Visited Contessa for a Sunday wine tasting. Their building was designed by the owner to be a business and a residence. The outdoor patio overlooks their vines and has some amazing views. Inside, there are (2) tasting counters. Shane & Jackie helped us out and I could not have nicer things to say about them both! Their tastings were $10 for 5 samples! Our favorite wines were the Dry Rosé, Chardonnay Reserve, Merlot, & Cab Franc. I loved hearing the stories behind the property, bottle labels, and what they have new/upcoming. So happy we stopped by and would certainly visit again! read more

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Our server, Jackie, was so nice! She gave us recommendations and a sample of their delicious margarita. I could have had a full glass! We sat outside even though it was a little chilly. The sun was out and with friends and great wine it was a perfect start to our day. Stop by for a glass! read more

Nice relaxing place to get some wine and enjoy a beautiful view. Weather was amazing the day we went. There was soft music playing in the background which was nice. The service was good and friendly. I look forward to going back here. read more

Contessa Wine Cellars - Wineries Near Me - Coloma, Michigan

A comparatively small selection of wines, but all the ones we tasted were very good. A great outdoor sitting area lets you appreciate the fantastic views. read more

Contessa Wine Cellars - the view from the deck - Wineries Near Me - Coloma, Michigan

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This is a super nice location - there is a great outdoor patio/deck that overlooks the vines. There is also an indoor area which is super cool. Tony, the owner was there and he was a super nice guy and fun to talk with. It costs just $8 for about 5 wines to sample. A great deal and some great wines too. A few bottles were already sold out - so we will need to try again next season. There are cool chandeliers hanging along with some decent music being played as you taste the wine. I enjoyed the Dolce Vita the best and it was super tasty! There is a chocolate shop nearby and you can pair your wine with some dark chocolates. We didn't do this today, but next time we will! read more

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Beautiful setting and views from the outside deck. Service was attentive and informative. Large selection of wines for tasting.

One of the better wineries in the area. Outdoors there is a fairly good view for SW MI. The staff was very friendly and gave us great recommendations and were great to talk to. Inside was a little small but it was just our group so it was okay, if they would have been busy this may have been more of an issue read more

Contessa Wine Cellars - Wineries Near Me - Coloma, Michigan

Wines were good but limited selection and a pricey. Vineyards are not kept very well.

Contessa is open until 7 on Fridays and allows you to bring your own food. What a wonderful place to sit outside and enjoy a flight of wine and snacks!! read more

On a weekend camping getaway and decided we wanted to put our nice clothes on and do some wine tasting. Tons of options in the area (found out they do a wine trail during the off season) will be back to try that! But we chose Contessa Wine Cellars. The location on top of a very high hill gave beautiful views and a wonderful breeze! The location was great and the staff was exceptional! Fantastic knowledge about their wines and even suggested we run down the hill first to grab some cake balls and chocolate bark to munch on while we sip. All in all this is a must visit if you're in town or passing through! read more

Contessa Wine Cellars - Sangria and a "Pink" Blush with some desserts from down the hill - Wineries Near Me - Coloma, Michigan

This was always my favorite winery to stop off at while driving along the I-94 corridor between Pontiac and Northwest Indiana, especially during the late spring and summer months. It is pleasant to drink a glass of wine right at the vinyard, as it is just lovely to be surrounded by grapes growing right on the vine! A good place to take a woman out on a short date, provided that you don't drink too much. You may want to follow up such a date with a visit to the chocolate shop down the road. :^) read more

Contessa Wine Cellars - The main office/shop/barroom of the cellars. Picture was taken in October of 2015. - Wineries Near Me - Coloma, Michigan

Terri and I stopped at several of the wineries and tasting rooms along the SW Michigan "wine trail" during a recent visit to Michigan. Contessa Wine Cellars was definitely our favorite. The person in charge of tastings was friendly without being overbearing or pushy and their tasting is "free" if you buy one or more bottle(s) of wine. The views of the surrounding area were beautiful- overall a very nice stop and one that I hope that you will make when visiting this area. read more

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Great wine...location is beautiful! Loved the white called Celeste...purchased 2 bottles! read more

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There wasn't a single glass that wasn't a brow raiser and a "wow" reaction. This is drinkable joy and art. Anyone want to share a glass on their sunny porch? Lovely location and a refreshing pause. read more

Contessa Wine Cellars - Sangria. Yes please. - Wineries Near Me - Coloma, Michigan

Amazing view and beautiful building. We love that they have a friendly little cat who acts like she owns the place. That just made our day to have a little calico loafing on the chair next to us attentively listening to the conversation. Even though they have an indoor cat, the place was spotless and clean, smelled great. I'm no connoisseur of wine, but We tried the sweet wines and enjoyed them. The black cherry and Celeste wines are must-buys. read more

