Amanda Danielson, a sommelier and founding partner of Trattoria Stella restaurant in Traverse City, has been developing plans to amplify the value of Michigan wine and enhance opportunities for industry professionals along the way.
The project, called Loamstead, is a planned $10 million regenerative agriculture and hospitality destination being developed on more than 140 acres in northern Michigan that will include a vineyard, a farm, and restored structures.
According to Danielson, every element is being designed to honor the land, elevate the guest experience, and be a model for sustainable growth.
“Loamstead is about building on decades of great work already underway in Michigan’s wine industry,” says Danielson. “It’s about creating infrastructure and programming that support growers, producers, and educators, while welcoming new partners and audiences to experience the region’s excellence.”
At the heart of Loamstead is Shady Lane Cellars in Suttons Bay, one of Michigan’s top wineries. Under the leadership of Executive Winemaker Kasey Wierzba, Shady Lane Cellars has earned accolades from Wine Enthusiast, Food & Wine, and Decanter. It is one of only three Michigan wineries to hold rigorous Sustainability in Practice — or SIP — certification.
“The winery and tasting room will continue to operate just as it has, with Wierzba remaining at the helm,” says Danielson.
The estate winery was placed up for sale following the death of owner Richard Fortune in 2022. Fortune’s family have since been seeking a new owner who would be more involved in guiding the winery into its next chapter.
Danielson, now approaching the final phases of due diligence to purchase Shady Lane Cellars, expects the acquisition to be in place this fall. Her intention is to retain Shady Lane Cellars’ team, branding, and identity.
“We’re not here to reinvent what’s already working,” says Danielson. “We’re capitalizing on Shady Lane’s success. I couldn’t do this without Shady Lane Cellars. We’re here to support the many producers relentlessly driving in the quality lane, lend our experience from global markets, and help shine a brighter light on what Michigan can do.”
Loamstead, which takes its name from a stewardship of the soil found in Leelanau County, is poised to expand opportunities for professionals in the food and beverage industry.
The project includes the support of Trattoria Stella. Loamstead’s founding team will include Danielson, as director of strategy and systems; Wierzba, as director of winegrowing and land stewardship; Elise Curtis-Dull, as director of culinary and education; Sarah Bielman, as director of business planning and integrity; and Melissa and Dawid Conradie, as co-directors of guest experience and design.
Wierzba sees vast potential for the property at Shady Lane Cellars as an asset for the community.
She has long imagined sustainable uses for land on the estate that isn’t suitable for vines. Loamstead plans include the potential for a culinary garden, for raising fowl and poultry, increasing agricultural diversity on plots of land not suitable for grapes and sharing this process through community education spaces.
“The full property is 140 acres with 55 planted to vineyard and another 15 to 20 scheduled for planting in the spring of 2027,” says Wierzba. “We would use these new planting opportunities as a field lab for a sustainable vineyard start up with different treatments that allow us to study cover cropping and under-vine management, as well as training systems that strengthen our sustainable practices.”
Danielson sees Loamstead as a multi-phase project that will transform open farm land into a working campus. This is where regenerative agriculture, culinary innovation, hospitality, and education will intersect. Historic buildings on the property will be restored. Vineyards will be expanded. New spaces will be built for learning, celebration and connection.
“When Amanda started talking about the idea and her vision, the first thought I had was this is really exciting. The second thought I had was this is a really big project,” says Wierzba.
Shady Lane Cellars produces one of the largest percentages of estate-grown wine in its region. Offering hilltop views of the Leelanau Peninsula in northern Michigan, the winery was founded in 1999.
Since 2017, all Shady Lane Cellars wines are 100 percent estate grown. Since 2020, Shady Lane Cellars’ has earned Sustainability in Practice – or SIP Certified – status.
Open daily, the hours are noon to 6 p.m. Sunday through Thursday; and 11 a.m. to 7 p.m. Friday-Saturday.
For more information, visit shadylanecellars.com/.
