About Leigh's Garden Winery
Leigh's Garden Winery makes its wine in downtown Escanaba from cold-climate grapes and local fruit, and pours it in a 19th-century storefront on Ludington Street. Leigh and Connie Schmidt started the winery in 2008 with a handful of wines; Leigh's recipe book has since grown to around 60, and roughly two dozen are made in a given year. Julie and Tony Lambert now own the winery, and Leigh stayed on to mentor them in winemaking during the handover.
Many of the wine names point back to the Upper Peninsula. Old Escanaba, a dry red blend, was one of the first five wines; Burly Jack is a barrel-aged dry red; Nawadaha Falls takes its name from a local waterfall. Fruit wines include Hiawatha Blue, made with blueberries, and Red Hat Rhubarb, and there are grape wines such as Rocco's Brianna and a Frontenac Gris. Each wine is aged before it is served.
The tasting room has an art deco back bar and tin walls and ceiling from the 1890s, and over more than a century the building has held grocers, cigar sellers, clothiers, electricians, pubs and nightclubs. You can sit at the bar or at a table. A back room hosts parties, reunions, classes and meetings, and the owners have brought in live music. Hours stretch longer during downtown events, holidays and cruise ship days.
Purple Lavender Farm in Bark River is about 20 minutes west on US-2. It opens by appointment from July through September, so book a lavender visit for the afternoon and finish with a tasting downtown.
What to do
- Taste U.P. wines made from cold-climate grapes and local fruit
- Try a fruit wine such as Hiawatha Blue blueberry or Red Hat Rhubarb
- Sit at the art deco back bar under the old tin ceiling
- Pick up bottles named for Escanaba history and local places
- Rent the back room for a party or class
Season, hours and prices
- Season
- Open year-round, Thursday through Saturday, with longer hours during downtown events and cruise ship days
- Hours
- Posted on their website (2026): Thursday noon–5 p.m., Friday–Saturday noon–8 p.m.; closed Sunday–Wednesday; all hours subject to change
Good to know
- Age
- 21 or older to taste or drink alcohol
Tips for your visit
- Hours change for downtown events and holidays, so call 906-553-7799 before a special trip
- Check their social pages for live music dates
- Plan a designated driver for the ride home
Pair it with a lavender farm
Purple Lavender Farm · about 20 minutes away
Purple Lavender Farm in Bark River is about 20 minutes west; book a summer lavender visit and end the day with a tasting downtown.
Getting there
Questions
What kind of wine does Leigh's Garden make?
Wines from cold-climate grapes and local fruit such as blueberries and rhubarb, from dry reds to fruit wines.
When is the tasting room open?
Thursday noon–5 and Friday–Saturday noon–8 (2026), with extra hours during downtown events.
Who owns the winery now?
Julie and Tony Lambert, who took over from founders Leigh and Connie Schmidt.
🗺️ Part of the guide Things to Do Near the Lavender Farm of Escanaba & Delta County, Michigan
Checked in October 2026 against the business’s own website and local tourism pages. Hours and seasons change, so check with them before you go. How we check listings · Is this your business? Claim it free
