The service was fast. The vineyard is gorgeous. They had plenty of seating and shade options. read more

Bowers Harbor Vineyards - Wine flight. - Wineries Near Me - Traverse City, Michigan

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My wife and I visited Bowers Harbor Vineyard recently and had a great time. The whole place has an easy, laid-back vibe - not fancy or pretentious; just a spot where you can relax and enjoy yourself. They have several different outdoor spaces. We were lucky to snag a couple Adirondack chairs under shade trees overlooking the fields. The servers were very nice and helpful. The wine and snacks were great. We would definitely come back again. read more

Didn't stay Flights are predetermined and expensive can't sit in unless wine club member - They were not welcoming read more

Bowers Harbor Vineyards - Wineries Near Me - Traverse City, Michigan

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First, there are two peninsulas off of Traverse City. Both are dotted with wineries, and this is not a one-off thing. This area has a Sonoma vibe. Old Mission Peninsula is the much smaller one, and it's plenty big enough. Bowers Harbor Vineyards offered exactly what we were looking for. Great wines, very friendly staff, and a beautiful outdoor space to enjoy it. They have snacks available that are kind of pitiful-- convenience store packages of hummus, pretzels, etc-- but you're not going for that. And they do the job to accompany the wine tasting. So whatever. They were very accomodating with letting us mix red and whites on a shared flight. We ended up buying a couple of bottles of a wonderful, dry and minerally chardonnay. Very relaxed and not at all intimidating for people like us who are not usually doing the wine thing. There were families with dogs and kids, and everyone seemed pretty chill. But of course we hightailed it out of there when the first bachelorette party arrived. I don't know why Traverse City became a hotbed of bachelorette parties, but it has, and you'll have to suffer through that wherever you go. read more

Bowers Harbor Vineyards - Wineries Near Me - Traverse City, Michigan

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Bowers is a very beautiful winery. Driving into the winery feels like you've left Michigan for the Italian countryside. Very well maintained and populated with beautiful flowers and sprawling views! I was very excited to come here for the first time and try their wines until I was met with very dismissive customer service. My boyfriend and I walked in, me carrying my pup as it is a very dog friendly winery. I thought I'd find comradery from one dog owner to the other as one of the staff had her dachshund comfortably nestled in a crossbody sling. I cheerfully said hello only to be ignored. She went on to attend to every single customer but is, even the ones who came in well after we had been standing there for a while. When another staff member joined her behind the bar and completely ignored us, it became intentional. We still patiently waited and finally a third staff member asked us if we'd been helped. I asked for recommendations and her favorite wine, but her demeanor was very dry and informative. We selected the 2021 Proprietor's Reserve, a Cabernet Sauvignon with notes of black cherry and plum and a 2022 Pinot Noir, OMP which was very light and crisp. We enjoyed our wine on their outside patio as the summer rain sprinkled the lush greenery around us. I would have loved to try more wine, but felt very unwelcome so we proceeded to Chateau Grand Traverse where we happily tasted many wines and bought bottles of our favorites! I would definitely consider having an event here, maybe even a...wedding?! However, I'd want to ensure the customer service was up to par because I'd love for my guests to feel welcomed and have a lovely experience. The beautiful grounds get 5 stars but the customer service unfortunately detracted from the overall experience. read more

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Love the atmosphere at bowers harbor. We really appreciated the laid back vibe and would be so fun on a beautiful day. Only downside is flight cost at this winery have gone up significantly! read more

We had a lovely time at this winery. Gorgeous ambiance, friendly staff, and great wine. Highly recommend stopping here! read more

Bowers Harbor Vineyards - Wineries Near Me - Traverse City, Michigan

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We love their resting. Haven't been here in several years. Parking lot was filled; people were parking where no spots were delineated. Only saw 1 handicap spot that was already occupied, so I walked, well limped uphill to there building where I was met by a very pretty, very helpful and very fast young lady who found my wine, had me checked out and out the door so I could limp downhill back to our car. Meh. 3 stars is good enough. Young lady would get 5 stars. read more

Went for a Tasting...Pre-selected flights....covid's over people. We still tried their preselect but didn't care for them. I would rather select my own flight, maybe then we would have found something we liked. read more

