Michigan by the Bottle

What Michigan by the Bottle does

Michigan by the Bottle is a privately held, founder-owned wine tasting room and retail business founded in June 2009 by Shannon Casey and Cortney Casey, originally launched as a blog to spotlight Michigan wineries and subsequently evolved into a multi-location hospitality operation. The company operates four tasting rooms across Metro Detroit—in Auburn Hills, Lake Orion, Royal Oak, and Shelby Township—offering walk-in wine tastings, flights ($9-$16 per glass), and bottle purchases ($18-$70) featuring more than 80 rotating wines curated from 15+ boutique Michigan winery partners across the Leelanau Peninsula, Old Mission Peninsula, and Lake Michigan Shore AVAs.

The business runs four primary revenue streams: direct tasting room retail sales (wine by the glass, flights, bottles, plus hard cider and non-alcoholic options); the Mitten Club wine club subscription, a free-to-join program with three tiers (Curious, Believer, Obsessed) offering seasonal allocations of 6-12 bottles and member discounts of 10-20% on all purchases; private event hosting for groups of 25-75 guests including corporate functions, rehearsal dinners, and themed social gatherings (with venue rentals starting at $250 for two hours and guided tasting add-ons); and a B2B wholesale and retail partnership program supplying curated Michigan wine selections to wedding venues, event planners, caterers, mobile bars, corporate events, boutique hotels, and specialty retailers.

The core technology is wine curation, tasting room hospitality operations, and a curated distribution ecosystem connecting Michigan wineries to Metro Detroit consumers and event planners. Distribution combines physical retail across four locations, an e-commerce shop with local pickup, and wholesale B2B channels. Marketing is multi-channel across Facebook, Instagram, YouTube, TikTok, blog content, and email newsletter, supported by a programmed events calendar that includes winemaker tastings, food pairings, Mahjong Wednesdays, Music Bingo nights, and creative workshops. The company remains independently operated by its founders with no disclosed institutional backing, cap table, or external funding.

Name

Michigan by the Bottle

Legal name

Michigan By The Bottle

Website

https://michiganbythebottle.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

2009

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

Michigan by the Bottle operates four Metro Detroit wine tasting rooms (Auburn Hills, Lake Orion, Royal Oak, Shelby Township) offering curated wines from 15+ boutique Michigan wineries by the glass, flight, or bottle, alongside a tiered subscription wine club, private event hosting, and B2B wholesale partnerships.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Wine Tasting Room & Retail

NAICS

Drinking Places (Alcoholic Beverages) (72241), Beer, Wine, and Liquor Retailers (44532)

SIC

Retail-Eating & Drinking Places (5810), Wholesale-Beer, Wine & Distilled Alcoholic Beverages (5180)

akta.pro primary industry

Wine Bars (THAFAEAF)

akta.pro secondary industries

Alcohol Subscription & Wine Clubs (Retail) (CRANABAF), Wine Shops (Off-Premise) (CRANAAAB)

Keywords

• Wine tasting rooms
• Michigan wine retail
• Wine club membership
• Boutique winery curation
• Private event venues

Headquarters

HQ city

Royal Oak

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices4 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Supply Chain, Operations, Personnel, Marketing or Sales, Infrastructure

Revenue model

1. Tasting Room Sales: Revenue from wine by the glass, flights, and bottle sales at four Metro Detroit tasting room locations. Also includes hard cider and non-alcoholic options.
2. Mitten Club Wine Club: Subscription-based wine club with three tiers (Curious, Believer, Obsessed) offering seasonal wine allocations, member discounts on all purchases, and exclusive perks. Free to join with commitment to purchase seasonal allocations.
3. Private Event Hosting: Venue rentals for private events including corporate social hours, rehearsal dinners, birthday parties, and book clubs. Additional revenue from guided wine tastings and catering partnerships.
4. Wholesale & Retail Partnerships: Partnerships with wedding venues, event planners, mobile bar services, caterers, corporate events, boutique hotels, and specialty retailers to provide curated Michigan wine selections.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels5 records

Marketing channels7 records

Core offering

Michigan by the Bottle operates four Metro Detroit wine tasting room locations that curate and serve wines from 15+ boutique Michigan wineries, offering wines by the glass ($9–$16), flights, and bottles ($18–$70) for on-site consumption and retail purchase. The business runs the Mitten Club wine club with three subscription tiers (Curious, Believer, Obsessed) providing seasonal allocations and member discounts, hosts private events for groups of 25–75, and supports wholesale partnerships with event venues, caterers, and retailers.

