Michigan by the Bottle (MBTB) hosted a ribbon cutting ceremony on Feb. 12 celebrating the opening of its fourth location in downtown Lake Orion.
The crisp, yet sunny, winter day brought out a sizable crowd. Among the crowd were various community leaders and other representatives welcoming the business to Lake Orion’s cozy, but bustling downtown area.
A Brief History of Michigan by the Bottle
Founded by husband-and-wife Shannon and Cortney Casey in June 2009, MBTB initially started as a blog highlighting various wines and wineries in Michigan. The first MBTB location opened in 2012 in Shelby Township. After expanding to Auburn Hills and Royal Oak, the founders later sold the business to a small group of Michigan winery owners: Paul and Geoff Hamelin, the father-son team behind Verterra Winery, as well as Sam and Taylor Simpson, the brother-sister team behind Good Harbor Vineyards and Aurora Cellars. The new Lake Orion location is the first expansion under the new ownership.
“We closed the transaction of acquiring Michigan by the Bottle in May 2025. At that point in time, we already had our eye on this location,” said Paul Hamelin, who spoke with Hour Detroit at the Lake Orion ribbon cutting. “We knew we would have to build it out from scratch, and that would take a while. It’s been fantastic, because it’s also given us not only a new location in a vibrant community, but it gave us a chance to begin the rebranding, to add more interest for community, for customers, and so we could build new content, new ideas, all while building the business, and then reflect that in all of the locations.”
New Ownership, New Look, Same Outstanding Quality
Longtime fans of MBTB’s previous locations will be quick to notice the revamped interior of the new Lake Orion location. The modern, chic renovations were done by Studio+, a design studio with six locations across the United States, including Traverse City. However, Paul was quick to credit his MBTB partners for the updated and welcoming look of the fourth location.
“I really have to give kudos to Geoff and Taylor Simpson,” said Paul. “They’re the two that really spent the hard work of really putting in all the things that define this room.”
While the new interior design will be rolled out to other locations, the quality wine that keeps MBTB’s loyal customers coming back has not changed. The menu still features a robust selection of Michigan wines. Among the varieties are sparkling, dry whites, rosé, reds, sweet wines, and dessert.
MBTB will also feature a rotating selection of wines from over a dozen boutique wineries across the state. In addition to Verterra Winery, Good Harbor Vineyards, and Aurora Cellars, other wineries featured on the menu include Bonobo Winery, Brys Estate, Rove Winery, Dablon Vineyards & Winery, Domaine Berrien Cellars, Mackinaw Trail Winery, Peninsula Cellars, Chateau Aeronautique Winery, Sandhill Crane Vineyards, Chateau Chantal, and Bluestone Vineyards.
Wine by the glass ranges from $7-$18, with bottles ranging from $16-$50. For those looking to sample a variety of wines, MBTB offers a classic tasting of five 1-ounce glasses starting at $10. Customers can also order flights of wine, with three 2-ounce glasses starting at $12 or five 2-ounce glasses starting at $18.
Further Expansion Sooner Than Later?
With the Lake Orion location newly opened, the new ownership of MBTB already has the gears working on continued expansion.
“We still want to expand here in [metro] Detroit; there’s lots of opportunity here,” said Paul. “Then, we also want to expand a little on the west side of the state. A vibrant wine scene there has access to very vibrant markets, not only in Michigan, but people coming in from Illinois and Indiana. We get such tourism influx.”
To learn more about the new Lake Orion location or to purchase various wine bottles and other gifts, visit michiganbythebottle.com.
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