Frequently Asked Questions

Please reach us if you cannot find an answer to your question.

Do guests have to make their own reservations at the various wineries?

Guests DO NOT have to make any reservations with us on our Award-Winning Traverse City Wine Tours. Book the tour and we do all the reservation work for our guests. We are at the wineries every day, Wine Tours is all we do… The wineries know we are coming.

Why is the company called Movie Stars Wine Tours? Are there Movie Stars on the Wine Tour?

Yes there are Movie Stars on each and every one of our tours… our guests are the Movie Stars receiving “Movie Star” treatment with above and beyond VIP service. All we do are Award-Winning Wine Tours here in Traverse City. We don’t do anything else, we only do Wine, Distillery and Brew Tours.

What Types of Tours Does Movie Stars Wine Tours Offer?

We offer a variety of tours, including the award-winning Old Mission and Leelanau Peninsula wine, distillery and brew tours.

Are there other drinks besides wine on the tours?

Yes there is cider, brandy, vodka, whiskey (rye), gin, frozen drinks, beer and our Award-Winning Traverse City Sunset Tour has an optional distillery stop.

Is there food on the tour?

Yes, each winery has a selection of snacks and food including charcuterie boards, dips, popcorn- ask your guide for more information.

Should we bring a cooler?

You won’t need it, very short trips to and in-between the wineries and there is food and water available at the each stop. We used to bring a cooler however our groups buy so much wine we ran out of room with all the boxes of wine.

What types of payments are acceptable?

Groups can pay right on our website, select the tour, and use any credit or debit card. Larger groups can contact us for Venmo information, which is convenient for groups with multiple couples or larger groups such as bachelorette parties. Contact persons can send out our Venmo information so members of the group can all pay individually.

Would you match other prices?

For private tours and larger groups, we try to meet or match other “transport” companies’ prices. We would never want to infringe on anyone’s right to wine. Our award-winning tours are NOT comparable to other transport companies, all we do are Award-Winning Traverse City Wine Tours. We are the VIP tour with real wine tour guides who are experts in local and world wines arriving in style with our big luxury GMC Yukon SUVs. Send us an email [email protected] or text 231-360-1267 and let’s try to figure it out.

How Long Are Your Tours?

Not long enough… Tour lengths vary depending on the specific tour. Please refer to the tour description for more information. Unless otherwise specified, the day tours are usually 4 wineries – 4-5 hours and the sunset tours are usually 3-4 wineries – 4-5 hours.

Do You Offer Private Tours?

Yes, we offer private tours. Guests can book private tours here on our website, hit the “Book Now” on our homepage and feel free to book a private tour for up to 7 of your friends/family. For larger private tours please contact us for more information.

Can Private Tours pick their own wineries?

WE are very flexible on all our tours, Yes, private tours can go to wineries that are not on our list. It might not be the same Movie Star experience, however we will take private groups to wineries per request.

What’s included?

We are the Law Enforcement/First Responder/military friendly – owned/operated by former Law Enforcement. This is a safe area for law enforcement. See other inclusions on each tour by clicking on the particular tour of interest.

We had a bus last time with no AC, do you have air conditioning in your vehicles?

Booking a fancy winery tour and finding out there is no AC in the vehicle can be a long frustrating day. Movie Stars Wine Tours operates all newer air-conditioned vehicles.

Do you wine tour in loud obnoxious party buses?

No we do not use buses. We are the NON-PARTY BUS real wine tour. Our guests ride exclusively in luxury SUV type vehicles – GMC Yukon/Chevrolet Suburban – coming soon Cadillac Escalade. Old tired buses are not good pairings with fancy wine tours. Arrive in style with Movie Stars Wine Tours.

Are your tours private or public?

Unless otherwise reserved, our tours are semi-private, depending on the day, we sometimes combine couples and you can meet some new best friends on our tours, groups of 6-7 most likely will have their own private vehicle.

Who are your wine tour guides?

Our guides are expert Wine Tour Guides- Wine enthusiasts, and certified local Wine Experts, for a fancy wine tour do you want a wine connoisseur or a bus driver? WE are local Traverse City Guides – UofM Grads (owner) / MSU, EMU, GVSU, CMU Grads (some guides). Check out our “Cast” page to meet all the tour guides and check out their backgrounds, we are anything but uber drivers, this is the expert wine tour company, we only roll with the best of the best.

Who owns Movie Stars Wine Tours?

Magic Mike former of Magic Shuttle Bus owns the new Movie Stars Wine Tours here in Traverse City Michigan. Mike is the only owner/operator who is regularly in the wineries and on almost all of his Traverse City Wine Tours 99% of the time.

Is wine included?

Since 2020-2022 tastings are no longer free at the wineries. If guests are unsure of a particular wine, wine Samples/Splashes ARE available on our tour- glasses of wine, wine flights, bottles of wine, food are extra. Groups of 6 or more get a complimentary bottle of wine. The wineries love our groups so there are occasional promotional glasses of wine available.

Do larger groups get any perks?

Groups over 6 get a complimentary bottle of wine (Gamay, Secco, Gwertz- depends on availability).

How many people can we take on a tour?

We have several luxury SUV-type vehicles, so we can accommodate groups of up to 26. Our larger groups look like Movie Stars showing up to the winery in a group of luxury SUVs. We call this the entourage.

Service Dogs?

We have limited seating so we must know prior to our tours starting that there might be a service dog on the tour-guests must inform us at least 1 day prior or we may not be able to accommodate animals. Groups with service dogs must rent a private tour simply because our vehicles are smaller and we cannot combine groups with unknown service dogs. We appreciate service dogs however other guests may be allergic or uncomfortable around unknown service dogs. Wineries do allow service dogs. We are dog lovers however we just need to know ahead of time. We will accommodate the best we can.

What’s excluded?

Old tired worn out buses are excluded, there will be NO worn out tired old former school buses on our bougie tours!