2 Michigan Spots Named Among Best ‘Wine Country’ Hotels
Napa Valley isn’t the only place to enjoy a variety of great wines. USA Today, 10Best curated a list of the ten best places in the U.S. to indulge in the best of wine country hospitality. The list was created by gathering nominations from a panel of experts. The 10Best editors then refined the selection to determine the ultimate Readers’ Choice Awards nominees. Finally, the readers cast their votes, and the results were combined to form the list of the best in the category.
“These 10 hotels, voted by our readers as the best in the U.S., provide a perfect place to relax over a glass of wine after a day of touring and tasting in wine regions around the country,” says the website.
California dominates the list, but Michigan secures two spots.
California undoubtedly dominated the list with an impressive count of 7 top-rated places. However, the list is not exclusive to California spots alone. One outstanding lodge in Washington also earned recognition as one of the best.
In Michigan, not just one, but two places were awarded the title of the best destinations to indulge in wine country hospitality. Securing the second spot is Chateau Chantal, which is conveniently situated just north of Traverse City. This combines a vineyard with B&B lodging. The website praised the suites and rooms for their views of vineyards or Grand Traverse Bay, with many offering private patios or balconies, and several featuring wet bars and whirlpool tubs.
Following closely at number 4 is Inn at Black Star Farms in Suttons Bay. It was commended for its convenient access to wineries and tasting rooms on the Old Mission and Leelanau wine trails. Additionally, the inn’s daily breakfast and nightly hospitality hour with wine and bites received special mention.
See more of the best wine country hotels here.
5 Black Athletes You Didn’t Know Were In The Wine Industry
Who doesn’t love wine? Over 1.1 billion gallons of the boozy grapes were consumed in the U.S. in 2021 according to the Wine Institute. The demand for wine leaves plenty of space for wine lovers to create their bottles. However, statistics show that less than 1% out of more than 11,000 U.S. wineries are Black-owned.
Some of your favorite celebrities, like John Legend (LVE Collection Wines), Ayesha Curry (Domaine Wine), and rapper E-40 (Earl Stevens Selections) are a part of the wine industry. Athletes are no strangers to the game of being wine entrepreneurs like former professional basketball player Channing Frye owner of Chosen Family Wines.
The few Black athletes with wine brands are creating more diverse wine spaces. They are raising the awareness of opportunity and diversity in winemaking.
Here’s a list of five Black athletes you may not have known are in the wine industry.
Kayla is the midday host on Detroit’s 105.1 The Bounce. She started her career in radio back in 2016 as an intern at another Detroit station and worked her way here. She's made stops in Knoxville, TN, Omaha, Ne and other places before returning to Detroit. She’s done almost everything in radio from promotions to web, creating content on social media, you name it.
She’s a true Michigander, born and raised. So, you can catch her camping or vacationing up north to exploring the downtown Detroit or maybe even catching a sports game. During her free time, Kayla enjoys watching movies, roller-skating, crafting, and music festivals. She and her husband together dip into many of the great things Michigan has to offer. Together they also like to travel.
A few hobbies of hers include wine and beer tastings, crafting, hiking, roller skating, movies, home improvement projects, gardening, and festivals. She’s always looking to take on more local events happening in the community.
She loves connecting with the community. When writing, Kayla covers topics including lifestyle, pop culture, trending stories, hacks, and urban culture.