We visited three wineries in one day and this was our favorite overall. Very good wine and the grounds were very nice. We managed to get some seats overlooking the vineyard and a view of the bay. We didn't have reservations but on a Monday afternoon it wasn't an issue. read more

Bowers Harbor Vineyards - View of the bay and some of the seating. - Wineries Near Me - Traverse City, Michigan

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My husband, children and even our two pups traveled to visit Bowers Harbor two weeks ago. The location was set in their vineyard, offering sun and shade with a lot of seating options. My children enjoyed some NA grape sparkling cider while my husband and I had wine/cider flights. Even our dogs had some of their in house made treats that they thoroughly enjoyed! Service was at the counter but they did come around and collect used glasses as well keeping it cleaned up and orderly. The outdoor restrooms were also very clean and air conditioned. The staff at the wine counter were friendly and knowledgeable offering suggestions based on your flavor profile, which was appreciated! We even bought some ciders to take home with us. We will definitely be back! read more

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The only thing going for them here is the view. We bought one of their overpriced wine flights, to only see that our glasses were FILTHY. The fact you can sit in the vineyard is the only reason it is getting two stars. The bartenders were abrasive, but the younger staff outside bringing in glasses were charming and nice. I would never go back, and was grossed out. I know they're making enough money to buy a better dish washer or dish detergent. read more

Bowers Harbor Vineyards - Filthy glasses - Wineries Near Me - Traverse City, Michigan

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Pretty chill winery. It's a 3.5 but I'll round up. You get your flight and walk over to the seating area. They have the number 1 selling Pinot Grigio in MI. It was $24 for their Harvest flight. Everything was palatable. read more

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Brought a larger bach group and the accommodated is well. The place had a decent amount of people but wasn't overly busy. It's so cute pulling up through the vineyard and pulling up to the cute house in the front. You can go around to the back or through the shop and club to get to where you can taste. They have pre set flights to try and lots of seating around the property for various size groups. We also wanted to get food here. Unfortunately they do not have a kitchen and only sell pre packaged snacks like crackers, hummus, dip, meat and cheese. What they have is good tho. read more

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We were late for our reservation by about 15 minutes but we're greeted with big smiles and warm welcomes. What a great start to a visit! We were told to sit wherever we wanted and were quickly given menus. Once we let them know we had the winter pass we were given a very pared down list with only 3 pours. We were given the option to add on two more pours for $5 total (not each). I try not to be wasteful. We visited 10 wineries in the time we were in the TC area and this is the only place we left wine on the table. While we were there, there was never more than one other table occupied. When our flights were brought out we were immediately what our total was and we were expected to be paid immediately. Um, what? It's not busy, we were a group of 3 with two of us being middle aged. It's not like we were going to drink and dash. One of our group members said, "ok, we'll pay when we're done" and she last kind of stammered "ok, I'll leave your tab open." That was so tacky. It really put me off on the whole experience there. With all the wineries and cideries in the area we will not be back to this one, despite the beautiful setting. read more

