Arguably the most beautiful site on southwest Michigan’s wine trail, the Tabor Hill winery and restaurant in Buchanan is tucked into 50 gently rolling acres of vineyards. Just beyond its wall of windows, past bird feeders aflutter with finches, tidy rows of grapevines are bordered by the soft luxury of Michigan forest.
“It’s basically Napa Valley in the Midwest, and you don’t have to get on a plane,” says co-owner Matt Moersch, and there is the added perk of being just minutes from the shores of Lake Michigan.
Operating since 1968, Tabor Hill continues to evolve and expand. It got a boost of fresh energy in the 2017 acquisition by Moersch Hospitality Group, which also owns Round Barn Winery, Distillery & Brewery and Round Barn Brewery & Public House in Baroda and Free Run Cellars in Berrien Springs.
Rick Moersch was head winemaker at Tabor Hill in the 1980s before starting out on his own. His son, Matt, who as a high school student helped move and reconstruct the Round Barn from an Amish farm in Rochester, IN, started as a winemaker and distiller in 2003, then took over as CEO of the company in 2017. The family is now applying their forward thinking to “remind people about, but not reinvent” Tabor Hill, according to Matt.
This will be a banner year for new wines, as Tabor Hill and winemaker Brian Carlson add four varieties to the 30 or so in their roster. A shift to a more modern California or European style of winemaking is apparent in these dry white wines, which include sauvignon blanc, pinot blanc, gewürztraminer and albariño.
Chef Ryan Thornburg was tasked with creating a wine-oriented menu for the newly revamped restaurant that checks a lot of other boxes besides. With its visual drama, high ceilings and multiple fireplaces, Tabor Hill remains a prime spot for celebrating special occasions. The redesign, however, was intended to “take some of the stuffiness out of it. Some people felt uncomfortable if they were wearing jeans. We want everyone to feel comfortable at Tabor Hill,” says Matt.
The new menu—featuring modern American, or what I might call “eclectic bistro” cuisine—has the divine filet and crab legs you would expect in fine dining, paired with dishes thoughtfully conceived and locally sourced. There are also fun, sharable plates like saucy duck meatballs over polenta and Greek cauliflower fritters. On a recent visit, a neighboring diner made satisfied little chirps over an arugula and citrus salad with grilled shrimp.
Dishes like spicy zucchini noodle pad thai are especially good with the Alsatian-style white wines, and a choose-your-own cheese and charcuterie board is always available.
In summer months, you can linger over lunch or dinner on the outdoor patio, with its festive light garlands and live music on Friday nights. Venturing further afield, the six-stop tasting tour offered on weekends will take you into the grapevines and backstage to the processing, bottling and barrel rooms.
You can even throw a party in the vineyard. Last year saw the unveiling of Tabor Hill’s “Estate Tent,” a 4,000-foot, glass-enclosed tent picturesquely pitched amid the vines for weddings and private events. Cheers to that!
Tabor Hill Winery & Restaurant
185 Mount Tabor Rd.
Buchanan, MI
269.422.1161
taborhill.com
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