Old Mission Peninsula AVA

Old Mission Peninsula AVA
Wine region
TypeAmerican Viticultural Area
Year established1987[1]
CountryUnited States
Part ofMichigan
Climate regionContinental
Total area19,200 acres (7,770 ha)[2]
Grapes producedCabernet Franc, Cabernet Sauvignon, Chardonnay, Gamay noir, Gewurztraminer, Malbec, Merlot, Muscat Ottonel, Pinot blanc, Pinot gris, Pinot noir, Riesling[3]
Old Mission Peninsula is located in Michigan
Old Mission Peninsula
Old Mission Peninsula
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Location in Michigan

The Old Mission Peninsula AVA is an American Viticultural Area located in Grand Traverse County, Michigan known for well-regarded Michigan wine. The Old Mission Peninsula extends northward from Traverse City into the Grand Traverse Bay of Lake Michigan, ending at Old Mission Point. The peninsula is 19 miles (31 km) long by 3 miles (5 km) wide at its widest point. The climate on the peninsula is moderated by the surrounding waters, helping to prevent frost during the growing season. Grape varietals suitable to cool climates, such as Riesling, Chardonnay, Gewürztraminer, Pinot gris, Pinot noir, Cabernet Franc, and Merlot do best in the Old Mission Peninsula AVA.[3]

The peninsula has extensive cherry orchards and vineyards. There are ten wineries offering tasting rooms, each located within five miles of each other. Of Traverse City's two wine-growing peninsulas, Old Mission is smaller and more easily encompassed in a single day: just a little under 20 miles from end to end, and in places as little as three miles wide.[4] The hardiness zones are 5b and 6a.

  1. ^ "§9.114 Old Mission Peninsula" (Title 27: Alcohol, Tobacco and Firearms; Part 9 — American Viticultural Areas; Subpart C — Approved American Viticultural Areas). Code of Federal Regulations (e-CFR). Retrieved February 5, 2008.
  2. ^ "American Viticultural Areas by State". Wine Institute. 2008. Archived from the original on January 27, 2008.
  3. ^ a b "Old Mission Peninsula (AVA): Appellation Profile". Appellation America. 2007. Archived from the original on March 25, 2016.
  4. ^ Norton, Michael (February 1, 2014). "Winter Wine-Touring on the Old Mission Peninsula". Traverse City Tourism Blog. Archived from the original on September 27, 2020.