A collaborative of accomplished and well-versed people in the hospitality industry are pursuing an ambitious plan to create a one-of-a-kind hub that amplifies Northern Michigan’s wine and agricultural
scenes.
The hub will be known as Loamstead, a $10 million regenerative agriculture and hospitality destination on the bucolic grounds of Shady Lane Cellars, a boutique winery on the Leelanau Peninsula. The winery was placed for sale following the death of owner Richard Fortune in 2022. Fortune’s family has since been seeking a new owner who would be more involved in guiding the winery onto its next chapter.
Amanda Danielson, a founding partner of the award-winning Trattoria Stella in Traverse City, is spearheading Loamstead and is approaching the final phases of due diligence to purchase the 140-acre winery. The acquisition is expected to be completed in the fall.
Shady Lane Cellars will continue to operate as a winery and tasting room on the property and will also serve as the heart of Loamstead.
Kasey Wierzba, who is executive winemaker at Shady Lane, is a member of the founding team and will serve as director of winegrowing and land stewardship.
Under Wierzba’s tenure, Shady Lane Cellars has earned accolades from
Wine Enthusiast,
Food & Wine and
Decanter. It is one of only three Michigan wineries to hold rigorous Sustainability in Practice – or SIP – certification.
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Courtney KentThe Loamstead Project team includes (left to right in back row): Kasey Wierzba, Sarah Bielman, Dawid and Melissa Conradie and (left to right in front row) Elise Curtis-Dull and Amanda Danielson.
The project is planned – not as a sprawling complex – but as a thoughtful integration of vineyard, farm and restored structures. Every element is being designed to honor the land, elevate guest experience and model sustainable growth.
“Loamstead is about building on decades of great work already underway in Michigan’s wine industry,” said Danielson, who is an advanced sommelier. The project is powered by the team behind Trattoria Stella, a Traverse City restaurant known for two decades of consistent excellence.
“It’s about creating infrastructure and programming that support growers, producers and educators - while welcoming new partners and audiences to experience the region’s excellence,” she said.
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Beryl Striewski The vines at Shady Lane Cellars, soon to be the centerpiece of the Loamstead.
Loamstead – taking its name from a stewardship of the soil found in Leelanau County – is poised to expand opportunities and foster the professional and financial success of hard-working and talented professionals in the food and beverage industry.
“We’re not here to reinvent what’s already working,” Danielson said. “We’re here to support the many producers relentlessly driving in the quality lane, lend our experiences from global markets, and help shine a brighter light on what Michigan can do.”
The expansive project comes as Michigan's wine industry continues to flourish. The state is home to more than 200 wineries and is an important part of Michigan's tourism industry. Michigan wineries draw more than 1.7 million visitors annually while generating more than $330 million dollars. A recent WineAmerica Economic Impact Study showed Michigan's wine industry generates nearly $9 billion per year, ranking the state among the top 10 wine producing states in the country.
"Efforts to effectively market and raise awareness around the Michigan wine industry is contributing to creating a larger demand for Michigan wines," said Emily Dockery, who is executive director of the Michigan Wine Collaborative. "The Michigan wine industry continues to gain momentum and expand which is super exciting to experience and be a part of."
Shady Lane's Wierzba, who has been executive winemaker there for a decade, described Loamstead as a multi-phase project, one that will expand on the current offerings at the winery, located near Suttons Bay. The property will be transformed into a “working campus where regenerative agriculture, culinary innovation, hospitality and education intersect.”
“The full property is 140 acres with 55 planted to vineyard and another 15 to 20 scheduled for planting in the spring of 2027,” she said. “We would use these new planting opportunities as a field lab for a sustainable vineyard start-up with different treatments that allow us to study cover cropping and under-vine management, as well as training systems that strengthen our sustainable practices.”
As part of their plans, historic buildings will be restored and reimagined, and new spaces will be built for learning, celebration and connection. The field stone coop, for example, now used as a tasting room, may be reimagined as a market, selling wine produced on the property as well as food items, said Wierzba, adding, “more details are to come.”
Also envisioned is elevated event and retreat spaces. The barn and the stone house also will be reimagined as refined, design-forward venues for leadership retreats and immersive events that connect guests with the agriculture story of Northern Michigan.
Also planned are a commercial teaching kitchen and culinary classroom that will anchor training programs for chefs, growers, sommeliers and hospitality professionals.
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Beryl Striewski Shady Lane's wines have won accolades and national attention under Kasey Wiezba, executive winemaker.The transformation will also provide a multi-modal revenue stream – through estate wine production, custom crush, educational experiences, and value-added food products.
The project will create 12 year-round jobs, expand vineyards and process 60-plus tons of locally grown grapes each year, “strengthening both the economy and the land.”
Wierzba sees vast potential for the property at Shady Lane Cellars. She has long imagined sustainable uses for land on the estate that isn’t suitable for vines. Loamstead plans include the potential for a culinary garden, for raising fowl and poultry, increasing agricultural diversity on plots of land not suitable for grapes and sharing this process through community education spaces.
While rural areas of Michigan are home to innovative farm, wine and culinary operations – think Farm Club, a farm, brewery and restaurant on the Leelanau Peninsula, or Farmette, a small farm, marketplace, bakery and cafe in New Buffalo -- Loamstead will stand out because of planned educational offerings.
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Tom BlazasThe patio and outdoor tasting bar at Shady Lane Cellars.“We’re hoping to partner with a couple of different educational institutions,” Wierzba said.
Shady Lane, which opened as a winery in 1999, was previously part of two farms, both of which had a dairy component. There were fruit trees and field crops as well.
“Shady Lane is a beautiful property,” Wierzba said. “Our wine is known nationally, and we have a great foundation to build upon. There is a lot of potential with the property. We really want to be a hub and facility not only for viticulture but also regenerative agriculture.”
The other members of the founding team are: Elise Curtis-Dull, who will be director of culinary and education; Sarah Bielman, director of business planning and integrity; and Melissa and Dawid Conradie, co-directors of guest experience and design.