NW Winery – Jay Briggs
Winemaker, 45 North Vineyard & Winery
Northern Michigan wine runs through Jay Briggs’ veins. Descended from grandparents who met when picking grapes in the Lake Michigan Shore district, Jay Briggs studied viticulture and enology at Michigan State before coming north to intern at Black Star Farms, manage vineyards at Shady Lane, and, in 2013, take over as cellar master and winemaker at Forty-Five North. Jay is the heart of the winery and can be found in the production building most of the time except when the team sneaks out to sample at other wineries, breweries, or cideries. His exuberant personality brings a lot of fun days and laughs to the winery, not taking life too seriously but staying serious about what counts: his wines. He enjoys experimenting and creating new products like our Wild Cider and Citra Cider. Jay@45North.wine
NW Winery – Brian Lillie
Director of Hospitality & Distribution, Chateau Chantal
Brian Lillie is the Director of Hospitality and Distribution at Chateau Chantal Winery. He has been active in the Michigan Wine Industry since 2005. In 2013 he chaired the MiCast (Michigan Certified Alcohol Service Training) Program which received the 2015 Pure Michigan Governor’s Award for Innovative Tourism Collaboration Award in Education and Training. He served on the Michigan Grape and Wine Annual Conference Committees for 10 years and has led a session called “Tasting Great Wine Before the First Glass”. BLillie@chateauchantal.com
NW Winery – Joshua Morgan
Head Winemaker, Petoskey Farms Vineyard & Winery
Josh Morgan grew up in Northern Michigan, in the rural town of Mio. After graduating high school, he attended Central Michigan University and graduated in 2006 with his B.A. in Commercial Parks and Recreation Management. Upon graduation, he moved to Traverse City where he got his start in the wine industry working in the tasting room at Black Star Farms Winery before becoming cellar hand there, spending nine years working his way up through different roles in the cellar until he achieving the role of Cellar Master. There he learned from some of the best winemakers in Northern Michigan, from the delicacies of Riesling, the romance of Pinot Noir and everything in between. Outside of work Josh also works as a paid On-Call Firefighter for the Petoskey Department of Public Safety. When he’s not working, he is spending time with his wife and his Mountain Cur, Max. They enjoy hiking, spending time outdoors, and finding the next best ice cream parlor! Winemaker@petoskeyfarms.com
NW Grape Grower – Tom Petzold
Research & Education Committee Chair
Tom Petzold and his wife established, own and operate Ten Hands Vineyards in Old Mission, facing the East Arm of the Grand Traverse Bay. They grow Riesling and Chardonnay for Bowers Harbor Vineyards, where Tom has worked in various capacities for over 12 years. Tom’s employment at the historic Pontchartrain Wine Cellars restaurant in Detroit (1970s) gave him his first exposure to the world of fine wine. His 17-years living in Europe, while studying & serving in the U.S Air Force, afforded him opportunities to deepen his love, knowledge and respect for fine wine. Tom and his wife, Claudine, have always found time to explore some of the oldest and most recognized wine regions in the world, and gladly embraced the European tradition of enjoying wine as a part of daily life. Committed to surviving the growing pains and opportunities of a young wine industry in Michigan, Tom enjoys working with the tens of partners in the vineyards and wine cellars in the NW region. He served six years (four as VP) on the Parallel 45 Wines and Vines LLC BOD, which is the region’s volunteer organization for research, education and collaboration among growers, MSU, MSU/Ext, winemakers and wine enthusiasts. Tom is a founding member of the MWC and has chaired the R/E Committee since its beginning. petzoldtm@charter.net
SW Winery – Matt Moersch
Partner, Winemaker and Distiller
Round Barn Winery, Distillery & Brewery, Baroda, Michigan
Free Run Cellars, Berrien Springs, Michigan
