Traverse City-based Mari Vineyards has opened its first winery, a seven-story, 25,000-square-foot facility located on its Old Mission Peninsula vineyard.
“We’re past the stage where we have to justify ourselves as a wine region,” says Marty Lagina, owner of Mari Vineyards. “We’ve already proven ourselves. It’s time to step out and do something bold.”
The new winery, located at 8175 Center Rd., features a 1,500-square-foot tasting room that serves reds, whites, nellaserra, and blended wines from Italian and Spanish grapes grown on the surrounding 50 acres of vineyards.
The tasting room features a stone fireplace, ceiling beams reclaimed from century-old barns, and furniture crafted from the wood of local ash and maple trees.
Along with the large tasting room, Mari Vineyard’s new winery also has smaller tasting rooms; rooms for events; offices; a paneled boardroom; a tower; and an underground wine cave, where barrels of wine can be stored for years of slow aging at controlled temperatures.
The new winery is open from 11 a.m. to 7 p.m., Monday through Saturday, and 11 a.m. to 5 p.m. on Sunday.
Started in 1999, Mari Vineyards grows nearly 60 different types of grapes including more traditional Italian ones, such as refosco, teroldego, and schioppettino.
To learn more, visit marivineyards.com.
