One of our favorite wineries of the weekend, Leelanau Cellars was our last top on our magnificent day of wineries, friends, and giggles. Free tastings up in here, ya'll. Good to know, cuz most of the wineries we visited had a $5 fee for five tastings. Not too bad, for sure, but when you hit up one that will let you taste for free? You feel all sorts of special. The pourers (who happen to be the nicest ones we encountered all day) were friendly and engaging, and they gave great explanations for the different wines we were trying. Special shout-out to the fabulous Sharon for her perfect pours. Furthermore, the view is spectacular. Massive windows line the length of the tasting room where you can get a spectacular view of the lake. Perfect for picture-taking on a rainy, but still colorful October afternoon. I left here with a lovely bottle of Cab Franc and fabulous memories of a lovely day with my closest girlfriends. While Leelanau may have been our last stop for the wine weekend, the friends and giggles haven't stopped. What can I say, I might be just learning how to pick wines, but I am an expert when it comes to picking my girlfriends. read more

I challenge you to find a better (closer) view of Lake Michigan while you sample free wine from a local vineyard. *The drive out is beautiful. *If Sharon the wine tasting gal is there, say hello. Large selection of table and premium wines, starting at around $4 per bottle, up to around $20. Case discounts. Beautiful setting, clean wooden floors and a long wine tasting bar the length of the tasting room. Oh, and a fireplace. And, a restaurant and full bar right next door. (Knot, Just a Bar). Sample the port, and you get a dark chocolate. Sample the witches brew, and you get it warmed up. Say hi to mom, and you might get a hug. Truly, unbiased...its one of the best winery experiences on this peninsula, and it's certainly worth a try. If you are disappointed, please stop at the Soaring Eagle Casino on the way back to town to make yourself feel better (or worse?). :) read more

Stopped in today on the way down to Sutton's Bay. Wine wasn't bad (Baco Noir and Mertiage were the best we sampled). The views were stunning. The person who led our "tasting" could have been much better. When we arrived and asked how she was since indicated she was tired and was ready to be done with the day- she still had 2 hours to go. To say she was crabby would be an understatement. Additionally, she asked what I was sampling (I gave her my sheet) and she snapped "I don't have my glasses, you'll need to read them to me." The wine tasting did not educate me any more on the wines nor entice me to spend more time or buy more, hence my rating. Beautiful place in a beautiful part of the country but unfortunate service. read more

What a great experience! I would LOVE to go back in the summer and drink wine by the water. Free unlimited wine tasting was fabulous! There were a few snack samples, like pretzels and dips, but I highly recommend eating first at Knot Just a Bar, which is attached and also delicious (see my 4-star review for them). Most of their wine is amazingly cheap too- I bought a delicious apple wine for $6! I'm kicking myself now for not buying half a case... I highly recommend the green apple wine, the Late Harvest Riesling, and the Vintage Port (for sampling anyway... a bottle of the port is $24!). I can't say enough about what a wonderful time we had up here. I can't get back soon enough! read more

The owner of the B&B at which I stayed recommended I check out this tasting room. I'm glad I did -- the view alone is worth it! They've got a great space right on the bay -- with huge windows so that you can look out onto the water as you taste a variety of Leelanau wines. There are 2 great things about doing wine tastings in Michigan. 1) Most of them are free, 2) the people who work in the tasting rooms tend to be friendly, down to earth and supremely helpful. I walked in late on a weekday afternoon, and I could have chatted and tasted for a long time, as I was the only one there, and the employee helping me would probably have let me taste all 20 or 25 wines had I wanted. I did buy 2 bottles....just doing my part to support the Michigan economy! read more

This is a must go to when you are wine tasting in Leelanau. Their tasting room is on the water with amazing views. The staff is friendly and will give free tastings of whatever you want! We tasted 7 wines and came home with 2 of them. I love their cranberry wine it tasted like fall. I plan to add champagne to it for a nice festive drink. They also have a great pinot noir that we got. If your into fruit wines they have a ton. If you are more into dry reds or crisp whites this may not be the place for you since they only have a few dry reds. read more

Friendly staff (Mark). Absolutely the best view around. Great tasting wine with great prices. We will return.