Bowers Harbor is ABSOLUTELY INCREDIBLE! The staff is so friendly, the space is so beautiful, and the vibes are IMMACULATE! This was the second stop on our brew bus tour of Old Mission and we truly never wanted to leave! The bus dropped us off and immediately told us to walk through the vineyards, which in and of itself was so fun, to this area with about 8 or so picnic tables and a bar serving all of them. All the picnic tables had umbrellas and everything was well organized, so I think they spread out the groups that were here, so it wasn't like all 8 tables were occupied, there were only one or two other groups at this area when we got there, so it felt semi-private as well. Their bar servicing this area was full service, so we were able to order from anything on the menu - flights, individual glasses, and snacks! The area was enclosed on all 3 sides with vineyards, so we felt very nestled into the area and almost a bit secluded. The one open side had a gravel path that led up to the building, other outdoor seating areas (all shaded), and then some open spots by fire pits and a small lawn with cornhole that had some keg high-top tables for you to place your drinks at too. The path also led to the FANCIEST and clean portapotty set up that should have a bougier name than portapotty that I've ever seen! Everything was delightful and nothing was off limits or restricted from us like the last place had been, so it was truly such a wonderful delight and experience to spend time here - all these spaces were dog friendly as well and we got to see so many adorable dogs vibe out at this vineyard as well! Bonus bonus bonus points to Bowers Harbor for having a complete non-alcoholic flight of drinks to get too! For a person who doesn't drink like me, this was easily my favorite part! I didn't get "different" glasses from all my friends who were drinking, I got served in the exact same way with the flight tower the way my other friends were, which was so fun to be a part of it all for ONCE! Also, all the NA drink options were so COMPLEX and FUN! They weren't just like grape juices or sparkling waters or anything, they were some seriously unique and delicious pairings of multiple different ingredients, flavor profiles, and the like all combined into a few glasses, and I absolutely LOVED THAT! This was truly the most thoughtful part of Bowers Harbor for me and it really made my day. I will definitely be telling all my friends to come here AND will be coming here again very soon as well! We stayed in the picnic table area drinking our drinks for a bit and then eventually moved over to the lawn area to play some cornhole! Some people sat on the hill to observe and drink while others played, all with the backdrop of the rows and rows of vines surrounding us and it was truly magical! I also have to add that the staff here is absolutely SPECTACULAR! Everyone was so friendly, knowledgeable, and helpful! They had great taste in the music that was playing in our little picnic table area too while we were there and we told them how much we appreciated their taste in music. They loved that and told us that if we had any recommendations for music we wanted to hear to let them know and that was an invitation that all the audiophiles in my group eagerly jumped on. As you can see, the vibes were truly immaculate here! Thanks Bowers! read more

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A great place for a large group of people all trying to sit together and enjoy some great wine outside! We pulled up to this place on our tour, kind of unsure where we needed to go to get some wine flights for our group. There was a bar area and a bunch of outdoor seating areas (even some areas where you can walk right up to the vineyards and take some pictures). We ran into a waitress and she said that we could sit down and a table and someone would be with us shortly. Our large group sat down and all ordered some flights. There were a small amount to choose from, but it didn't matter to any of us because what we got, including a complimentary cider glass, was worth it. The whole experience was incredibly cheap, but the cheap price did not reflect the wine quality at all. You could have covered up the labels of the bottles and we could have ranked them at a $50 or $60 bottle of wine due to how great they tasted. We were sad to have to leave so soon, because we were ready to stick around here for a couple hours and enjoy the views, but we had to hop back on the tour bus. We'll definitely be back to spend some more time here! read more

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Absolutely stunning vineyard nestled in a valley. The landscaping was beyond beautiful, and the wines were delicious! This was by far our favorite winery of the day of the four we visited. Very chill ambiance, beautiful scenery, and super friendly staff! read more

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Visited here on the wine trail this past April. The building and grounds are gorgeous, but very hilly so bring your tennis shoes! Everything is laid out with great signage. You knew where to go for tastings, the bathrooms, and where to purchase. Behind the building is where tasting was set up, and the staff were on top of service. Everyone was able to get their drinks in a timely fashion. We chose a cider flight to enjoy by one of the fire pits. I greatly appreciated cozy outdoor options for early spring. Highly recommend if you are in the area! read more

Bowers Harbor Vineyards - Wineries Near Me - Traverse City, Michigan

I was a bit worried about what our annual TC trip would look like in 2020 COVID. Bowers did an amazing job of following safety without missing any of what we loved. In fact, some of the changes were so great, I hope they stay. We made a reservation to ensure we would have a table. Check in was super easy, they directed us to our table and let us know the ordering procedure. Bowers has added significantly more seating, extending it into the vineyard. Bowers has always been one of my very favorite places to linger, especially with their beautiful flights. The wine is lovely and the atmosphere could not be more so. read more

