray, but for me it was worth it!
After our Virtue tasting, we headed over to Fenn Valley Vineyards. Now, when you walk in, it will 100% give you VFW hall vibes, but it was highly rated. Just like Crane’s, the tasting was affordable. You get 7 wine or cider tastings for $10. My favorites were the sparking Riesling, vino blanco, dry apple cider, and cherry apple cider.
Fennville was a great first day trip experience and it would be an awesome afternoon if you are ever vacationing in southern Michigan. I can’t wait to try more wineries and cider mills in southwest Michigan in the future. Let me know your favorites.
Xoxo
Janelle
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