Contessa Wine Cellars - Wineries Near Me - Coloma, Michigan

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We stopped in this winery after picking peaches on Saturday since they advertised having free tastings. The place is cute, and has a nice deck that you can enjoy a glass of wine on. There were plenty of other people doing tastings, and a few staff members, so we didn't have to wait long for a space at the bar. The tastings are free if you buy a bottle of wine or $5 per person if you don't purchase anything. You get 5 tastings that contained a couple of sips each. I found that to be a little misleading. I thought several of the wines were fine, but nothing extraordinary. I liked the fruit wines, and the sweet wine wine the best. I bought a bottle of the Celeste (sweet white) and the cherry wine. (Those were $10 and $12 respectively, so it was worth it to buy them to make our tastings free). read more

Of the various wineries we visited in St. Joseph, this was my favorite. I loved the outdoor seating, the peaceful setting and the variety of wines available. Not really a fan of the decoration (Marilyn Monroe in the bathroom?) but it's not like I'm staying there forever! Additionally, when you get off the highway, there's a nice fruit stand for snacks on the way home! read more

Stopped for a wine tasting and we were amazingly surprised, delicious wines and atmosphere, love the decor and Jane and Tony were friendly and knowledgeable. Definitely a must go :) read more

Nice! This is a gem. Of our four winery trips this weekend, this was the prettiest and tied for first. Prices can't be beat, customer service awesome, this guy knows what he is doing and will let you taste as much as you like. Two of us, shared tastes, alternated wines, hammed it up with the owner who was very big on promoting the area businesses and competing winery. Now I don't know about you, but i think that's pretty awesome for him to do that. The thing is, he knows his wines are better...and he is RIGHT! He provided us with a flyer for a winery in Ohio that's one of he and his wife's fav's and we can't wait to try it out! Thanks Contessa....keep up the good work. You have a beautiful facility! I read the reviews and was leary, but we got here at first opening, no one in store, owner at our beckon call, I believe he has only the place a year (?). He did say he had 500 yesterday, so if they are that busy....c'mon people, how do you expect them to be able to keep up? And if it is summer, kudos for hiring college kids to pour. I wouldn't expect to ask them about winemaking or processing, we have to have some common sense about who we ask what questions. As for those who like Karma better, potato vs potatoe. Go to both, see yourself. Who cares about the label on the bottle, really? read more

Really enjoyed our visit. Friendly winery, enjoyed each of the wines in our tasting. Then enjoyed a glass of sangria on their deck with a lovely view. Also tried some chocolate at the shop next door. We will be returning read more

Contessa Wine Cellars - View from deck - Wineries Near Me - Coloma, Michigan

Star 1: They served us. Star 2&3: Wine was ok Not too impressed with their Sangria. Just really didn't get a friendly vibe from this place. Just left you hanging when you walked in and very small tasting room. Check it out, as they have a nice sitting area and view. read more

Very inviting, relaxed laid back. The wine was good and the seating area was nice. An improvement could be to sell crackers and cheese or some snack ums. read more

This is a very nice winery and the location is amazing. They have nice outdoor seating. The owner is super friendly and he has a cat that hangs around who just loves to be loved on. The sangria and cherry wine are my favorite. Definitely worth a stop. read more

Awesome place to visit the wine if very good the view on the deck is outstanding makes you feel like your at a winery in the country in Europe. Staff to are very nice and helpful read more

We had a great time. The owner was super nice and the deck was very relaxing on a clear beautiful day. We sat on the deck drinking some of the best sangria I've ever had. Will definitely go back. read more

Contessa Wine Cellars - Wineries Near Me - Coloma, Michigan

Exterior is beautiful. Interior could use a facelift. Why is there one restroom for such a large venue?? I asked bartender for crackers and she laughed in my face as if it was such a ridiculous question. I won't be back due to customer service. read more

Beautiful winery on the outside, could use a little updating inside. The staff was very friendly and accommodating. We tried five of their wines. For Chardonnay lovers, they have a really good one. Same with merlot. I found the red blends to be my favorite at Contessa. Definitely try a sample of sangria and buy a glass to enjoy on their gorgeous deck. read more

Contessa Wine Cellars - Wineries Near Me - Coloma, Michigan

With the current situation, I fully expect a winery in this area, and one we enjoy visiting, would adhere to state mandates/orders. We have been here countless times, and always enjoyed the atmosphere, the kitty and the wine. This trip was different. We expected staff to be wearing masks and adhering to laws. Not ONE customer we saw was wearing a mask, there weren't ANY signs indicating safety measures or requiring visitors to do so. Husband and i entered the building to hear the main pourer complaining to a group of non mask wearing young ladies that he "unfortunately has to spend time cleaning in between people, ya know ". Husband and i looked each other over our masks, no words necessary, and WALKED OUT. I will NOT support a business that doesn't take safety, law or health of customers seriously. Side note: of the 8 venues we visited today, this was THE ONLY ONE consciously ignoring state orders. read more