Product overview

Michigan by the Bottle is a wine tasting room and retail business with four metro-Detroit locations (Auburn Hills, Lake Orion, Royal Oak, Shelby Township) offering the largest selection of Michigan wines under one roof. The core offering centers on the Mitten Club membership program (with Obsessed, Believer, and Curious tiers) providing wine allocations, discounts, and exclusive access; wine sales by glass, flight, or bottle from 15 partner wineries including Dablon, Brys Estate, Chateau Chantal, and Verterra; private event hosting with optional guided tastings; and B2B wholesale partnerships. With over 80 rotating wines and educational tasting experiences, it serves as a gateway for discovering Michigan wine.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• Mitten Club: The wine club membership program offering exclusive member pricing, early access to limited releases, member-only events, and curated wine allocations across three tiers: Curious (6 bottles), Believer (6 bottles), and Obsessed (12 bottles).
• The Mitten Room

Products and services

• Wine Tasting Rooms Four walk-in tasting room locations in Auburn Hills, Lake Orion, Royal Oak, and Shelby Township serving over 80 rotating wines by the glass, flight, or bottle from 15 Michigan winery partners. Open to consumers 21+ for on-site consumption and retail purchase, with locally sourced small bites and outdoor seating at select locations.
• Mitten Club Wine Club Subscription wine club with three tiers — Curious (6 bottles/2 allocations, 10% discount), Believer (6 bottles/2 allocations, 15% discount), and Obsessed (12 bottles/4 allocations, 20% discount) — offering seasonal wine allocations, member discounts on bottles, glasses, flights, and merchandise, plus early access to limited releases and member-only events. Free to join with allocation purchase commitments; pickup only at Michigan by the Bottle locations.
• Private Event Hosting Private event bookings for groups of 25–75 guests at tasting room locations, including corporate social hours, rehearsal dinners, birthday parties, and book clubs. Includes 2-hour venue rental ($250) with $75/hour additional time, optional guided wine tasting add-on ($100), catering partnerships, and the dedicated Mitten Room private space at Auburn Hills ($50 for 2 hours).
• Wine by Glass, Flight, and Bottle Curated wine menu available by the glass ($9–$16), flights, and bottle ($18–$70) featuring categories including dessert, dry white, red, rosé, sparkling, and sweet white wines sourced from partner wineries. Available for on-site consumption and bottle retail purchase.
• Guided Wine Tastings Educational wine tasting experiences led by winery owners and sommeliers, including themed events, food pairings, and winemaker-hosted sessions. Ticketed at $15–$65 per person with tax and gratuity included for food and wine pairing experiences.
• Wholesale & Event Partnerships Business partnership program supplying curated Michigan wines to wedding venues, event planners, mobile bar services, caterers, corporate events, boutique hotels, and specialty retailers for use in their events and retail operations.

Named customers3 records

Segments3 records

Ideal customer profiles4 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Partnerships

15 partnerships are on record, tiered core, flagship and minor.

