Bowers Harbor Vineyards

Loved our experience at Bowers Vineyard! They have a fantastic patio (dog friendly too) and a great variety of wine tasting flights to choose from! Thai is the perfect place to relax on a warm summer day with friends! Very warm and welcoming staff!

As a Traverse City local and former Old Mission Peninsula industry worker, I was very disappointed by my recent experience at Bowers Harbor Vineyards. I visited on a Sunday evening and was genuinely excited to finally make it up to Bowers, as I’ve visited nearly every other vineyard on OMP. When we arrived, we looked over the menu and placed our order—the young woman who helped us was friendly and quickly put together our flights. The wine was good and did not factor into my review. Unfortunately, the experience quickly went downhill. Despite being there a full 40 minutes before closing, a middle-aged blonde employee began loudly injecting air into sparkling bottles while openly complaining to her coworkers about how “nobody’s here” and suggesting they should start closing early. This was all said loudly enough for our group, as well as another nearby couple, to hear—making us feel unwelcome and uncomfortable. Having worked in the industry, I completely understand that slower days can be frustrating. However, it’s entirely unacceptable to disrupt guests’ experiences with closing duties and complaints while customers are still present. It left a disappointing impression of a place I had really been looking forward to visiting.

This has been our favorite winery in TC for a long time now. We love the very personal touch this place has. It doesn’t have the awesome lake view some of the others do, but it does offer great views of the vines and the whole property, the way the staff acts and treats patrons almost feels as if you are all part of a family. Very knowledgeable folks, extremely friendly, prices are great, and they have so many options as to where you can hang out. There are tents, a covered patio, a fireplace, tables right between the vines. We have seen live acoustic music there a number of times. The overall feeling here is just so unique, much more personal and less artificial than at some of the other “fancy” wineries.

If you are looking for a beautiful vineyard that has impeccable views, a great selection of wine, great seating, dog friendly, and pretty venue this is the place for you! Highly recommend especially if you have a doggo. Make sure you make a reservation over the weekend because it is busy! We stopped here by chance on our northern Michigan road trip and happened to Google the area we were in and this place popped up. If you’re looking for more tips, tricks and travel inspiration, visit navigatornick.com

Beautiful Vineyard. Wide selection of beverages. They have accommodations for any group size. We decided to stand between the Vineyard at a wine barrel and it was perfect. The shelter for making your selection was heated and the bartender was very helpful with making your selection. We were here in Sept with a rare 52 degree week. I couldn't imagine how amazing it would be mid summer or early spring or fall

The winery is beautifully situated next to the lake, offering not only delightful wines but also the opportunity to indulge in your wine while seated amidst the vineyard.

Beautiful property. Very large and welcoming. The gift shop has lots of shirts and sweatshirts with the vineyard name. The wine bottles are nicely organized and would make nice gifts.

Amazing selection of reds and whites and hands down the best spot in traverse for ciders. Dog friendly and with multiple open seating spots throughout the vineyard to enjoy your tastings year round among the grapes A must stop on your vineyards tour of the peninsula

First, there are two peninsulas off of Traverse City. Both are dotted with wineries, and this is not a one-off thing. This area has a Sonoma vibe. Old Mission Peninsula is the much smaller one, and it's plenty big enough. Bowers Harbor Vineyards offered exactly what we were looking for. Great wines, very friendly staff, and a beautiful outdoor space to enjoy it. They have snacks available that are kind of pitiful-- convenience store packages of hummus, pretzels, etc-- but you're not going for that. And they do the job to accompany the wine tasting. So whatever. They were very accomodating with letting us mix red and whites on a shared flight. We ended up buying a couple of bottles of a wonderful, dry and minerally chardonnay. Very relaxed and not at all intimidating for people like us who are not usually doing the wine thing. There were families with dogs and kids, and everyone seemed pretty chill. But of course we hightailed it out of there when the first bachelorette party arrived. I don't know why Traverse City became a hotbed of bachelorette parties, but it has, and you'll have to suffer through that wherever you go.

