Porch Notes
Paw Paw and Michigan's oldest winery
History and culture
Paw Paw, the county seat, sits in the heart of Michigan’s wine country — and it’s home to the winery that started it all. St. Julian has been making wine in Paw Paw since 1936 (the company itself dates to 1921), which makes it the oldest winery in Michigan, as well as the largest and most decorated. An Italian immigrant named Mariano Meconi founded it, and four generations of the same family have run it since. Today it turns out more than a hundred different wines, juices, ciders, and spirits, and its tasting room in downtown Paw Paw is an easy stop right off I-94.
St. Julian isn’t alone — Warner Vineyards, another long-running winery, sits just down the street, and the rolling fruit farms around town have made this corner of Michigan one of the state’s grape-growing centers for a century. Whether you’re tasting wine or just passing through, Paw Paw wears its winemaking history on its sleeve.
St. Julian Winery & Distillery, downtown Paw Paw (off I-94, Exit 60) · stjulian.com