Fruitful Vine LLC
Fruitful Vine LLC
4.5
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About
Exciting and unique Tours of Michigan Wine Country! Friendly tour guides, clean late model vehicles, and of course...great wine!Take our Vino Coach Tour on a bus year round, or an open air Wine O Wagon pulled by a vineyard tractor, May through October.
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Most Recent: Reviews ordered by most recent publish date in descending order.
Detailed Reviews: Reviews ordered by recency and descriptiveness of user-identified themes such as wait time, length of visit, general tips, and location information.
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4.5
63 reviews
Excellent
50
Very good
6
Average
1
Poor
1
Terrible
5
Bill D
Ann Arbor, MI47 contributions
Nov 2020
Taking a wine tour and leaving the driving to someone else is a must. But this tour was over the top. Dan, our driver and guide was so entertaining. We visited some fantastic winery’s, and all our tastings were fantastic. In between some great wines Dan provided some great history with a very funny and entertaining dialogue.
Written November 6, 2020
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Dave C
Illinois1,759 contributions
Aug 2023 • Couples
We went on a weekday in late August; and had only 2 couples on our tour. Our guide, Dan, had a great sense of humor - setting the stage for fun upon pickup. Over a 6-hour period we toured some of the SW Michigan countryside, while Dan explained the industry. We went to 2 wineries, then had a late lunch (that was preplanned down to what food we'd get) at a casual place. It was clear that Dan knew the servers at the wineries, joking around with them. He always told us exactly how much time we had at each place, and we finished each a little early. In the afternoon, temperatures were at 94 degrees and Dan said that the last winery would be outside. He asked if we wanted to sit in the heat or change plans and go to an indoor tasting room (that he could set up on the fly). We opted for the latter - and are glad we did. Tried a small amount of 15 different wines! Highly recommend.
Written September 4, 2023
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
TheHoff44
Chicago, IL114 contributions
Aug 2020
A fantastic friend wanted to go to some SW Michigan wineries, and found this excellent idea for us. Join some others, be driven to 3 wineries plus a spot for lunch, and have great wine. Our host/driver Sam was AMAZING, incredibly entertaining, and very informative. We went to DuBlon, then Lemon Creek, then lunch, then a third winery that we thought was good but not as great as the first two.
Well worth the Saturday morning and afternoon, and every cent we paid.
Well worth the Saturday morning and afternoon, and every cent we paid.
Written August 3, 2020
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Abby S
3 contributions
Sep 2020
Would very strongly not recommend. Unless you prefer your wine with a side of terrible experience.
In mid-August, we scheduled a wine tour for a bachelorette party in late September after I had discussed with the owner, Dan, over the phone. I paid in full and followed up with an email detailing our plans for the day and outlined the reservations I had booked. He confirmed receipt of the email and said the plan looked great. Fast forward the day before the wine tour, I called in the morning and left a voicemail. No response. The following day, our bus had still not yet shown up at the scheduled time. When I called, he stated our reservation couldn’t be found. As Dan was reading off the first and last name of every other tour scheduled for that weekend (privacy violation?) he asked if he could call me back. He then apologized and said he would “make it right” by not charging us for the tour.
Long story short, he was 2.5 hours late and we only went to 2 wineries instead of the planned 3. On our way to the first winery (after mentioning we have a guest that gets carsick easily) he passed a car on a country road and ran off the edge a couple of times. Not the most comfortable route. The rest of the tour was very awkward but again, for a free tour, we didn’t complain.
Until he dropped us off, an hour shorter than what we had initially paid for, again, no complaints since he wouldn’t be charging us. We had a hefty cash tip for him and he again asked how he could “make it right”. We said he appreciated him comping the trip but wanted to provide a tip. He laughed in our faces, shoved the cash back into my hands, and said he never said that. He thought a compromise of comping half would be fair. Well, a week later and we still haven’t gotten any money refunded to us.
Save yourself the hassle, headache and the verbal disagreements. Book a tour and drink your wine in peace with industry professionals. There are many other great companies offering the same service. I wish we would have chosen one of them!
In mid-August, we scheduled a wine tour for a bachelorette party in late September after I had discussed with the owner, Dan, over the phone. I paid in full and followed up with an email detailing our plans for the day and outlined the reservations I had booked. He confirmed receipt of the email and said the plan looked great. Fast forward the day before the wine tour, I called in the morning and left a voicemail. No response. The following day, our bus had still not yet shown up at the scheduled time. When I called, he stated our reservation couldn’t be found. As Dan was reading off the first and last name of every other tour scheduled for that weekend (privacy violation?) he asked if he could call me back. He then apologized and said he would “make it right” by not charging us for the tour.