Matt Moersch’s wine career began as picking grapes in his family’s vineyard and apprenticing with his father, and he continued his studies with world-renowned winemakers and growers in France, Germany, and Hungary. Currently, he is partner of The Round Barn Winery and co-founder of Free Run Cellars, crafting more than 40 different styles of dry and sweet wines; more than 100 unique beer recipes; and 20 different types of fortified wines and spirits, such as bourbon, rum, and vodka. While focused on French-style wines and spirits, Matt draws from the vast diversity of European winemaking and distillation traditions to develop the diverse, award-winning portfolio for which Round Barn and Free Run are celebrated. At both wineries, he oversees and collaborates with winemaker Brian Carlson, a 25-year veteran of California, Oregon, and Washington wineries. Spearheading the Great Lakes Sustainable Wine Alliance (GLSWA), a statewide sustainability initiative, Moersch is working to bring Round Barn’s sustainability mindset to a broader coalition of neighboring winegrowers. Modeled on Oregon’s premier LIVE certification, the GLSWA will encompass agricultural, cellar, and business practices; including key issues such as the elimination of herbicides from Michigan vineyards and aggressive water-reduction practices. “Good wine is made in the vineyard. So I always begin by understanding how I can better serve the grapes by honoring where they grow. When the vines are happy, the wine is, too.” All of Moersch’s properties are MAEAP-verified. Moersch has been a leading figure in building the nationally recognized reputation of Michigan’s famed Lake Michigan Shore AVA. Matt.Moersch@DrinkMichigan.com
SW Grape Grower – Todd Robbins
Vineyard Manager, Glenn Vineyards
t.robbins@glennvineyards.com
SE Winery – Bob Otter
Owner, Flying Otter Winery
Bob grew up in western Nebraska and graduated from the University of Nebraska with a BS in Mechanical Engineering. Bob had a 35+ year career in Design Engineering, Engineering Management, and Engineering Consulting that took him to Wisconsin, Texas, Michigan, and, as it turned out, too much time in France, where he fell in love with French wine and cheese. Bob followed his passion for wine and started a vineyard in 2005 near Adrian, Michigan, adding additional vines and varieties until 2016. The Flying Otter Vineyard focuses on cold hardy varieties that thrive in SE Michigan. Bob received formal training and education in viticulture and enology through VESTA, which led to the opening of The Flying Otter Winery in 2011, featuring estate grown and produced wines. Bob@FlyingOtter.com
UP Winery – Dave Anthony
Owner, Winemaker & Vineyard Manager, Northern Sun Winery
Dave Anthony left a career in the legislative process, having spent 11 years as an assistant to U.S. Senator Carl Levin and 8 years as a member of the Michigan House of Representatives. In 1999, he became an in-house consultant to the Hannahville Indian Community and also began his passion of growing wine grapes. By 2011, Dave and his wife Susan opened Northern Sun Winery. Dave continues to be very involved in his community and with state policy, serving on numerous boards of directors and advisory boards. Northernsunwinery@mail.com
Grape Grower Other Region – Jessica Youngblood
Owner & Vineyard Manager, Youngblood Vineyard
Cold Climate Committee Chair
In 2016, Jess Youngblood and her husband Dave traded in their fields of soybeans, corn and Christmas trees and planted wine grapes on their 46 acre family farm. Youngblood Vineyard is home to nearly 21,000 cold-hardy wine grape varieties, of which there are 3 white and 3 red. Currently growing are Marquette, Itasca, Frontenac, Frontenac Blanc, Prairie Star, and Petite Pearl. They look forward to this new adventure and sharing the experience with friends, family, and the community as they continue to expand their vineyard. Jessica is also on the Board of Directors at the National Grape Research filling their Midwest Regional Representative seat. Jyoungblood@youngbloodvineyard.com
Tourism – Ed Peabody
Director, HOUR Custom Publishing
HOUR Media
Ed Peabody is director of custom publishing for Hour Media in Troy, Michigan, and has 15 years of experience working in the Michigan wine industry to produce Michigan Wine Country magazine. Ed joined Hour in 2000 to spearhead the company’s diversification into content marketing and book publishing. Before that, he was VP-Group Publisher at Campbell-Ewald, where he worked on integrated marketing initiatives for a variety of multinational clients in the automotive, financial services, and information technology industries. A lifelong Michigander, Ed has a bachelor’s degree in Journalism and Honors English from Wayne State University in Detroit. EPeabody@hour-media.com
Restaurant/Retail – Lisa Lyon
Wine Buyer, Meijer
Lisa Lyon is the Wine Buyer for Meijer, headquartered in Grand Rapids, Michigan. She is new to the Michigan Wine Industry, however, is passionate about supporting local wineries. At Meijer, Lisa supports the Michigan wineries with dedicated display features, control label development, print advertising, and digital marketing. Her goal as a Michigan Wine Collaborative board members is to partner with Michigan Wineries to grow their businesses while building a best-in-class wine experience for the Meijer customer.
Interesting in joining the board or a committee? Contact us for more information.