A group of friends and I went wine tasting in the area over the weekend and Leelanau Cellars was our first stop. It was pretty crowded and unfortunately the woman pouring for us was rude. I marked the wines I wanted to try on the paper they provide, but when I handed it to her, she said, "I don't have time to read, just tell me what you want." Um, okay. She also complained to us about people who were asking if the wine was fermented in oak barrels and kept saying "that's above my pay grade." She was really off-putting and it made me want to get out of there as soon as possible. I tried my samples and left. The tasting room itself is nice with a beautiful view of the bay but it really started out our day on a sour note. read more

If I could give this place a zero I would. We came in on a nice August day after having gone next door for lunch. Since we had decided to do a little winery tour, we figured why not stop here first! BIGGEST MISTAKE. Why?? The staff was incredibly rude and disinterested and there are SOO many other places to go in the TC area, I DO NOT need that attitude. For example: my boyfriend and I wanted to go in and check out the pricing for the tasting before we committed to it. Instead of replying like a normal human should, they ignored us for 15mins and when we finally could get their attention they told us we needed to wait until the bar completely emptied out before they could serve us AND still didn't answer our question! TLDR version?: Don't waste your time. There are so many other, friendlier wineries to go to around here and this is NOT one of them. read more

Another stop on the Mom & Me tasting tour. For those of you who visited Leelanau Cellars 10 years ago in their little tasting room up the road from Omena, things have changed quite a bit! The current location occupies a beautiful and bright waterfront location in "downtown" Omena. It is so nice that I am giving them an extra star for the setting. Having been around for a while, the have a pretty lengthy list of wines, with perhaps 20 available for tasting. Lots of options. The staff is friendly, chatty, and unassuming. They keep enough people behind the counter to ensure quality service and attention. My favorite by far was their 2008 Reserve Chardonnay, which was one of the most expensive at $16, but still quite reasonable for the quality. The 08 Leelanau Chardonnay and White Sangria were also both quite nice. The Baco Noir Rosé was a surprise that I wasn't expecting to enjoy but that ended up being good enough to find a spot in the case we took home. Overall, a great location with good service and respectable wines. Definitely worth a stop. read more

Great location and generous pours (you're limited to what's "within reason"). We found the tasting room to be really busy this last weekend so we cut our tasting short, but it's a beautiful location and the wine is well-priced. read more

A wonderful tasting room! There is no charge to taste any of the wines either. Everything here was pretty good too. The people were really fun and there is a beautiful view of the lake out the huge window. Wine was pretty cheap at 6.99 or more a bottle and is totally worth it for the price. Their blueberry wine was excellent so pick it up while you can. No, these are not the fanciest wines, but they are tasty, so who cares about fancy. There is a restaurant attached next door of which we were a fan as well, so make sure to check it out. Well worth the time! read more

Great low cost wines with a wide variety. Beautiful grounds right on the water. A lot of the wines you can find in retail shops. There are a few wines offered just at the winery which are very good! I really enjoyed several of the wines. Generous sampling and very informative on what you are sampling. Worth the stop in read more

Please pass the bubbly... Learned about "Bubbly on the Bay" from the MyNorth.com eNews. Hosted by Leelanau Cellars Tasting Room Manager Jeremy Bradford, we took the Brew Bus, driven by David Hoffman, to the expansive tasting room on Grand Traverse Bay where we sampled 5 delicious wines from a very extensive selection. Once loosened up, 6 of us along with Jeremy Smith and David headed for the kayaks for a relaxing paddle in Omena Bay where we sampled 3 canned carbonated wines... Winter White Bubbly, Summer Sunset Rose Bubbly and Great Lakes Red Bubbly... all very tasty and refreshing! And to top things off, we saw a magnificent Bald Eagle. Upon return to shore we were greeted by friendly Gabe Marzoni and Kimberly Bilinski. We then returned to the tasting room for some wine and merchandise buying. The 30-minute bus ride was full of stories, fun and laughter. Thanks very much David and Jeremy for such a great time... and everyone at https://www.lwc.wine. read more

