Motor City Mead in a Former Ice Cream Factory
Eastern Market · Detroit · Wine Tasting Room · Visit Website ↗
Reviewed March 22, 2026
Wingman Metrics
Walking into a converted Stroh's Ice Cream factory on Gratiot Ave is already a vibe, and Detroit Vineyards leans into it — industrial bones, local pride on every label, and a list that's unapologetically Michigan from top to bottom. This isn't a fine dining wine program; it's a tasting room doing its own thing, and that thing is pretty interesting.
The list is tight but intentional — estate Michigan wines alongside meads and melomels that you won't find anywhere else in the city. The 2016 vintage lineup (Riesling, Chardonnay, Cabernet Franc Rosé, Cabernet Sauvignon) shows the winery has actual range, and the Woodward & Vine EMCEE blend at $30 signals some ambition beyond the easy stuff. Meads like the Raspberry Ginger and Motor City Mead are legitimate draws, not novelty items. The gaps are real — no old world representation, no depth outside Michigan — but that's the point here.
With a tasting room format, most everything is available to taste or pour by the glass, which makes the price-per-sip math work strongly in your favor. The Sweet White and Sweet Red at $14 a bottle (or by the taste) give casual drinkers an easy entry point without feeling condescending. We'd love to see a more formal rotating glass program, but for now the tasting structure does the job.
2019 Detroit Vineyards Rosé — $22
A locally produced rosé at $22 a bottle in a tasting room setting is genuinely good value — especially when you can taste before you commit. Michigan rosé doesn't get enough credit, and this one earns its ask.
Raspberry Melomel
Most people skip right past mead and that's a mistake here. At $30, this isn't a novelty pour — it's a craft product made with real intention. Raspberry melomel sits in a weird and wonderful space between wine and something else entirely, and Detroit Vineyards does it well.
Sweet Red
At $14 it's not highway robbery, but the sweet red category at any winery tends to be the lowest-effort product on the shelf. If you're here, there are more interesting bottles and pours competing for your attention.
2018 Woodward & Vine EMCEE + Charcuterie Board
A Michigan red blend with some age on it wants something savory and fatty to push against. The charcuterie board gives it cured meat, hard cheeses, and enough salt to open the wine up — it's the most traditional pairing on the menu and it works for a reason.
🎲 The Bottom Line
Detroit Vineyards is a Wild Card in the best sense — you're not coming here for a deep Burgundy cellar, you're coming because nowhere else in Detroit will pour you a Raspberry Melomel in a converted ice cream factory with this much local character. Send your curious friends, not your wine snob uncle.
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