November 10, 2026 (Suttons Bay, MI) — As Harvest Season winds down, Shady Lane Cellars is gearing up for its coziest season of the year with warm mulled wine on tap, igloos popping up on the patio, live music and an open invitation to take in the natural beauty of the season, amid the rolling hills of Leelanau County.
The Igloos are making their way back to the patio this month and available to guests on a first-come, first-served basis. And the fall vibes wouldn’t be complete without a glass of warm mulled wine from the Tasting Room.
At Shady Lane Cellars, mulled wine is made by combining a full bottle of Brio Red with a half bottle of water and a sachet of natural, whole-dried Mulling Spices – think cinnamon, whole cloves, allspice berries, nutmeg and bright, warming ingredients. The recipe calls for infusing the wine with spices as it warms, adding in brown sugar to taste.
Zach Mikowski, tasting room manager, shared two options. Mulled Wine is $12 per glass for visitors or there is a $25 gift pack that includes Brio Red and a packet of mulling spices to recreate the experience at home.
“Enjoying a warmed wine with mulling spices is a great way to warm up on a fall or wintery day,” Mikowski said.. It just really hits that sweet spot.”
In the vineyard, harvest season is winding down. And according to Kasey Wierzba, general manager and executive winemaker, it’s been a productive one! The team has harvested the last of the reds, Cabernet Franc and Merlot, preparing to pick the Late Harvest Riesling mid-month and plan to make a Reserve Riesling this year.
“This wine is a late harvest dry Riesling with all the rich, ripe flavors of a Late Harvest,” she said. “Think honeycomb and ripe tropical and pom fruits, but it is fermented to dry and has little to no sweetness. In Germany, this wine would be considered Spätlese trocken.”
In addition, Shady Lane Cellars is busy barrel fermenting Merlot Blanc this year.
“This wine will have a slight pink hue, the freshness of a white wine, and the richer texture of a barrel fermented Chardonnay,” Wierzba said. :We had some extra Merlot this year and the fruit displayed bright acidity, so we wanted to create something unique with Merlot that would match what the vintage was calling for.”
Merlot Blanc will be available by Spring 2027 and the Reserve Riesling will be available by fall 2027 at Shady Lane Cellars.
This month, the winery is also gearing up to host its Shady Lane Cellars Wine Club Pick Up Party on Nov. 12 where members will get a first sip of Reserve Blaufrankisch as well as tastings of Reserve Chardonnay, mulled wine and more. Three tiers of Wine Club memberships make for customizable holiday gifts and are always available at https://shadylanecellars.
On Small Business Saturday, November 28th, the team at Shady Lane Cellars welcomes visitors to stop in and sip local, with live music by Rebecca John from 3-6 p.m. There is no cover charge and the winery will remain open until 7 p.m. for visitors and all those getting a head start on their holiday gift lists with local purchases.
The Friday Night Live music free series is also ongoing, from 4-7 p.m. weekly.
And as a member of the Leelanau Peninsula Wine Trail, Shady Lane Cellars will offer 2 ounce pours of Sparkling Riesling and a sample of Spinach Artichoke Dip as its highlight for Toast of the Season again Nov. 13-15, 2026.
Shady Lane Cellars is open daily, from noon to 6 p.m. Sunday-Thursday and 11 a.m. to 7 p.m. Friday-Saturday. The winery will close on Thanksgiving Day, Nov. 26, Black Friday, Nov. 27 and again from Dec. 24, 2026 to Jan. 1, 2027.
ABOUT SHADY LANE CELLARS
Shady Lane Cellars, located at 9580 E. Shady Lane, 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 and its staff create a comfortable approach to wine. The winery was founded in 1999. Since 2017 all Shady Lane Cellars wines are 100 percent estate-grown. In 2020, Shady Lane Cellars’ vineyard earned Sustainability in Practice – or SIP Certified – status.
