History
Mackinaw Trail Winery is a family owned business that was founded in 2004, in Manistique, MI. Owned and operated by proprietors Ralph and Laurie Stabile, the business came into fruition when Ralph followed his lifelong dream of owning a winery. One of Ralph’s fondest memories as a child was at the age of 5, pressing grapes with his Grandfather who was a Sicilian immigrant making the yearly supply of wine for him and his family.
Ralph continued to make the wines until 2010 when his son Dustin took over all operations in the wine production facility. This continued the family heritage of making wine. Dustin studied at Michigan State University in viticulture where he worked at Spartan Cellars, a facility that researches different methods of growing grapes and making wine. As one of the fastest growing wineries in the state of Michigan, Mackinaw Trail Winery was able to build a brand new state of the art facility in Petoskey, MI.
This allowed the winery to continue its growth without sacrificing the quality of their products. The new winery sits on 30 acres of beautiful rolling hills which is planted with 15 acres of grapes. In its first year at the new facility, Mackinaw Trail has taken over 50 medals and 6 best of class awards. In its ten years of operation Mackinaw Trail continues to be one of the most awarded and recognized wineries in the state of Michigan. Along with the mission of growing their business, the Stabile family also makes a huge priority of giving back to the community. Mackinaw Trail continues every day to help nonprofit organizations and help support local agriculture within the state. With four tasting rooms in the state of Michigan, a large production facility, and the growing support from their loyal customers, Mackinaw Trail Winery is the “North Star” of the Michigan wine industry.
