Educational Wine Tasting Tours
We believe wine should be approachable. Fenn Valley tours have been designed to help take the mystery out of making world class wine. We aim to strike a balance between education and entertainment. Luckily, the subject matter always keeps things interesting!
At Fenn Valley, we offer our fun and informative tours year round.
Two ways to go
A 45-minute introduction, or the long version for people who want the whole answer. Both run year round, and both take you into parts of the winery guests don’t usually get to see.
Fenn Valley Discovery Tour
Sip. Explore. Discover.
Forty-five minutes in the working heart of the winery, with a featured glass in hand. The short, satisfying version of the story.
- IncludesOne featured glass of wine
- WhereVineyard or cellar, depending on the day
- GuideSenior tasting room associate
- Best forYour first visit, or a short window of time
The Fenn Valley Deep Dive
For the guest who wants the whole answer.
Close to two hours, tasting throughout, with a guide who can answer the follow-up to the follow-up. Grape trains from July through October.
- IncludesMultiple wine samples throughout
- WhereVineyard, cellar, or both
- GuideExperienced guide, questions encouraged
- Best forGoing deep on how the wine gets made
Side by side
| Feature | Discovery Tour | The Deep Dive |
|---|---|---|
| Length | Discovery Tour45 minutes | The Deep DiveAbout 1 hour 45 minutes |
| Wine | Discovery TourOne featured glass, poured up front | The Deep DiveMultiple samples throughout the tour |
| Price | Discovery Tour$15 per person | The Deep Dive$25 per person |
| Where | Discovery TourVineyard or cellar, depending on season, weather, and what’s happening that day | The Deep DiveVineyard, cellar, or both. Vineyard tours ride the grape trains July–October |
| Your guide | Discovery TourA senior member of our tasting room team | The Deep DiveAn experienced guide who can follow the conversation wherever it goes |
| Best for | Discovery TourFirst-time visitors, couples, and anyone who wants to see past the tasting bar | The Deep DiveCurious drinkers, wine club members, home winemakers, and anyone who’s done the tasting bar and wants more |
| On your feet | Discovery TourMost of 45 minutes, on uneven ground | The Deep DiveMost of two hours, on uneven ground |
Fenn Valley Discovery Tour
Sip. Explore. Discover.
Spend 45 minutes in the working heart of Fenn Valley with one of our experienced guides, and find out what it actually takes to grow and craft exceptional Michigan wine.
Your featured glass is poured first — then you’re off. Depending on the season and the weather, you’ll head into the vineyard or down into the cellar, and either way you’ll be somewhere guests don’t usually get to go. Out in the rows, it’s the growing season: what the vines are doing right now, and why the land along Lake Michigan turned out to be such a good place to plant them. In the cellar, it’s tanks, barrels, and the equipment that turns fruit into wine.
It’s a hands-on, ask-anything look at the trip from vine to glass. Whether you’ve been drinking Michigan wine for twenty years or you’re just curious what’s behind the label, this is the short, satisfying version of the story.
Getting around
This is a real vineyard and a working cellar, so plan to be on your feet and moving for most of the tour. Expect uneven ground, gravel, and a few steps, with limited places to sit. Closed-toe shoes are your friend. If standing and walking for 45 minutes isn’t in the cards, give us a call at 269-561-2396 — a Reserved Tasting is a wonderful way to spend the same hour, comfortably seated.
The Fenn Valley Deep Dive
For the guest who wants the whole answer.
Some people taste a wine and wonder how it got that way. This tour is for them.
Over roughly an hour and forty-five minutes, an experienced guide takes you through the working parts of the winery and walks you through the decisions behind the bottle. Why this vine in this soil. What we’re looking for at harvest. What happens in the tank that a label will never tell you.
Where you spend that time depends on the season, the weather, and what’s happening on the crush pad — the vineyard, the cellar, or both. From July through October, vineyard tours ride our famous grape trains through the rows. Whichever way the day goes, you’re seeing a working operation on a working day.
You’ll taste throughout, but not as a flight. Each pour is there to make a point: the difference a cool Lake Michigan night makes, what oak does and doesn’t do, why a dry Riesling from Fennville tastes like Fennville. Our guides skew drier on this one and follow the conversation where it leads. Ask the hard questions — that’s what this tour is for.
Getting around
This one covers ground. Over nearly two hours you’ll be standing and walking through the vineyard, the cellar, or both, on uneven surfaces with few opportunities to sit. Grape train tours involve stepping up into and down out of a wagon. If that sounds like more than you’re up for, call us at 269-561-2396 — we’ll help you find the right way to spend the afternoon.
Good to know
- Cellar or vineyard is never guaranteed. Weather, equipment availability, harvest operations, and guest safety all factor into the call.
- All guests must be 21 or older with valid ID, on both tours, because wine is served throughout.
- Reservations require advance payment and are non-refundable.
- No pets on tours.
- Outside food is not permitted on public tours. It may be allowed on private tours with prior approval.
- Our tasting room is fully accessible. Our tours are physically demanding — see the Getting around notes on each tour above.