Didn't stay Flights are predetermined and expensive can't sit in unless wine club member - They were not welcoming

The only thing going for them here is the view. We bought one of their overpriced wine flights, to only see that our glasses were FILTHY. The fact you can sit in the vineyard is the only reason it is getting two stars. The bartenders were abrasive, but the younger staff outside bringing in glasses were charming and nice. I would never go back, and was grossed out. I know they're making enough money to buy a better dish washer or dish detergent.

We visited three wineries in one day and this was our favorite overall. Very good wine and the grounds were very nice. We managed to get some seats overlooking the vineyard and a view of the bay. We didn't have reservations but on a Monday afternoon it wasn't an issue.

My husband, children and even our two pups traveled to visit Bowers Harbor two weeks ago. The location was set in their vineyard, offering sun and shade with a lot of seating options. My children enjoyed some NA grape sparkling cider while my husband and I had wine/cider flights. Even our dogs had some of their in house made treats that they thoroughly enjoyed! Service was at the counter but they did come around and collect used glasses as well keeping it cleaned up and orderly. The outdoor restrooms were also very clean and air conditioned. The staff at the wine counter were friendly and knowledgeable offering suggestions based on your flavor profile, which was appreciated! We even bought some ciders to take home with us. We will definitely be back!

Pretty chill winery. It's a 3.5 but I'll round up. You get your flight and walk over to the seating area. They have the number 1 selling Pinot Grigio in MI. It was $24 for their Harvest flight. Everything was palatable.

Brought a larger bach group and the accommodated is well. The place had a decent amount of people but wasn't overly busy. It's so cute pulling up through the vineyard and pulling up to the cute house in the front. You can go around to the back or through the shop and club to get to where you can taste. They have pre set flights to try and lots of seating around the property for various size groups. We also wanted to get food here. Unfortunately they do not have a kitchen and only sell pre packaged snacks like crackers, hummus, dip, meat and cheese. What they have is good tho.

We were late for our reservation by about 15 minutes but we're greeted with big smiles and warm welcomes. What a great start to a visit! We were told to sit wherever we wanted and were quickly given menus. Once we let them know we had the winter pass we were given a very pared down list with only 3 pours. We were given the option to add on two more pours for $5 total (not each). I try not to be wasteful. We visited 10 wineries in the time we were in the TC area and this is the only place we left wine on the table. While we were there, there was never more than one other table occupied. When our flights were brought out we were immediately what our total was and we were expected to be paid immediately. Um, what? It's not busy, we were a group of 3 with two of us being middle aged. It's not like we were going to drink and dash. One of our group members said, "ok, we'll pay when we're done" and she last kind of stammered "ok, I'll leave your tab open." That was so tacky. It really put me off on the whole experience there. With all the wineries and cideries in the area we will not be back to this one, despite the beautiful setting.

Bowers Harbor is ABSOLUTELY INCREDIBLE! The staff is so friendly, the space is so beautiful, and the vibes are IMMACULATE! This was the second stop on our brew bus tour of Old Mission and we truly never wanted to leave! The bus dropped us off and immediately told us to walk through the vineyards, which in and of itself was so fun, to this area with about 8 or so picnic tables and a bar serving all of them. All the picnic tables had umbrellas and everything was well organized, so I think they spread out the groups that were here, so it wasn't like all 8 tables were occupied, there were only one or two other groups at this area when we got there, so it felt semi-private as well. Their bar servicing this area was full service, so we were able to order from anything on the menu - flights, individual glasses, and snacks! The area was enclosed on all 3 sides with vineyards, so we felt very nestled into the area and almost a bit secluded. The one open side had a gravel path that led up to the building, other outdoor seating areas (all shaded), and then some open spots by fire pits and a small lawn with cornhole that had some keg high-top tables for you to place your drinks at too. The path also led to the FANCIEST and clean portapotty set up that should have a bougier name than portapotty that I've ever seen! Everything was delightful and nothing was off limits or restricted from us like the last place had been, so it was truly such a wonderful delight and experience to spend time here - all these spaces were dog friendly as well and we got to see so many adorable dogs vibe out at this vineyard as well! Bonus bonus bonus points to Bowers Harbor for having a complete non-alcoholic flight of drinks to get too! For a person who doesn't drink like me, this was easily my favorite part! I didn't get "different" glasses from all my friends who were drinking, I got served in the exact same way with the flight tower the way my other friends were, which was so fun to be a part of it all for ONCE! Also, all the NA drink options were so COMPLEX and FUN! They weren't just like grape juices or sparkling waters or anything, they were some seriously unique and delicious pairings of multiple different ingredients, flavor profiles, and the like all combined into a few glasses, and I absolutely LOVED THAT! This was truly the most thoughtful part of Bowers Harbor for me and it really made my day. I will definitely be telling all my friends to come here AND will be coming here again very soon as well! We stayed in the picnic table area drinking our drinks for a bit and then eventually moved over to the lawn area to play some cornhole! Some people sat on the hill to observe and drink while others played, all with the backdrop of the rows and rows of vines surrounding us and it was truly magical! I also have to add that the staff here is absolutely SPECTACULAR! Everyone was so friendly, knowledgeable, and helpful! They had great taste in the music that was playing in our little picnic table area too while we were there and we told them how much we appreciated their taste in music. They loved that and told us that if we had any recommendations for music we wanted to hear to let them know and that was an invitation that all the audiophiles in my group eagerly jumped on. As you can see, the vibes were truly immaculate here! Thanks Bowers!

