Caffeine & Chianti

caffeine, chianti & coastlines ☕🍷🌊

After my 4-day trip to Northern Michigan, I had the luxury of spending a few days back home with family, resting and relaxing in Northern Indiana. Throughout high school and college, I loved driving up to the southwest part of Michigan along the lake, spending the day at the beach, and exploring the area.

There’s a highway that runs along the Lake Michigan shoreline from St. Joseph to New Buffalo called Red Arrow Highway, and this small part of the country holds a special place in my heart.

Along Red Arrow, you’ll find cute beach towns, stunning freshwater beaches, antique malls, cozy coffee shops, and even some wine tasting rooms. During my time home, I drove up to the area twice, spending my days enjoying the beaches, antiquing, and visiting some of my favorite spots, along with a few new ones!

In this post, I’m sharing some of my coffee, food, and wine stops along Red Arrow Highway, in case you ever find yourself in Southwest Michigan. Honestly, I can’t recommend this area enough for a slow-paced summer vacation and a little reset. Michigan as a whole is seriously underrated.

Let’s get into it.

infusco coffee roasters

Infusco is such a staple along Red Arrow and easily my favorite coffee spot in the area. It’s a small local roaster that’s practically synonymous with coffee in Southwest Michigan.Its roastery and coffee shop is located in Sawyer, MI, and they also have a cafe location in St. Joseph. The Sawyer location is the perfect coffee stop before a beach day, or a place to hang out for a few hours and get some work done.

My absolute favorite thing to get at Infusco is an iced mocha with whole milk. I know, a big switch-up for me! But seriously, it’s life-changing.

mason jar cafe

The Mason Jar is another staple in the area and a popular breakfast and brunch spot just north of St. Joseph in Benton Harbor. This place is full of character, with a spacious outdoor patio and a large, modern industrial-style indoor space. The decor leans industrial, but somehow still manages to feel cozy. Every time I’ve been here, the place has been bustling and lively.

They serve coffee from Infusco and have a large menu of specialty lattes to choose from. Some of the standouts from the menu are the corned beef hash, scrambles, banana oat pancakes, and zucchini waffles.On a summer morning, it doesn’t get much better than sitting on the patio at Mason Jar, sipping a latte and eating some amazing food.

brewster’s new buffalo

Brewster’s is my go-to dinner spot after a beach day, and I seriously love this place. Every time I go, the food is exceptional.My favorite spot inside is the bar room, which has floor-to-ceiling glass windows. It almost feels like a greenhouse, making you feel like you’re outside even though you’re not! They also have a great patio with plenty of seating.

This time around, I opted for a spritz, Caesar salad, and one of their pizzas. As always, everything was delicious.Brewster’s is especially bustling during the summer, so I’d recommend making a reservation if you decide to go. Otherwise, go early and grab a seat at the bar. That’s my personal favorite strategy!

Pro tip, after spending a beach day and/or having dinner in New Buffalo, I highly recommend stopping by Oink’s. It’s the cutest ice cream shop you’ll probably ever go to in your life.

st julian winery

I only had time to visit a couple of wineries while I was in the area, and St. Julian had been on my list to visit for a long time, so I decided it was finally time to check it out.St. Julian is one of Michigan’s original wineries and has been making wine for over 100 years. They’re also Michigan’s Most Awarded Winery and recently won “Best Regional Winery.”

We visited one of their tasting room locations in Union Pier. They produce an insane variety of wines, ranging from sweet fruit wines to reserve varietals, so there’s definitely something for just about every palate.The tasting room does have a bit of a touristy and overproduced feel to it, but most of the wines I tried were solid. You can choose any six wines you want to try for your tasting, which I really enjoyed because it allowed me to pick a variety of styles. My favorites from the tasting were the Sparkling Motu Viget, 2025 BR FS Sauvignon Blanc, and 2022 BR Cab Franc.

lemon creek winery

I actually visited Lemon Creek a couple of years ago, but I wanted to come back now that I’ve started getting really into wine. Lemon Creek is located in Berrien Springs, MI, a bit inland from the lake. It has a very rustic, relaxed vibe, with tons of outdoor seating and a cozy bar inside. There were only a couple of tables indoors when I visited, so going on a day with good weather is definitely the move here. You can also stroll through their fruit groves and pick fresh fruit like peaches and cherries to take home with you, which makes the whole experience feel even more like a summer afternoon in the country.

They offer an insane number of tasting flights, 16 to be exact, each featuring a combination of five wines. I was told they’re known for their bold red wines and that they compete with wineries in California, so I decided to go with their “Gold Medal Flight,” which showcased five reds. My favorites from the tasting were the Cab Franc Reserve and the Carmenere, mostly because those were the wines where the flavor notes stood out to me the most. Overall, the wines weren’t my favorite that I’ve tried, but if you’re looking for somewhere calm and rustic to spend an afternoon relaxing with a glass of wine, Lemon Creek is a great option.

final thoughts

There’s something about Southwest Michigan that always pulls me back. Maybe it’s the lake, the little beach towns, the antique shops, or the fact that so many of my summers growing up were spent here. It feels familiar in the best possible way.

This part of Michigan is also the perfect place to slow down. You can spend your morning grabbing coffee at a local cafe, wander through an antique mall for a few hours, head to the beach in the afternoon, and finish the day with a glass of wine or dinner somewhere cozy. There’s no need for a packed itinerary. Half of the fun is simply driving along the lake and seeing where the day takes you.

And, of course, it fits perfectly into the three things that inspired this blog in the first place: Caffeine, Chianti & Coastlines. ☕🍷🌊

Coffee in the morning. Wine in the evening. And somewhere along the way, a little time by the water.

If you’re looking for a summer getaway that feels relaxing without requiring a huge trip, put Southwest Michigan on your list. Grab a coffee, drive Red Arrow Highway, stop at every antique shop that catches your eye, spend the afternoon at the beach, and end the day with a wine tasting. Michigan might just surprise you.

Thanks for reading 🙂