Great wine, great view, good service and dog friendly on the patio for well behaved companions! The reds were really well done and my wife loved the sweet Riesling. read more

Cal helped us pick out the best wines for us. We all have a little different likes and he was so knowledgeable. Beautiful building and view of the bay. read more

Leelanau Wine Cellars - Wine Tasting Room Near Me - Omena, Michigan

By far my favorite stop on every trip. Had a fantastic experience and the most fun with our server Dani today! Great wine, great service

BBQ pork was cold and full of chucks fat included . Waitress never brought fries, food overpriced!

First time tasting and Leelanau made it great! The person that helped us out was fantastic. We got about 8 pours because she kept making suggestions of ones we had to try. She was awesome! read more

After a bad experience in the restaurant, the tasting room definitely put me back into a good mood. The staff was friendly and helpful, the tasting was free, and we ended up buying three bottles of wine and my boyfriend surprised me with a tee shirt. The view is beautiful, the wine is fantastic, and the place was clean and inviting. Will definitely be back for more wine. read more

Short, pretty drive from traverse. Well worth the drive. Went in during off peak season and had the place to ourselves. Free wine tastings of everything on their menu along with chocolate pairings. Located on the shore of the bay with a spectacular view. Lots of windows with great views of the bay. To top it off, the wine was amazing and affordable. We bought 3 bottles. read more

We have been coming up to the peninsula every summer for the past 3 years and one of our favorite spots to visit is Leelanau Cellars Tasting room. The wine is refreshing and the view is beautiful. We have always enjoyed drinking a glass on the patio. This year I came in and said to the girl at the desk "can I please order wine and sit on the patio?". I was told that it wasn't allowed. I explained I come here every summer and every summer before I've been allowed. She said she would ask one of the older workers since she was new. When she did the older lady behind the bar said "no, we are not licensed for that". I tried to get her attention to explain we had done it before, but she wouldn't even look my way. I left without buying anything and no one seemed to care. I guess returning customers are not important to this place. I'm very confused and extremely disappointed as this is one of our favorite stops each summer, but I won't be back now. read more

Five stars for consistency and quality . The largest wine producer in the Peninsula this winery gets my business every time . Excellent dry whites ( we don't like sweet wines so we don't even venture into that territory during tasting). Tall ships Chardonnay is great and so is the reserved Chardonnay . We walked away with two cases- I just know that they will be consumed happily in the warm months to come! The tasting is free, and there is a fabulous outdoor seating area overlooking gorgeous Omena bay. Make sure to have a corkscrew with you if you would like to get a bottle if wine and enjoy it by the water . People at the winery will be happy to sell you a chilled bottle of wine and a cheap corkscrew but they won't open the bottle for you ( because of the state laws? I wasn't sure ). Anyway , we love this winery and come back every year. read more

Absolutely amazing! If you can ask for Cal, he is very knowledgeable and very informative. Their selection was excellent and the view was amazing. We toured 12 wineries and this was by far the best one. read more

I tried a lot of the wine here, but i was not a fan. Did not like the taste of most of the wines. Sorry, but just did not hit my taste buds. I will say the View was outstanding. You have to stop in just for the view. We were with a lot of people and the did like the wine. read more

I love this place. If you have a boat it would be amazing to stop and have some wine. Right on the water. Bar nextdoor is new. We didn't go there but smelled good. :) read more

This place was just amazing. From the gorgeous view to unlimited tastings, and professional suggestions, what more would you want?! This place is a must. And don't forget the discounts with buying 6 bottles, a case, etc. Exceptional service. I think this is one of the top tastings I've ever experienced. As a tip, pace yourself if you're a lightweight! read more

