Traverse City hosts Cheesiest Valentine's Ever food and wine pop-ups

Traverse City Food & Wine has announced a multi-venue weekend called "The Cheesiest Valentine's Ever," a four-day slate of tastings, classes and dinners set for Thursday, Feb. 12, through Sunday, Feb. 15. Events will take place at wineries, tasting rooms and production sites across the Traverse City area, pairing local cheeses with wines, spirits and seasonal menus.

Organizers designed the pop-up to showcase Northern Michigan's year-round culinary and draft beverage scene and to encourage wintertime exploration of the region. Most offerings are ticketed while some are pay-as-you-go; tickets and details are available at TraverseCityFoodandWine.com. The lineup includes French Valley and Leelanau Cheese - A Special Tasting and Talk at French Valley Vineyard on Feb. 12, Whiskey & Cheese Pairings at Traverse City Whiskey Co. on Feb. 12, Flights & Cheesy Flatbreads at French Valley Vineyards on Feb. 13, and Curated Wine & Cheese Pairings at Bel Lago Winery on Feb. 13.

Valentine's weekend programming continues with a Galentine's Charcuterie Board Workshop and a Fresh Mozzarella & Pizza Napoletana Cooking Class at Black Star Farms on Feb. 14, a Mozzarella Workshop Cheesemaking session at Leelanau Cheese on Feb. 14, and multiple wine-and-cheese dinners and pairings at Bonobo Winery, Dune Bird Winery and Mawby Vineyards. Left Foot Charley will host Vintage Reds & the Grateful Dead on Feb. 15, while Chateau Chantal closes the weekend with Savoring Sunday: Vines and Rinds on Feb. 15.

The project is presented by 4Front Credit Union and organized by Traverse City Tourism, part of broader efforts to extend visitor activity beyond the summer high season. For local vintners, cheesemakers and tasting-room staff, coordinated winter events like this can spread demand across the year and create extra revenue opportunities during slower months. For restaurants, lodging and transportation providers, the weekend offers incremental bookings for mid-February, when hotel occupancy and restaurant traffic typically soften compared with fall harvest and summer festivals.

Beyond immediate economic benefit, the pop-up underscores a longer-term trend in the region: operators increasingly package experiential food-and-drink programming to differentiate Northern Michigan in shoulder and off seasons. Traverse City Food & Wine will return in full scale Aug. 19-23, 2026, continuing the calendar of events that feed into local tourism and hospitality employment.

The takeaway? If you plan to make it a Valentine’s weekend escape, buy tickets soon at TraverseCityFoodandWine.com, check which events are pay-as-you-go, and bundle tastings with a weekend stay to support small producers and keep winter dining options lively. Our two cents? Bring warm layers, an appetite, and a sense of adventure, Northern Michigan’s cheese scene is worth the drive.