April 2023 Newsletter

Celebrate the upcoming launch of the Inclusion & Expansion Educational Fund Scholarship, Submit your wines in the upcoming Finger Lakes International Wine & Spirits Competition, Mark your calendars for the NW MI Grape Spring Kick Off Meeting, Register for the WineAmerica 2023 National Wine Policy Conference, Reminder to participate in the Commerce7 seminar survey, Learn about services from MWC’s newest member L’uva Bella, and More!

Launching of the Inclusion & Expansion Educational Fund Scholarship Application Process

We at the Michigan Wine Collaborative are excited to announce the launch of the Inclusion and Expansion Education Fund Scholarship application process. Awardees of the Inclusion & Expansion Educational Fund will receive the following to advance their training and career in wine:

Funding
Mentorship Support
Industry Support

MWC plans to expand these benefits and the number of awardees as the educational fund progresses. The current outline of the program can be found at: docs.google.com/document/d/1kE9JwdjLz9-T7hoPbKF6NWRAAkGpElYDws9jDpjqyuE/edit?usp=sharing

The 2023 candidates of the MWC Inclusion & Expansion Education Fund should be able to display a passion for wine and/or wine grapes. The awardee(s) will be provided with funds to support their enrollment costs, study supplies, and/or aid in cost-of-living expenses while studying wine, viticulture, and/or hospitality.

Applications will be accepted from April 10th-May 15th, 2023 and recipients will be announced at the 2023 Michigan Governor’s Cup in June 2023. Candidates can apply online at: forms.gle/LhKgzdJw54yK5U5P9

This scholarship will also be partially funded by The DREAM wine collaboration. The DREAM is available now at participating Michigan retailers and online.

Keep an eye out for an upcoming Press Release regarding this historic and exciting step towards expanding the Michigan grape and wine industries!

Click Here to Donate Directly to the IE Educational Fund!

Compete in the Upcoming Finger Lakes Wine & Spirits Competition

The Finger Lakes International Wine & Spirits Competition (FLIWC) is one of the largest charitable wine and spirits competitions in the United States. Masters of Wine, Master Distillers, Master Sommeliers, educators, journalists, wine makers, and other top internationally certified judges from around the world converge each year in Rochester, NY to evaluate and award thousands of internationally crafted wine and spirits, all accomplished in two days of blind judging.

Wines must be entered and received by May 12th.

Click Here for Entry Information!

Save the Date! 2023 Northwest Michigan Grape Kickoff Meetings! 4/14

The spring meeting will cover a range of important topics including establishing and expanding vineyards, sap flow pruning techniques, effective trunk disease management, accurate crop estimation and low SO2 winemaking methods.

MSUE is very excited to welcome grape growers from all over Michigan and the Midwest to the 2023 Northwest Michigan Grape Kickoff hybrid meeting from 9 a.m. – 5 p.m. on April 14 at the Northwest Michigan Horticulture Research Center.

This year, the kick-off meeting will include enology and viticulture talks. It will be a hybrid meeting, and five Michigan Restricted Use Pesticide (RUP) applicator recertification credits for private and commercial fruit will be offered to the audience.

Registration fee for non-P45 members is $45. P45 members will only be charged $25, and $10 for virtual attendees.

Advance registration is required. Registration closes at midnight on Thursday, April 13, so don’t miss out! On the morning of the meeting, virtual participants will receive a Zoom link and will need to download Zoom to their computer or smartphone to participate.

Click Here to Register!

April’s Wine Law with Mark Vanneste

MWC is excited to invite you to indulge in the April Wine Law feature, with Mark Vanneste. The full Wine Law articles will be available on our website. Tune in monthly as Mark covers a new topic relevant to the Michigan grape and wine industries. So without further ado here’s a word from Mark on issues and updates surrounding direct shipping and the state of Michigan…

“Michigan has had a complex history regarding direct shipping. In fact, Michigan (along with New York) was at the center of an important United States Supreme Court case decided in 2005. Prior to that ruling, Michigan allowed in-state wineries to ship to its residents but prohibited out-of-state wineries from doing the same thing. The Supreme Court found that to be unconstitutional.

Michigan was also at the center of another important federal case ultimately decided in 2020. That lawsuit was brought by an out-of-state retailer after Michigan’s legislature passed a law that allowed in-state retailers to ship alcohol directly to Michigan residents but prohibited out-of-state retailers from doing the same thing. Despite the 2005 ruling which involved manufactures as opposed to retailers, this law was found to be constitutional and remains on the books today…”

Click Here to Read the April 2023 Edition of Wine Law!

Taste Michigan Launches For Michigan Wine Month

The Taste Michigan team is in the final planning stages for the main campaign to be launched later this month. The marketing committee will be bringing the Michigan wine industry into focus with several eye-catching and somewhat disruptive ads that will be seen on social media, radio broadcasts, print, and more! “We are so energized by this campaign and can’t wait to share it with our colleagues and the world!” says Committee Chair Brian Lillie. Also, stay tuned for your opportunity to get your hands on Taste Michigan logo wear very soon!

Stay tuned on Taste Michigan social media for updates!

Visit the Taste Michigan Website Here!