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So again on October 23, 2019 I drive on to my 2nd winery stop. By the way the "Old Mission Peninsula Wine Trail Map" is very helpful showing the 10 wineries that offer tasting while driving 19 miles from downtown Traverse City ! (Maybe travel with a DD?) Info : OMPwinetrail.com. Bowers Harbor Vineyards produces over 30 wines and ciders in a breathtaking area on Bowers Harbor Road. The winery offers tours, wine dinners, plus a free wine club membership so (BYOG) bring your own glass too when stopping in weekly or monthly. I observed a couple walk in with glasses to taste or drink a glass. This location was busy in the afternoon since the inside bar area for tasting was small and limited with 3 employees working back and forth with guests. There are plenty of areas outside with walking paths to view the vines of grapes while tasting. This winery does allow dogs on the property premises. There is also a mascot dog inside which I forgot his name who does greet visitors. Some of their wines stocked on the wall shelves are even named after dogs that lived on their property over the years. "It's A Dog's Life" here. = Labradors, Golden Retrievers are well known. I was quickly and warmly greeted by Stephanie an employee that wrote down my name to be put on a wait list for the tasting. She said the time was about 30 minutes for availability so to enjoy their store and suggested a "Flight tasting of 3 Hard Ciders for $12." Great suggestion so I ordered the flight and walked around in the merchandise store which is connected nearby. It sells bottles of their homemade wines, ciders, sweatshirts, hats, t-shirts along with many other Bowers gift items. Since it was 1pm and lunch time I was hungry. I decided to buy a sausage, cheese and cracker packaged item, (Lunchable lol) $8 from their refrigerator to satisfy my hunger and relaxed on their heated patio. The snacks paired up perfectly with my flight choice of their Hard Ciders flavored with apples. (Photo attached) I chose the wine tasting package where I could keep the glass as well. The bar counter for the wine tasting is standing yet underneath there are hooks to hang a jacket or purse while enjoying the relaxing experience. (Photo attached) I also bought my two favorite flavors of "Pineapple Apple" and "Raspberry Apple" hard ciders to bring home, each pint Growler cost $8. FYI: The price was $5.00 for 5 wine tastings. Small portions of sips too. Info: bowersharbor.com read more

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We love stopping by Bowers for amazing drinks and even better service. Lindsay and Todd are amazing people and make this place feel like home. Thanks!! read more

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The view here = amazing! The wine = not so much. We visited six of the many vineyards in TC and this was one of my least favorite. When we stepped up to order, we were shocked that the individual we ordered from wasn't really able to answer our questions about the different flights. We ended up just going with the basic Harvest Flight because we had little guidance on what to get. The only details we had about each glass in the selection was a small card that they gave you as you walked away with your flight. The seating area here is what really helps make this vineyard great. There's nothing like drinking wine in the middle of the grapes they were made from. Unfortunately (please keep in mind I am a long way from being a sommelier), I thought that each of the wines in the Harvest Flight tasted the same. All of them were pretty bland and nothing really stood out. I think this was a great place to visit once, but I won't be coming back anytime soon. Pro-Tip: Make sure to sit at the outside area that is a bit far away from where you order! It is so worth the walk! read more

Bowers Harbor Vineyards - Wineries Near Me - Traverse City, Michigan

This was fantastic!!! Amazing view, atmosphere, staff and wine. Light snacks were good and live music was so good. The covered seating was enchanting and felt so comfortable. Walking path in was a fairytale. Must visit and get a flight of the sweet wines. Only wish they had normal bathrooms! This was our favorite of day 1 read more

Bowers Harbor Vineyards - Walk back from 'bathroom' - Wineries Near Me - Traverse City, Michigan

The service was great and friendly. The bug Jenga was a fun way to spend time while enjoying our drinks. I opted for the sparkling juice instead of wine and it was good. My friend enjoyed her wine. The view was great and it has a great outdoor seating. read more

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Beautiful landscape with a great variety of tastings. We certainly lucked out on weather as everybody could sit outside. I recommend getting the Harvest tasting and sharing it with a friend. I was a little surprised because it seemed like the staff had little to no knowledge on any of their wines they offered. Even though it was our fourth tasting of the day, we still would have preferred a few recommendations. Overall, I suggest this place on a nice day so you can sit outside. I don't think the indoor seating looked as welcoming! read more

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I had the Barbie flight and some chips and green onion/ white cheddar dip. A bit pricey, but excellent quality and stupendous service.

