An opinion handed down Friday determined 11 winery businesses operating on Old Mission Peninsula just outside Traverse City should be able to host weddings and other large events. Local ordinances had prohibited such business for years. Chris Baldyga, the owner of 2 Lads Winery on Old Mission Peninsula and president of the Wineries of the Old Mission Peninsula Association, told Michigan News Network he hadn’t realized the limitations the ordinance placed on his business.
“When we started, I assumed that it was going to be relatively small, a vineyard and winery, and why would we ever want to grow and do any of the things that winery chateaus can do? But over time, you start to see how limited you are.”
Baldyga feels his winery and others like it can now become a destination for various events in the region. The legal opinion urged the township authorities to cease enforcing its ordinances on the wineries.
