About Sandhill Crane Vineyards
Sandhill Crane Vineyards sits on Walz Road in the farm country outside Jackson. It began as Norm Moffatt's retirement hobby of growing grapes and making wine, and his wife Alice, his sister Annie and daughters Heather and Holly helped turn it into a family business that opened to the public in 2003. Holly Peterson now owns the winery and makes the wine, and several labels honor the founders, including Norm's Legacy and a Traminette dedicated to Alice.
Everything poured here is made on site from Michigan-grown fruit: more than 35 wines running from dry and off-dry to semi-sweet, dessert and port styles, plus four beers and three ciders. You can build your own tasting flight or order by the glass or bottle. Summer brings wine slushies and winter brings mulled wine. Cellar tours cover how the wine is made with a walk through the cellar and vineyard, and one version adds a barrel tasting; tours are booked and paid ahead by phone, and the vineyard part depends on the weather.
The café serves a wine-friendly menu of starters and a build-your-own charcuterie board in two sizes, with weekend specials and pairings for new releases. Seating spreads across the tasting room, patio, lawn and fireplace tables. Live music plays on the deck and in the event room, with late shows on Fridays, and the calendar adds paint-and-sip nights, artist workshops and a Halloween event. Groups of five to ten should call ahead, and buses or groups over ten can't be seated. The family asks that children stay close, since this is a working farm and an adult setting.
Plainly Elegant Lavender Farm on the west side of Ann Arbor is about 35 minutes east on I-94. In June and July, book one of its timed U-pick sessions for the morning and save Sandhill Crane for an afternoon flight on the drive back.
What to do
- Build your own flight from more than 35 house wines
- Try the four house beers and three ciders on tap
- Book a cellar and vineyard tour, with or without a barrel tasting
- Share a charcuterie board from the café on the patio or lawn
- Catch live music on the deck, including late shows on Fridays
- Warm up with mulled wine at a fireplace table in winter
Season, hours and prices
- Season
- Open all year; wine slushies in summer and mulled wine in winter
- Hours
- Wed–Thu 2–8 PM, Fri noon–10 PM, Sat noon–8 PM, Sun noon–6 PM; closed Mon–Tue (current hours on their website, October 2026; may change for events)
- Admission
- No entry fee listed. Cellar tour $10 per person, or $20 with barrel tasting (listed 2026; free or reduced for wine club members)
Good to know
- Age
- 21 or older to taste or drink alcohol
- Reservations
- Walk-in; groups of 5–10 call ahead, no buses or groups over 10
Tips for your visit
- Call 517-764-0679 to book a cellar tour; tours are paid in advance
- Hours can shift around events, so check their website before a special trip
- Keep children close; the winery describes itself as a working farm and an adult setting
- If you plan to taste, line up a designated driver for the country roads
Pair it with a lavender farm
Plainly Elegant Lavender Farm · about 35 minutes away
Plainly Elegant Lavender Farm in Ann Arbor is about 35 minutes east on I-94, so a morning U-pick session there in June or July pairs well with an afternoon flight here.
Getting there
Questions
Are children allowed at Sandhill Crane Vineyards?
Yes, with adults, but the winery asks that children be well supervised because it is a working farm and an adult environment.
Do they offer winery tours?
Yes. A basic cellar and vineyard tour is $10 per person and the tour with a barrel tasting is $20 (2026 listing); call 517-764-0679 to book and pay ahead.
Is it only wine?
No. Along with more than 35 wines, they make four beers and three ciders on site and run a café.
🗺️ Part of the guide Things to Do Near the Lavender Farms of Pinckney & Chelsea, 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