• Aurora CellarscoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerWinery partner featured at Michigan by the Bottle locations. Located in Lake Leelanau, MI on the Leelanau Peninsula. Known for cool-climate wines with emphasis on red varieties including Blaufrankisch.
• Blustone VineyardscoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerWinery partner named after Leland Blue beach stone. Located on Leelanau Peninsula. Known for Winemaker's Red and Ad-Lib wines.
• Bonobo WinerycoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerWinery partner founded by brothers Todd and Carter Oosterhouse. Located on Old Mission Peninsula. Known for Chardonnay and Rosé.
• Brys Estate Vineyard and WinerycoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerLargest contiguous winery estate on Old Mission Peninsula. Founded 2005. Known for Pinot Noir and Pinot Noir/Riesling blend. Earned over 500 medals in competitions.
• Chateau Chantal Winery & InncoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerWinery partner established 1986 on Old Mission Peninsula. Unique combination of tasting room, winery, and bed & breakfast. Known for Naughty Red and Celebrate Sparkling Rose.
• Dablon Vineyards & WineryflagshipStrategic or Co-development PartnerFamily-owned estate winery in Baroda, MI established 2009. Grows 45 acres on 75-acre estate. Known for Cabernet Franc and Unoaked Chardonnay. Featured winery for July 2026 with multiple tasting events.
• Domaine Berrien CellarscoreStrategic or Co-development Partner100% estate winery in Berrien Springs established 2001. Located in Lake Michigan Shore AVA. Known for Viognier, Syrah, and Cabernet Franc.
• Good Harbor VineyardscoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerLeelanau Peninsula winery established 1980. Second-generation family operation with 175 acres of vineyards. Known for Fishtown White and Pinot Grigio.
• ModalescoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerFennville AVA winery established 2019 by Carol and Jim Gonzalez. Focuses on organic, regenerative farming and minimal-intervention winemaking. Known for Sauvignon Blanc and Gamay Noir.
• Peninsula CellarscoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerOld Mission Peninsula winery established 1994 in converted one-room schoolhouse from 1896. Family-owned by Kroupa family, sixth generation on the land.
• Rove WinerycoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerFamily winery established 2016 on Leelanau Peninsula. Irish heritage story tied to Winegeese legacy. Known for Sauvignon Blanc and Fíona Rúnda.
• Verterra WineryflagshipStrategic or Co-development PartnerLeelanau Peninsula winery established 2006 by Hamelin family. Farms 50+ acres with tasting room in Leland. Known for Pinot Blanc, Pinot Grigio, and Reserve Red. Grill Meets Glass event series partner.
• Wooden Whisk CreationsminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerPreferred catering partner for full meal events. Collaborates on food and wine pairing experiences such as Drink This. With That. events.
• Orion Art CenterminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerCommunity partner for creative workshops. Co-hosts pottery wine glass workshops at the Lake Orion location.
• Essbe Permanent JewelryminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerVendor partner for Red, White & Sparkle events featuring permanent jewelry creation combined with wine pairings.

Scale indicators3 records

Recent moves7 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Direct peers

• Wine.com: Largest U.S. online wine retailer offering curated selections, a wine club, and tasting events. Comparable on the curated multi-winery retail and wine-club mechanics, though delivered nationally rather than through tasting rooms.
• Cooper's Hawk Winery & Restaurants: National chain combining a winery, restaurant, and wine club under one roof across 50+ U.S. locations. Operates the same integrated tasting-room-plus-wine-club-plus-food model as Michigan by the Bottle, scaled nationally.
• Firstleaf: Wine club with curated 6-bottle allocations shipped on a flexible cadence, plus member pricing on reorders. Mirrors MBTB's tiered allocation structure and member-discount economics in a DTC format.
• City Winery: Multi-location urban wine bar and venue operator with on-site production, live music, private events, and a wine club. Closely comparable on the wine-bar-plus-events-plus-membership model in a city setting.
• Wine Access: Curated wine retailer and club focused on limited-production and boutique producers with allocations to members. Closely aligned with MBTB's positioning around limited-production, award-winning boutique wines.
• Bright Cellars: Wine subscription service using a taste-profile quiz to ship curated monthly allocations to members. Comparable on the recurring-revenue wine-club model targeting discovery-oriented consumers.
• Winc: DTC wine subscription club offering personalized allocations, member pricing, and discovery-oriented curation. Operates the same subscription-club mechanics as MBTB's Mitten Club, though with private-label wine and a national shipping model.

Regional players

• The California Wine Club: Subscription club featuring small-production, family-owned California wineries with monthly allocations to members. Same subscription-club mechanic as Mitten Club, but focused on a different state and shipped nationally.

Emerging players

• Lot18: Online wine marketplace offering discounted curated wines and flash allocations to members. Adjacent on the curation and discovery experience, but primarily discount-driven rather than tasting-room-based.

Broad incumbents

• Total Wine & More: Largest U.S. specialty wine, beer, and spirits retailer with 200+ superstores and a broad portfolio across all price points. Competes for off-premise bottle purchases but does not focus on curated local-wine tasting experiences.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• YouTubeyoutube.com/@MichiganByTheBottle-r6r
• Facebookfacebook.com/michiganbythebottleofficial
• Instagraminstagram.com/michiganbythebottle
• TikToktiktok.com/@michiganbythebottle
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/michigan-by-the-bottle-tasting-room

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles2 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Michigan by the Bottle