Long story short, he was 2.5 hours late and we only went to 2 wineries instead of the planned 3. On our way to the first winery (after mentioning we have a guest that gets carsick easily) he passed a car on a country road and ran off the edge a couple of times. Not the most comfortable route. The rest of the tour was very awkward but again, for a free tour, we didn’t complain.
Until he dropped us off, an hour shorter than what we had initially paid for, again, no complaints since he wouldn’t be charging us. We had a hefty cash tip for him and he again asked how he could “make it right”. We said he appreciated him comping the trip but wanted to provide a tip. He laughed in our faces, shoved the cash back into my hands, and said he never said that. He thought a compromise of comping half would be fair. Well, a week later and we still haven’t gotten any money refunded to us.
Save yourself the hassle, headache and the verbal disagreements. Book a tour and drink your wine in peace with industry professionals. There are many other great companies offering the same service. I wish we would have chosen one of them!
Written February 8, 2021
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Abby, I am sorry to hear about your unpleasant experience with Fruitful Vine Tours. There was a miscommunication with two different tours and we were unable to execute the wine tour as we should. We tried to make it right, but apparently, we did not. Please forgive us, we are only human.
Written February 23, 2021
This response is the subjective opinion of the management representative and not of Tripadvisor LLC.
abby s
1 contribution
Sep 2022 • Friends
Would very strongly not recommend.
In mid-August, we scheduled a wine tour for a bachelorette party in late September after I had discussed with Dan (owner) over the phone. I paid in full and followed up with an email detailing our plans for the day and outlined the reservations I had booked. Dan confirmed receipt of the email and said the plan looked great. Fast forward the day before the wine tour, I called Dan in the morning and left him a voicemail. No response. The following day, our bus had still not yet shown up at the scheduled time. When I called, he stated our reservation couldn’t be found. As Dan was reading off the first and last name of every other tour scheduled for that weekend (privacy?) he asked if he could call me back. He then apologized and said he would “make it right” by not charging us for the tour.
Long story short, he was 2.5 hours late and we only went to 2 wineries instead of the planned 3. On our way to the first winery (after mentioning we have a guest that gets carsick easily) he passed a car on a country road and ran off the edge a couple of times.
At the end, we had a hefty cash tip for him and he again asked how he could “make it right”. We said he appreciated him comping the trip but wanted to provide a tip. He laughed in our faces, shoved the cash back into my hands, and said he never said that. He thought a compromise of comping half would be fair. Well, a few weeks later we got 1/3 of the agreed amount comped.
Save yourself the hassle, headache and the verbal disagreements. Book a tour and drink your wine in peace with industry professionals. There are many other great companies offering the same service. I wish we would have chosen one of them!
In mid-August, we scheduled a wine tour for a bachelorette party in late September after I had discussed with Dan (owner) over the phone. I paid in full and followed up with an email detailing our plans for the day and outlined the reservations I had booked. Dan confirmed receipt of the email and said the plan looked great. Fast forward the day before the wine tour, I called Dan in the morning and left him a voicemail. No response. The following day, our bus had still not yet shown up at the scheduled time. When I called, he stated our reservation couldn’t be found. As Dan was reading off the first and last name of every other tour scheduled for that weekend (privacy?) he asked if he could call me back. He then apologized and said he would “make it right” by not charging us for the tour.
Long story short, he was 2.5 hours late and we only went to 2 wineries instead of the planned 3. On our way to the first winery (after mentioning we have a guest that gets carsick easily) he passed a car on a country road and ran off the edge a couple of times.
At the end, we had a hefty cash tip for him and he again asked how he could “make it right”. We said he appreciated him comping the trip but wanted to provide a tip. He laughed in our faces, shoved the cash back into my hands, and said he never said that. He thought a compromise of comping half would be fair. Well, a few weeks later we got 1/3 of the agreed amount comped.
Save yourself the hassle, headache and the verbal disagreements. Book a tour and drink your wine in peace with industry professionals. There are many other great companies offering the same service. I wish we would have chosen one of them!
Written March 30, 2023
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
JulieP
2 contributions
Sep 2020
We had a wonderful experience the weekend of Sept. 25th. There were 8 of us for a bachelorette party, and everyone of us was extremely impressed with the wineries and the professionalism of the tour guide, LJ. She took complete responsibility for all of our purchases, took group pictures and was an absolute joy to be around all day.