Absolutely stunning vineyard nestled in a valley. The landscaping was beyond beautiful, and the wines were delicious! This was by far our favorite winery of the day of the four we visited. Very chill ambiance, beautiful scenery, and super friendly staff!

Visited here on the wine trail this past April. The building and grounds are gorgeous, but very hilly so bring your tennis shoes! Everything is laid out with great signage. You knew where to go for tastings, the bathrooms, and where to purchase. Behind the building is where tasting was set up, and the staff were on top of service. Everyone was able to get their drinks in a timely fashion. We chose a cider flight to enjoy by one of the fire pits. I greatly appreciated cozy outdoor options for early spring. Highly recommend if you are in the area!

We love stopping by Bowers for amazing drinks and even better service. Lindsay and Todd are amazing people and make this place feel like home. Thanks!!

A great place for a large group of people all trying to sit together and enjoy some great wine outside! We pulled up to this place on our tour, kind of unsure where we needed to go to get some wine flights for our group. There was a bar area and a bunch of outdoor seating areas (even some areas where you can walk right up to the vineyards and take some pictures). We ran into a waitress and she said that we could sit down and a table and someone would be with us shortly. Our large group sat down and all ordered some flights. There were a small amount to choose from, but it didn't matter to any of us because what we got, including a complimentary cider glass, was worth it. The whole experience was incredibly cheap, but the cheap price did not reflect the wine quality at all. You could have covered up the labels of the bottles and we could have ranked them at a $50 or $60 bottle of wine due to how great they tasted. We were sad to have to leave so soon, because we were ready to stick around here for a couple hours and enjoy the views, but we had to hop back on the tour bus. We'll definitely be back to spend some more time here!

I was a bit worried about what our annual TC trip would look like in 2020 COVID. Bowers did an amazing job of following safety without missing any of what we loved. In fact, some of the changes were so great, I hope they stay. We made a reservation to ensure we would have a table. Check in was super easy, they directed us to our table and let us know the ordering procedure. Bowers has added significantly more seating, extending it into the vineyard. Bowers has always been one of my very favorite places to linger, especially with their beautiful flights. The wine is lovely and the atmosphere could not be more so.

Amazing wine and atmosphere. Sitting by a fire in early February was amazing. Highly recommend.

I had the Barbie flight and some chips and green onion/ white cheddar dip. A bit pricey, but excellent quality and stupendous service.

