Team Purple Visits the Leelanau Peninsula

Every fall, when Lavender Hill Farm has closed for the season, members of our leadership team take a trip together. This trip includes meetings to plan for the next season mixed in with fun stops and tours along the way. This year we traveled to the Leelanau Peninsula, right here in Northern Michigan! Our goal was to visit a few of our production partners and some of the numerous local wineries to learn more about agritourism.

Northwoods Soda & Syrup Co Inc

Our first stop was Northwoods Soda & Syrup Company in Williamsburg, who produce and bottle our Lavender Soda and Lavender Lemonade. We were given a tour of their facility by owner David Fosdick and learned about their production and bottling process. At the end, we were even able to sample one of their own staples, Wild Bill’s Root Beer!

Moomers Homemade Ice Cream

The next stop we made was at Moomers Homemade Ice Cream in Traverse City. Moomers produces Lavender Hill Farm’s lavender ice cream using our very own culinary lavender buds! Here, we were able to learn more about their ice cream making process and the history of their company from owner Jon Plummer. What started as a small family dairy farm has now bloomed into a successful, well-known business!

Chateau Chantal Winery

On day two of our trip, we all drove to Old Mission Peninsula to see some of the wineries and sample some wine. Our last stop of the day was Chateau Chantal Winery, where we were given a tour by Marie Chantal-Dalese, CEO. We were all captivated by the charm and elegance of Chateau Chantal and enjoyed hearing about the company’s family history. After the tour, we got to taste their wine while taking in the breathtaking views from their patio.

L Mawby Vineyards

On the last day of our trip, we travelled to a few different wineries in Suttons Bay. We made sure to stop by L Mawby Vineyards, who produce our Melissa sparkling wine, made with our own culinary lavender buds. Owner Peter Laing treated us to a tour of their winemaking facility and taught us a lot about the production of sparkling wines. Afterwards, we headed over to their tasting room to try some sparkling wines. The trip was a great success overall and we had a great time taking in the sights, drinking some delicious wine, and learning about agritourism in Northern Michigan.