Written October 12, 2020
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Lisa M
1 contribution
Sep 2023 • Friends
My friends and I have been going on the wagon for ten years. It used to be 4 wineries and a sit down lunch. It is now $50 more for 3 wineries and a sack lunch. The deal breaker here though is the level of wineries. it used to be well established wineries worth touring, tasting, and pictures (tabor hill, lemon creek, gravity, round barn). This last tour had none of that. One was a garage (not a winery at all) with a view of the road and a “wine list” including 2 whites and 4 reds. The tastings are $15x3 wineries plus a sack lunch so at best the cost here is $60 so where does the rest of the $180 fee go? When a man who presented himself to us as the owner asked for feedback, we were honest with him. Rather than accepting the feedback, he began to argue with us so there’s little hope this tour will be good again. There’s tons of busses in the area willing to go to great (not sub optimal) wineries so look elsewhere imo.
Written September 10, 2023
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
TDDunk64
Indiana228 contributions
Aug 2024 • Couples
We thoroughly enjoyed our winery tour of the 3 wineries that Dan chose for us to go to. He paid special attention to the type of wine we prefer and made sure that the wineries we went to were more than capable of providing a great tasting experience.
We were picked up promptly from our hotel location in New Buffalo as promised and he made a call to us the evening before to make sure we were staying at the hotel pick up location. He adjusted our pick up a bit based on the hotel where we were staying and that was much appreciated.
While this was a 3 winery tour, we asked about Michigan blueberries and Dan made a quick stop at an awesome produce stand so we could pick up some donut peaches and Michigan blueberries. This was majorly appreciated and added just a little extra touch.
Also, appreciated that the lunch that is provided as part of the tour (that YOU order ahead of time) was at a cute little cafe in Stevensville. The pre-order accommodated food allergies and preferences which was MUCH appreciated, since we deal with this all time time and it's always top of mind in keeping safe and healthy.
Dan provided a lot of information about the area with where to go and what is good, etc. One of the reasons that we typically sign up for tours in an area is to get some helpful local information and he definitely provided MORE than enough and helpful info as we learn the area.
It was also interesting that Dan lives in the same city that we live in, so not only knows this area but was well versed in the differences of where we live and where we are touring.
Loved the tour and the connections with Dan.
If you are going to take a wine tour in the area, take this one as you will NOT be disappointed!
We were picked up promptly from our hotel location in New Buffalo as promised and he made a call to us the evening before to make sure we were staying at the hotel pick up location. He adjusted our pick up a bit based on the hotel where we were staying and that was much appreciated.
While this was a 3 winery tour, we asked about Michigan blueberries and Dan made a quick stop at an awesome produce stand so we could pick up some donut peaches and Michigan blueberries. This was majorly appreciated and added just a little extra touch.
Also, appreciated that the lunch that is provided as part of the tour (that YOU order ahead of time) was at a cute little cafe in Stevensville. The pre-order accommodated food allergies and preferences which was MUCH appreciated, since we deal with this all time time and it's always top of mind in keeping safe and healthy.
Dan provided a lot of information about the area with where to go and what is good, etc. One of the reasons that we typically sign up for tours in an area is to get some helpful local information and he definitely provided MORE than enough and helpful info as we learn the area.
It was also interesting that Dan lives in the same city that we live in, so not only knows this area but was well versed in the differences of where we live and where we are touring.
Loved the tour and the connections with Dan.
If you are going to take a wine tour in the area, take this one as you will NOT be disappointed!
Written August 4, 2024
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Jess H
1 contribution
Apr 2021
My maid of honor booked this for my bachelorette party this past weekend and it was truly the best time. LJ was our guide/driver, and as much as I love wine, she made our experience even better. She took the time to chat with all of us, took PLENTY of pictures and sent them to us without any of us even having to ask her to do so, and was upbeat and friendly from pick up to drop off. Just all around incredibly accommodating.
I cannot say enough good things about this company and our time with LJ.
I cannot say enough good things about this company and our time with LJ.
Written April 21, 2021
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Judy W
1 contribution
Jul 2023 • Family
My daughter and I had a quick weekend trip to Michigan, and this wine tour did not disappoint. Our guide, Dan, was flexible and informative,. We enjoyed the three locations, and never felt rushed. Would definitely recommend to others!
Written July 11, 2023
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
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