So again on October 23, 2019 I drive on to my 2nd winery stop. By the way the "Old Mission Peninsula Wine Trail Map" is very helpful showing the 10 wineries that offer tasting while driving 19 miles from downtown Traverse City ! (Maybe travel with a DD?) Info : OMPwinetrail.com. Bowers Harbor Vineyards produces over 30 wines and ciders in a breathtaking area on Bowers Harbor Road. The winery offers tours, wine dinners, plus a free wine club membership so (BYOG) bring your own glass too when stopping in weekly or monthly. I observed a couple walk in with glasses to taste or drink a glass. This location was busy in the afternoon since the inside bar area for tasting was small and limited with 3 employees working back and forth with guests. There are plenty of areas outside with walking paths to view the vines of grapes while tasting. This winery does allow dogs on the property premises. There is also a mascot dog inside which I forgot his name who does greet visitors. Some of their wines stocked on the wall shelves are even named after dogs that lived on their property over the years. "It's A Dog's Life" here. = Labradors, Golden Retrievers are well known. I was quickly and warmly greeted by Stephanie an employee that wrote down my name to be put on a wait list for the tasting. She said the time was about 30 minutes for availability so to enjoy their store and suggested a "Flight tasting of 3 Hard Ciders for $12." Great suggestion so I ordered the flight and walked around in the merchandise store which is connected nearby. It sells bottles of their homemade wines, ciders, sweatshirts, hats, t-shirts along with many other Bowers gift items. Since it was 1pm and lunch time I was hungry. I decided to buy a sausage, cheese and cracker packaged item, (Lunchable lol) $8 from their refrigerator to satisfy my hunger and relaxed on their heated patio. The snacks paired up perfectly with my flight choice of their Hard Ciders flavored with apples. (Photo attached) I chose the wine tasting package where I could keep the glass as well. The bar counter for the wine tasting is standing yet underneath there are hooks to hang a jacket or purse while enjoying the relaxing experience. (Photo attached) I also bought my two favorite flavors of "Pineapple Apple" and "Raspberry Apple" hard ciders to bring home, each pint Growler cost $8. FYI: The price was $5.00 for 5 wine tastings. Small portions of sips too. Info: bowersharbor.com

The view here = amazing! The wine = not so much. We visited six of the many vineyards in TC and this was one of my least favorite. When we stepped up to order, we were shocked that the individual we ordered from wasn't really able to answer our questions about the different flights. We ended up just going with the basic Harvest Flight because we had little guidance on what to get. The only details we had about each glass in the selection was a small card that they gave you as you walked away with your flight. The seating area here is what really helps make this vineyard great. There's nothing like drinking wine in the middle of the grapes they were made from. Unfortunately (please keep in mind I am a long way from being a sommelier), I thought that each of the wines in the Harvest Flight tasted the same. All of them were pretty bland and nothing really stood out. I think this was a great place to visit once, but I won't be coming back anytime soon. Pro-Tip: Make sure to sit at the outside area that is a bit far away from where you order! It is so worth the walk!

This was fantastic!!! Amazing view, atmosphere, staff and wine. Light snacks were good and live music was so good. The covered seating was enchanting and felt so comfortable. Walking path in was a fairytale. Must visit and get a flight of the sweet wines. Only wish they had normal bathrooms! This was our favorite of day 1

The service was great and friendly. The bug Jenga was a fun way to spend time while enjoying our drinks. I opted for the sparkling juice instead of wine and it was good. My friend enjoyed her wine. The view was great and it has a great outdoor seating.

This used to be my favorite winery stop. We visited here on our wine tour a few weeks ago. When we got inside the lady behind the bar was not friendly. Our whole group felt this way. I understand that the inside tables are for wine club members only but she was beyond rude about it. There was literally two other people inside at this time so it's not like people were waiting to get in. We have zero issues ordering and taking it outside but no reason to rude and annoyed about your policy. Maybe you need to put reserved signs on the tables to make your customers aware. The wine was ok, but the atmosphere sucks!

Laid back atmosphere. Great place to bring children and dogs and just spend an afternoon with friends and family leisurely. Staff is friendly and inviting and its an experience that turns into traditions!

Beautiful place!! We had a blast. Sweet staff. Let us bring the dogs. Absolutely beautiful view of the lake as well.

Beautiful landscape with a great variety of tastings. We certainly lucked out on weather as everybody could sit outside. I recommend getting the Harvest tasting and sharing it with a friend. I was a little surprised because it seemed like the staff had little to no knowledge on any of their wines they offered. Even though it was our fourth tasting of the day, we still would have preferred a few recommendations. Overall, I suggest this place on a nice day so you can sit outside. I don't think the indoor seating looked as welcoming!

This place is ok. Only members can stay in main building, the rest have to go outside. Food is limited and just your average convenience store snacks. Bartender was a little rude.

