Aerial view of the Inn and vineyard at Black Star Farms Suttons Bay.

The Inn Experience

Awaken all five senses as you experience all that our Up North escape offers.  As you slow down, you’ll begin to see, hear, smell, touch, and taste our luxurious surroundings.

See…
The first sight to unfold before you as you drive through our gate is a sweeping hillside of grapevines. This plot is just a fraction of the total grape acreage that goes into our award-winning wines. The stately red Inn with an impressive white portico overlooks horses grazing peacefully at pasture. Watch the sunrise from our covered front porch, rocking lazily in a chair with a cup of our locally-roasted coffee warm in your hand. Maybe even catch the first plume of wood smoke from our Bistro Polaris as the oven is warmed for the day’s gourmet pizzas. Look carefully and you might be lucky enough to spot a bald eagle soaring overhead, or a flock of wild turkeys strolling through in the distance.

Hear…
It might be that the first thing you will noticeably hear on our 160-acre estate is nothing. The peacefulness here speaks volumes to a busy mind. Once you tune in, you’ll hear the chickadees and cardinals calling, a woodpecker searching for lunch in the woodland behind the Inn, a whinnying horse, a rooster crowing ‘good morning’, the buzz of a hummingbird zipping about in our perennial gardens, perhaps a far off farm tractor working the land. A walk through the property on our trails will bring to your ear the ubiquitous buzz of bees pollinating the cherry blossoms in the spring, the scampering feet of a chipmunk feasting throughout the summer, the crunch of colorful fallen leaves in autumn, or the soft puff of snowshoes over the snow in winter.

Smell…
The farm will surprise you with its diversity of aromas throughout the year, even changing from morning until evening. Upon first deep breath in the morning it might be our house-cured bacon that wakes up your stomach, or might it be the blueberry-raspberry tarts baking to be served warm to start your gourmet breakfast? Stepping outside with a now-quiet appetite, you are greeted by dewy morning air fresh with the day’s possibilities. Should you be visiting during our harvest season, normally in late September through early-November, your short walk to the tasting room for your VIP Barrel Room tasting could find you breathing deeply the complex fruit aromas of just-harvested grapes being pressed and transferred into tanks and barrels to await transformation into our next vintage.

Touch…
Upon first walking into your guestroom you will find an expertly made pillow-top bed, with silky smooth Comphy brand sheets, a cozy down duvet, and soft pillows. We invite you to wrap yourself in one of our double-layer microfiber twill and terry robes. Maybe you’ve chosen a guest room with a jetted tub whose warm bubbles on your skin will dissolve away any lingering stress. The chill of an autumn or winter’s evening will be kept at bay by the heat of a flickering fireplace in your room, or reserve our sauna for your private use and allow yourself some time to let your cares evaporate like steam on the warming rocks. In the warmer months, the quintessential, not-to-be-missed Leelanau County experience is the feel of freshwater and sand on your feet and a cool Lake Michigan breeze on your face as you catch a breathtaking sunset on one of the Sleeping Bear Dunes National Lakeshore’s many sugar sand beaches.

Taste…
Maybe you first experienced our tastes in the form of a glass of wine at a restaurant near your home. This was just a harbinger of what’s to come when you visit. Upon arrival you will find a bottle of our house wine chilling in the mini-refrigerator in your guest room; perfect to wash down the freshly baked cookie you picked up in our lounge. It might be a challenge to leave room for your dinner once you taste the hors d’oeuvres our chefs have prepared for hospitality hour in the lounge. In season, our Bistro Polaris, a short walk from the Inn serves up local, seasonal fare hot from the wood-fired oven. Don’t miss the chocolates on your bed, made especially for us using our wine and spirits by Patricia’s Chocolates in Grand Haven. We’ll fuel you up for your day of exploring our corner of paradise with an expansive breakfast including our house-made baked goods, granola, fresh fruit, yogurt, and a made-that-morning hot entrée, served to your table by a friendly innkeeper or engaging chef. Later, take your time with your complimentary VIP tasting in our exclusive Barrel Room. Our winemakers take a hand-crafted approach to winemaking that produces classic varietal wines and fruit brandies of high character and balance. We can answer any questions you might have and are thrilled when you find a new favorite.

Call (231) 944-1251, or go online soon to make your reservation. We are looking forward to seeing you.