As everyone else mentioned, yes...free tasting with a purchase of a bottle of wine, otherwise it's $5. I seriously wish every winery had this policy. My mom stopped in here on a Saturday afternoon (this past weekend) so mid-October for you readers...VERY nice weather means lots of people out and about and that is exactly what was going on here as well. I managed to squeeze in at the bar to get my wine tasting in and purchased a bottle of the Celeste sweet white wine which recommended warming during the winter months so as winter is approaching soon, I think it'll be great to drink up during the cold months. The service was quick, and friendly. I definitely recommend this place as a stop along the wine trail. read more

Went on a Saturday and they were packed. We had a large group and they only had 1 person behind the bar (actually in the entire place) and he took forever making pours. I understand, he needed to chat with the patrons about the wine to make the sale, but if he had at least 1 other person, the experience would have been much better. I even called a week beforehand to reserve a time, but he said to just walk in. Compared to Karma Vista winery just down the street, the wine was pricier, and they didn't have as much variety. The labeling leaves much to be desired. They do have a pretty deck out in the front though for enjoying a glass of wine. read more

I had a much different experience than most of the people on here. The staff was very friendly and attentive to me despite the fact that there were 30+ people tasting while we were there. It's important to remember that wine tasting isn't about drinking as much as you can as quickly as you can so that you can get drunk and move on to the next winery (which I realize some of you are doing based on your driving abilities). It's about tasting the wine and figuring out what you like. Nothing here knocked my socks off (although the wind did blow my skirt up) but I'm not a huge Michigan wine fan. Never have been and probably never will be. read more

Overall rating 6/10. Stopped here with my family on the way back from Apple picking at Big Dan's. I had read a previous review that the wine tasting is free if you buy a bottle. This is 100% not true, and made our trip here very awkward. Once we found out that the tasting isn't waved with a bottle purchase, everyone but me walked away from the wine bar. In order to keep the situation palatable , I ordered a tasting and tried 5 wines. The standard reds were bitter and gross. The white wine Celeste I tried was good and very sweet. Too sweet for me. I also tried the 2 red fruit wines. I ended up buying a bottle of the cherry , which the wife liked. The business itself was nicely decorated and was nice. We did not feel welcomed when we walked in 20 minutes before closing time. 2 employees saw us, one gave me a funny look and the other came over to say hello. In summary: the place is nice, some of the wine is decent, the staff isn't very friendly, and I will absolutely not be coming back since I didn't feel welcomed and appreciated, and I only spent money there to diffuse an awkward situation. read more

Fine place for wine tasting. I enjoyed the cherry and blueberry wines. Named after the man's wife, and it has her picture on the wines.

We walked into the large, impressive looking winery and found two other people there tasting...on a Saturday. Where was everyone? We were used to waiting for an opening at the tasting bar, but here, we walked right up to it. I wasn't impressed by the staff or the wines. Sure, the staff was nice enough, but they looked like college kids working a summer job and didn't know that much about the wine or how to make it. They simply asked what we'd like to try and they poured it for us. The tasting itself was free, and we each only sampled about three different wines. Nothing was over the top delicious and made me want to have it. We did purchase some blueberry wine though, because it was a little awkward to be sitting there with the servers and not buy anything when we were the only ones in there (the other two were out on the patio at this point). There is a large patio overlooking the vineyards, which would have been a nice place to sit and chat, had we had the time. The rain had cleared out by then, but had left everything wet. One of the employees did ask us if we wanted him to wipe off some chairs so we could sit outside, but we declined. He did take a photo of us though. Oh, I thought this was cute - they had animal crackers as their palate cleanser. Not sure I'd head back on my own, but I'd tag along if someone else wanted to go try it out for the first time. read more

Tony was awesome! The wines were great...wide variety...full of flavor! We tried all of them and certainly left with plenty! Beautiful location, facility and atmosphere! It was a great experience and recommend all try! read more

The Contessa Winery is a beautiful building with an amazing view. I'm mainly a sweet wine-o so most of my reviews are about that. I love the tasting price of $5 for 5 tastings and the best I had was the Dolce Vita (red sweet wine with concord grapes). I can picture myself already making this as a sangria. The deck where you can enjoy the wine is also very spacious and pretty. read more

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First stop on my self-imposed Birthday itinerary. Due to my group's size, they actually opened up a half hour early to accommodate us. Very sweet of them! I will definitely be back. read more

Close to Chicago and Detroit.. near a CHOCOLATE Garden! The wine was pretty good--for Michigan. The vineyard isn't producing its own grapes yet (I think they planted this past year for the 1st time) but the tasting room was clean and everyone friendly. I hope they get the vineyard side of things going- it would help the ambience a bit, but overall I would reccomend going! read more

Great atmosphere on a drive from chicago to Adrian. Tony very knowledgeable and wine was good too! Will stop again!

Just left Contessa Winery! Becky opened early for us and was a pleasure. She was very knowledgeable and the wines were very good. We will definitely be back! read more