Tip of the Mitt AVA
| Wine region | |
Michigan AVAs | |
| Type | American Viticultural Area |
|---|---|
| Year established | 2016 |
| Years of wine industry | 27 |
| Country | United States |
| Part of | Michigan |
| Other regions in Michigan | Fennville AVA, Lake Michigan Shore AVA, Old Mission Peninsula AVA, Leelanau Peninsula AVA |
| Growing season | 117–161 days |
| Climate region | Region I |
| Heat units | 1959.1–2407.7 GDD |
| Soil conditions | Coarse-textured glacial till and Lacustrine sand and gravel |
| Total area | 2,760 sq mi (1,770,000 acres; 710,000 ha) |
| Size of planted vineyards | 143+ acres (58+ ha) |
| No. of vineyards | 41 |
| Grapes produced | Aurore, Auxerrois, Bianca, Cabernet Franc, Chambourcin, Cayuga, Chardonnay, De Chaunac, Dolcetto, Frontenac, Gamay noir, Gewurztraminer, Lemberger, Leon Millot, Malbec, Marquette, Marechal Foch, Merlot, Muscat Ottonel, Pinot Blanc, Pinot Gris, Pinot Noir, Riesling, Seyval Blanc, Traminette, Vignoles |
| No. of wineries | 8 |
Tip of the Mitt is an American Viticultural Area (AVA) located in the northernmost end of the Lower Peninsula of Michigan. The area encompasses all or part of Alpena, Antrim, Charlevoix, Cheboygan, Emmet, and Presque Isle counties at the northern tip of the Lower Peninsula, north of the established Leelanau Peninsula AVA and Old Mission Peninsula AVA grouped around Traverse City. The wine appellation was established as the nation's 236th and Michigan's fifth AVA on July 21, 2016, by the Alcohol and Tobacco Tax and Trade Bureau (TTB) after reviewing the petition submitted the Straits Area Grape Growers Association, on behalf of winery and vineyard owners in the northern portion of Michigan's Lower Peninsula, proposing a viticultural area named "Tip of the Mitt".
The appellation is approximately 2,760 square miles (1,770,000 acres; 710,000 ha) in extent bordered by Grand Traverse Bay, Little Traverse Bay, and Lake Michigan to the west; the Straits of Mackinac to the north; and Lake Huron to the east. At the outset, there were 41 commercially-producing vineyards covering a total of 94 acres (38 ha) distributed throughout the AVA, along with eight wineries. According to the petition, an additional 48 acres (19 ha) of vineyards and four new wineries were planned in the near future. Tip of the Mitt wineries are grouped around Petoskey, the county seat of Emmet County. The major wine trail in the area, the Petoskey Wine Trail, was formerly known as The Bay View Wine Trail.
The Straits Area Grape Growers Association announced its intent to specialize in cold-hardy vines.The area is suited for the cultivation of cold-weather varietals such as Marquette and Frontenac.