I'm only giving this a 4 star because there was no inside seating for anyone not a member. I didn't like that. FRIENDLY STAFF! I stopped here to taste some ciders. The staff was helpful with this. SNACKS! They had little snacks for purchase which was nice. CUTE! I would definitely go back here. It's be great in the fall too!

This is just a beautiful location. The wine is great. My favorite was the Gruner Veltliner, with tastes of kiwi, citrus, and apple.

Great spot to enjoy a glass of Chardonnay. I always check in here when I'm in Traverse City and making my yearly wine tour. Michigan wines naturally have a tougher time due to the short growing season so the task of creating wines that compete with Napa can be rough. Whites do a nice job of filling that space. The experience of sitting and enjoying a glass post COVID is a challenge and this winery does an excellent job of it. Social distancing parameters are well created yet it still feels like an authentic cozy spot to sit and chill without feeling the pressure of proximity. There's an intimate nestled feel here that always brings me back and along with a very cordial staff makes this a definite stop for anyone touring the peninsula.

Our favorite winery on Old Mission. Relaxed environment, great service, and awesome wines & cider!

Cider was very tasty. Views from the seating area was wonderful. We were a bit confused on arrival about ordering procedure. Not sure if it works the same way always or if it has changed due to covid... you order your drinks and then grab a seat. It's not a problem not to have a waitstaff, we just didn't know and so it was a bit confusing. Food options are limited, prepackaged snacks.

TLDR: don't worry about skipping this place and going to one of the other wineries in the area This place only allows premade flights as opposed to every other winery I have been to in the area which lets you make your own. Also, every winery I have gone to in the area has been between $10-$15 for a tasting/flight (each winery uses these terms slightly different, but in general three-2oz pours or five-1oz pours). This place was around $25 per tasting, which is a price that is not worth what you receive when compared to other wineries in the region. The inside is only open to wineclub members which means the bathrooms for non-members is outside in an, albeit, upgraded porta-potty, but size wise is akin to what you would encounter on an airplane. I don't recommend this winery as there are many other places that give you more of a bang for your buck and provide a great atmosphere.

My favorite winery in Traverse City. The people are super nice. The winery is gorgeous. Your tasting includes a souvenir glass. The wine and hard cider was so good. I lived the pineapple apple hard cider. I enjoyed a glass of pinot secco out in the garden after our tasting. We explored the vineyards as we enjoyed our wine. Great view of the lake as well.

This is my favorite winery in Traverse City! On a Saturday afternoon, pulling up to this place I was in awe. The scenery is beautiful, the wine & hard cider is tasty, and the atmosphere is welcoming. The line for wine tasting was long, so we decided to just go outside and order a glass of cider. Outside they have fires going, chairs, and picnic tables overlooking the grapes and the water.

Do not go. The wine and other beverages were good but what makes this a "no go" is the experience. First, the staff: immediately rude and dismissive. Second: if you are not a vineyard "member" you are shunted off to outdoor seating only and not allowed inside unless you want to buy something. I get that local government places restrictions on inside seating, but if the inside seating isn't near capacity, do we really need to be outside while the wind is up and the rain is coming down?

One of the first few wineries we stopped at for my bday weekend and it was by far the best! Kevin, our server, was fantastic. He figured out it was my birthday and gave me an extra sample of bubbly and a special birthday glass. He suggested some places to eat and things to do on our long weekend away from home kid free. After we finished our tasting hubby grabbed a glass of red and I a glass of cider. We choose a cute little spot outside in the sun on top of a hill. There are so many cute little places to sit here. I love that they have little table and chairs set up down each of the walkways, and the seating areas aren't right on top of each other. This place is just overall a 5 stars on my list of TC wineries. We may even try and go back today before we head home!

If you didn't make reservations don't bother visiting Bowers Harbor. Stopped in before noon and we're told they didn't have any available tables for us inside or outside. If we wanted to stay for a glass of wine or $25 flight we could find a wine barrel to stand next to. So disappointed . Went to Tabone winery a few miles away and had a great experience!! Don't waste your time! So many other wineries just as good if not better to visit!

The BEST winery on OMP. The culture, wine, atmosphere, and staff are all top notch. The only thing better is the wine! Amazing variety and well worth a stop on your trip to OMP.

