Sip Michigan wines at new tasting room in Metro Detroit

Do you love wine and the state of Michigan? You’re in luck! The Michigan By The Bottle Tasting Room, featuring wine from six Michigan wineries, opened last month in metro Detroit. The tasting room offers wine flights and nibbles of cheese and chocolate. They also sell the wine they serve by the bottle and case and host special events.

Owners Shannon and Cortney Casey, the husband and wife team of passionate grape nuts, began promoting the Michigan wine industry through their website MichiganByTheBottle.com in 2009. 

“During our travels to create content for MichiganByTheBottle.com, people would constantly say, "Wow, I wish I had your job!" And we would say, "This isn't our -real- job — this is our fun job." After awhile, we'd fallen so completely in love with the industry that we started discussing how we could take it to the next level and make it a real job,” said Cortney.

The reality from website to the brick-and-mortar tasting room in Shelby Township took about a year. Inspired by a friend who opened a similar concept in Washington state, they felt it was a great fit for Michigan. Cortney explains, “We partnered with these six wineries in particular for a few reasons. We were looking to have representation from every major Michigan wine trail. We were looking for partner wineries with limited or self-distribution who were interested in introducing their wine to the Metro Detroit market in a tasting room setting versus just being shoved on a supermarket shelf.”

Their partner wineries are Chateau Aeronautique, Chateau de Leelanau, Domaine Berrien Cellars, Gill's Pier Vineyard & Winery, Peninsula Cellars and Sandhill Crane Vineyards which all use estate-grown and/or locally sourced grapes.

To be clear, this isn’t a wine bar. This is a tasting room just as you would find at the wineries. The added bonus is that you can taste wine from 6 different vintners instead of just one.

Having traveled to wine festivals in Michigan myself—on super official Detroit Moxie business, of course—I’ve run into the Caseys on the trail. Stopping in the tasting room on their media preview night, however, was the first time I was able to sit down with them and really chat. Their knowledge and enthusiasm for Michigan wine is infectious. Shannon helped us navigate through the different wines and he made some excellent suggestions. Together, they make wine fun and accessible.

The Michigan By The Bottle Tasting Room is a perfect spot for girls night out or a date night. And, the flights are just $10 or less so it won't break the bank. Special events such as winemaker meet-and-greets, yoga classes, art exhibits and interactive art sessions make for a fun night out where you can learn—or de-stress—while sipping the vino.

Next time you’re looking for something different to do in metro Detroit, stop by the tasting room and expand your local wine knowledge.