Register for the 2023 WineAmerica National Wine Policy Conference

The conference combines learning, advocacy, and networking. Taking place at WineAmerica’s office, minutes away from Capitol Hill, this meeting is the industry’s major opportunity to make its voice heard.

The two-day agenda will feature speakers and presentations on the politics and policies affecting our industry. It includes business meetings of the WineAmerica Board of Directors and the State and Regional Association Advisory Council (SRAAC), and a wine reception for all attendees. The policy-focused conference is your opportunity to make a difference regarding the laws that affect you.

All WineAmerica members are encouraged to attend. Members of the Wine Growers of America and National Grape Research Alliance are also welcome to register. Registration is $300.

CLICK HERE TO JOIN WINEAMERICA!

Click Here to Register for the Conference!

Commerce7’s Tasting Room Sales Best Practices Seminar Presentation and Survey

The Michigan Wine Collaborative offered our members an exclusive online seminar, compliments of Commerce7 in partnership with WISE Academy and Community Benchmark!

The seminar covered:

-A Community Benchmark overview to better understand Tasting Room metrics such as AOV, conversion to purchase and club!

-WISE Academy’s seminar on Tasting Room Sales Best Practices: Top 10 Success Tips! Lesson learned from over 5,000 mystery shoppers on what works, what doesn’t work and how to leverage best practices to not only improve guest engagement but also for the Triple Score (getting sales, wine club signups, and data capture)

-Growing DTC Sales – Learning the tangible steps you can take to sell more and grow your average lifetime value, order value, and direct-to-consumer sales this year and beyond, presented by Commerce7.

We were excited to have over 50 members in attendance for this exclusive seminar. We are asking attendees to complete a survey on their experience, which can be found below. For those unable to make the event or interested in reviewing the information, the presentations are available below.

Community Benchmark Presentation Slides
WISE Academy Presentation Slides
Commerce7 P resentation Slides

Click Here to Complete the Survey!

Establishment of the Traverse Wine Institute

Traverse Wine Institute, wine education provider, is proud to announce the launch of its new wine school and the availability of Wine & Spirit Education Trust (WSET) Level 1 & 2 Award in Wine certifications along with other educational offerings to the public starting in May.

The Institute’s new WSET classes will be taught by certified WSET educators and will cover all levels of WSET certification in wine, from Level 1 & Level 2 initially, with level 3 being offered in the future. These courses will provide students with a deep understanding of wine production, grape varieties, wine regions, and wine tasting techniques. Upon completion, students will be awarded a globally recognized WSET certification, which is highly respected in the wine industry.

The Traverse Wine Institute’s wine school and WSET classes will begin in May 2023, and interested individuals can register online at traversewineinstitute.org. In addition to WSET classes, the Institute will also offer a range of other wine courses, including classes on wine tasting, a blind tasting group, and various other master classes with specific focus on different aspects of the wine industry.

For more information about the Traverse Wine Institute’s wine school and WSET classes, please visit traversewineinstitute.org or contact McKenzie Gallagher or Heather Durham at [email protected]. All current employees of a Traverse Wine Coast winery will be given a discount for a limited time ($50 off of level 1- discount code TWC50 and $75 off of level 2- discount code TWC75). We are excited to offer this globally recognized professional certification to our growing wine industry and community!

Meet MWC’s Newest Member, L’uva Bella

L’uva Bella Winery provides solutions to all your wine needs including bulk wines, packaged products, custom blends and products; they do it all!

L’uva Bella focuses on producing the highest quality wines at a competitive price and providing solutions for wineries of all sizes across the East Coast, Midwest, and Southeast.

Available styles include:
-Dry California and West Coast Wines
-Sweet Wines
-Fruit Wines
-Custom Wines

*L’uva Bella also offers bottling and packaging services

Please feel free to contact Garret Lattanzio today for more information on availability and pricing.

Samples available!

https://luvabella.com/commercial-services/

Michigan Beverage Collective Works for Michigan Wine Collaborative Members

The MB&WWA Group Insurance Program offers an extensive array of cost-effective coverage options and plan designs, along with outstanding personalized service and simplified administration.

Their comprehensive program line-up includes the following coverages:
•            Medical and Prescription Drug Insurance
•            Dental Insurance
•            Vision Insurance
•            Employee Life and AD&D Insurance
•            Dependent Life Insurance
•            Short & Long-Term Disability
•            Voluntary Policies
•            Reimbursement Accounts and Health Savings Accounts (HSAs)

Build a customized benefits package, choosing from among 15 unique medical, five prescription drug plans, four dental options, four vision plans, and numerous disability coverage levels offered through the Michigan Beverage Collective.

There are several additional programs available to the beer and wine wholesalers, craft breweries, wineries, and distilleries in Michigan through MBWWA Services, Inc. Along with the Group Insurance Program, we offer:
•            Cafeteria Plan Administration
•            Drug and Alcohol Testing Consortium (MBWC)
•            401(k) Group Plan
•            Endorsed Investment Advisor and Fiduciary (DS Investment Advisors)
•            Third-party container pick-up service (UBCR)

Interested in learning more about one of these programs? Contact Katie Gray with MBC today!
Katie Gray
Marketing & Sales Representative
[email protected]
(810) 252-9499