Low key winery that's more casual than others. The swinery is still fun and has great wine. The warm ciders in hot wine was good as well. The view this were okay but not great as other wineries

To start, my wine was good. Where this review takes a turn for the worse is the atmosphere. We are from out of town and showed up on a whim to this winery. When we arrived, instead of a warm welcome we were immediately dismissed and told we could not sit inside because we weren't wine members. We were paying customers so this was incredibly off-putting. We were subsequently sent outside to sit in a heated tent as the wind howled and rain came down. It felt so off-putting that I can't say I'd recommend this place to anyone.

First of all, the wine here is GREAT!!! As a bonus, the workers are very friendly and nice. They love dogs so feel free to bring your leashed dog with you. GREAT fish dip offered onsite. Their wine club is great too. Free glass of wine EVERY visit for members....yes, please!!! We honestly have never had any wine here that we didn't love. Enjoy! (You may need a reservation during peak seasons)

Nice place. Good wine, nice staff, good prices. My family had great time here for hours as we tried wine, ciders, and played games

It was ok. Pricey and the staff was far from inviting. Will not be back. Many other options with better wine for the price.

My boyfriend and I visited this friendly and beautiful winery on a late Monday afternoon in November. It wasn't a busy time of the year or week but we were welcomed and treated so kindly by friendly and knowledgeable host, Tyler (not only with wines but also on local restaurants, hidden gems and places to watch sunset). Since this was our first wine tasting in Traverse City, Tyler did a phenomenal job in explaining the differences in grapes, how they are cultivated and this region's specialties which are mostly whites. I am usually a red wine drinker and spoiled by the plentiful of tasty wines in California. I was very impressed by their Reisling and Gewurztraminer wine (wines we don't get often in California and if we do, they are usually on the sweeter side). This is a must visit if you are in the area and you'll be delighted by the winery's beauty, wonderful wine and most importably, the host who made you feel like a family member visiting from out of town, even though you are meeting for the first time. Thank you for an unforgettable visit, we'll be back for sure!

A stop on our wine tour, huge fan of ciders and they had such great flavors. Ended up getting the blueberry cider and it was really good.

Recently in Traverse City had the chance to enjoy this gem. The views, easy going pace (despite being absolutely slammed with business) and dog friendly atmosphere are among the experiences that make this vineyard unique. My husband and I tried and like the crisp white wines. We bought a glass and the smoked fish dip, sat outside and had ourselves one helluva little lovely life moment. On the way out the weather changes on us while we were out and my husband wanted to pick up one of their t - shirts to change into. The rack didn't have his size in the color he wanted, the girl from Bowers staff ran up to the main inventory house to search for one in his size. Super sweet and much appreciated! Highly recommend this stop on the tour. Also looked as though there was a private party on one side of the vineyard. Would be a pretty cool place to host a party or celebrate a special occasion.

We were part of a winery tour on a rainy day. Unbeknownst to us, the inside room was only for members. Our tour guide did not tell us. Once the employee, Bethany, found out we were not members, she was very rude to us. The outside patio was covered in vines, but rain drops were dripping through the vines. Other people on our tour came back dripping wet. This is not a friendly winery. Very snooty and their wine wasn't even good. The winery should make clear to tours the inside room is only for members and overall, should not be so snotty when people don't know the room was members only. And if you have a members only space, you should make sure you have a totally dry space for non members.

The staff didn't seem to care that we had a reservation. Aside from that, the staff was friendly and helpful. The area has really grown over the years.

Super cute place! I struggled with this review as usually this place is a 5 star place but is a little less with the pandemic. I found their limited flights grouped a little restrictive but ultimately the lovely tables, good wine offerings, and several bubbly options still make this a solid stop! The tables set up at the end of vineyards is gold and feels so nice to immerse yourself in the vineyard where other places have signs advising to stay away from the vineyards near outdoor seats. I can't wait to go back during normal times and see their dog out greeting guests again!

A beautiful vineyard property with knowledgeable staff. Connie was amazing and shared her experiences and stories regarding the vineyard's processes and designed character. It is if you truly walked into a perfectly created stage set by mother nature! Lovely, relaxing, and some of the most interesting wines with stories that make you fall in love