One of the most beautiful tasting rooms in the area! They have a line of wines around $6.99/bottle or less (also available in grocery stores) as well as a line of premium wines ranging from $12 to $22/bottle. Their premium 2008 resesrve chardonnay and 2008 merlot were my favorite (even though I'm usually a pinot noir gal), and their fruit wines were fun also (I had the raspberry with some chocolate...yum!). The woman helping us was very kind and generous with her pours (I mean, hey....I'm used to CA where you have to pay for wine tasting!). When we asked some "wine" questions, she didn't have the answers, but oh well....free wine tasting in a lovely room with a view...can't really complain about that! read more

What's better than COMPLIMENTARY wine tasting?!? Such great bartenders and wine! They recommend 4-5 samples, but you can try as many as you'd like. read more

Loved this place. Great view, very new, and very helpful staff. Very down to earth gentleman was helping us with the wine tasting- he was very knowledgeable and wasn't trying to get us to buy the most expensive wine they offer. Great variety and very good prices on wine. If I'm ever in the area again, which was gorgeous when we went (1st week of October) I would definitely stop again. read more

Meredith rocks!!!! This place has a great selection and excellent prices. Great staff recommendations depending on individual taste. Strawberry wine sale too! read more

If you love sweet wine, this is the place! I tasted 7 sweet wines, and I loved them all! The bar tender was most helpful and courteous. My favorites were Winter White, Moscato and Reisling. Yum! Ps the view is unbeatable read more

The staff were very polite and helpful. The wine tasting is free, and there is a beautiful view of the water. The semi-dry Riesling was delicious. My sister really liked the white sangria. We ended up buying a case of wine. This was my second time here and both visits have been enjoyable. read more

The view is breathtaking, and the staff is knowledgeable and friendly. And the real bonus is that if you find. A wine you love you can afford to buy it! Stop in, ask for Carrie, she's patient and knows her stuff! read more

Beautiful atmosphere and we enjoyed a large majority of the wines we tried and walked away with a boxful of choices to take home.

This was our first time on the wine trail and our first stop. We were not disappointed. Lisa took great care of us - 5 free tastes and she showed us a few mixes that really enhanced the great flavors of their wines. Great atmosphere and friendly service. We couldn't have asked for more! read more

Wonderful, friendly staff - had a great time tasting. The wine is superb! My favorite winery in northern Michigan - a must visit. There is also a cafe we ate at for lunch - the food was great! Highly recommend. read more

Not great wine. BEAUTIFUL view! The staff is super friendly. At some of the northern Michigan wineries the people pouring can be standoffish and rude, but my two experiences here have always been pleasant. Like I stated their wine isn't something I'd order at a restaurant nor buy for home, unless it's their Witch's Brew (fun to heat up during autumn). If you like sweeter wines, please disregard my review, because this will be a perfect spot for you! read more

Wonderful experience !! Love the recommendations of wine parings and the overall experience !! Oh and the view is perfect !!

FINALLY!!! My friend and I visited the winery a few days ago. We'd been to over a dozen over the course of a few days of a girl's getaway and most of the wineries catered to folks with a preference for dry wine. I, on the other hand, can't stand that stuff. Gimme the sweet and I'm a happy camper. This place so delivered for me AND for my friend who likes the dry stuff. Our wine person was new, Loren was his name, and I liked him immediately (perhaps it was because he read my shirt, which indicated I am a gardener and he is as well). Although he was new, he was quite skilled at figuring out our tastes and pairing that with wines on their ENORMOUS selection. I really wished I had more money to spent and really hope that I can find their wines sold in Indiana where I live. I had so many favorites, but the late harvest Riesling.... all I said was, "Oh my God"... delicious. They have one of the most fantastic views of any winery, air conditioning, and excellent prices! read more