Great spot to enjoy a glass of Chardonnay. I always check in here when I'm in Traverse City and making my yearly wine tour. Michigan wines naturally have a tougher time due to the short growing season so the task of creating wines that compete with Napa can be rough. Whites do a nice job of filling that space. The experience of sitting and enjoying a glass post COVID is a challenge and this winery does an excellent job of it. Social distancing parameters are well created yet it still feels like an authentic cozy spot to sit and chill without feeling the pressure of proximity. There's an intimate nestled feel here that always brings me back and along with a very cordial staff makes this a definite stop for anyone touring the peninsula. read more

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This used to be my favorite winery stop. We visited here on our wine tour a few weeks ago. When we got inside the lady behind the bar was not friendly. Our whole group felt this way. I understand that the inside tables are for wine club members only but she was beyond rude about it. There was literally two other people inside at this time so it's not like people were waiting to get in. We have zero issues ordering and taking it outside but no reason to rude and annoyed about your policy. Maybe you need to put reserved signs on the tables to make your customers aware. The wine was ok, but the atmosphere sucks! read more

I'm only giving this a 4 star because there was no inside seating for anyone not a member. I didn't like that. FRIENDLY STAFF! I stopped here to taste some ciders. The staff was helpful with this. SNACKS! They had little snacks for purchase which was nice. CUTE! I would definitely go back here. It's be great in the fall too! read more

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Amazing wine and atmosphere. Sitting by a fire in early February was amazing. Highly recommend.

Beautiful place!! We had a blast. Sweet staff. Let us bring the dogs. Absolutely beautiful view of the lake as well. read more

Bowers Harbor Vineyards - Vineyard - Wineries Near Me - Traverse City, Michigan

Cider was very tasty. Views from the seating area was wonderful. We were a bit confused on arrival about ordering procedure. Not sure if it works the same way always or if it has changed due to covid... you order your drinks and then grab a seat. It's not a problem not to have a waitstaff, we just didn't know and so it was a bit confusing. Food options are limited, prepackaged snacks. read more

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My favorite winery in Traverse City. The people are super nice. The winery is gorgeous. Your tasting includes a souvenir glass. The wine and hard cider was so good. I lived the pineapple apple hard cider. I enjoyed a glass of pinot secco out in the garden after our tasting. We explored the vineyards as we enjoyed our wine. Great view of the lake as well. read more

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This is my favorite winery in Traverse City! On a Saturday afternoon, pulling up to this place I was in awe. The scenery is beautiful, the wine & hard cider is tasty, and the atmosphere is welcoming. The line for wine tasting was long, so we decided to just go outside and order a glass of cider. Outside they have fires going, chairs, and picnic tables overlooking the grapes and the water. read more

Bowers Harbor Vineyards - The view.. gorgeous! - Wineries Near Me - Traverse City, Michigan

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This is just a beautiful location. The wine is great. My favorite was the Gruner Veltliner, with tastes of kiwi, citrus, and apple. read more

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Our favorite winery on Old Mission. Relaxed environment, great service, and awesome wines & cider!

One of the first few wineries we stopped at for my bday weekend and it was by far the best! Kevin, our server, was fantastic. He figured out it was my birthday and gave me an extra sample of bubbly and a special birthday glass. He suggested some places to eat and things to do on our long weekend away from home kid free. After we finished our tasting hubby grabbed a glass of red and I a glass of cider. We choose a cute little spot outside in the sun on top of a hill. There are so many cute little places to sit here. I love that they have little table and chairs set up down each of the walkways, and the seating areas aren't right on top of each other. This place is just overall a 5 stars on my list of TC wineries. We may even try and go back today before we head home! read more

Bowers Harbor Vineyards - Beautiful views - Wineries Near Me - Traverse City, Michigan

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Low key winery that's more casual than others. The swinery is still fun and has great wine. The warm ciders in hot wine was good as well. The view this were okay but not great as other wineries read more

Bowers Harbor Vineyards - Wineries Near Me - Traverse City, Michigan

TLDR: don't worry about skipping this place and going to one of the other wineries in the area This place only allows premade flights as opposed to every other winery I have been to in the area which lets you make your own. Also, every winery I have gone to in the area has been between $10-$15 for a tasting/flight (each winery uses these terms slightly different, but in general three-2oz pours or five-1oz pours). This place was around $25 per tasting, which is a price that is not worth what you receive when compared to other wineries in the region. The inside is only open to wineclub members which means the bathrooms for non-members is outside in an, albeit, upgraded porta-potty, but size wise is akin to what you would encounter on an airplane. I don't recommend this winery as there are many other places that give you more of a bang for your buck and provide a great atmosphere. read more