The July issue of Wine Enthusiast includes an unprecedented number of ratings and reviews for wines produced in the Traverse City area. The publication cited more than 100 Michigan wines, 65 of them receiving ratings and scores between 87–91 points; all those receiving those scores were from the Traverse Wine Coast. Scores in this range are noteworthy because they place those wines on par with those produced in acclaimed wine-growing regions such as Washington and Oregon as well as countries like Spain and New Zealand.
 
“These ratings in Wine Enthusiast recognize that a lot of excellent wines are coming out of northern Michigan, and the wines are now being recognized nationally and internationally for their quality,” said Paul Hamelin. Hamelin is president of the Traverse Wine Coast and owner of Verterra Winery on the Leelanau Peninsula.

All told, this is the largest collection of ratings of Michigan wines ever published in a national magazine.

The Traverse Wine Coast is a collaborative effort among Traverse Tourism and wineries from Traverse City, the Old Mission Peninsula and the Leelanau Peninsula.