December 2017 Newsletter

New Year, New Vintage

This past year has been gratifyingly fruitful for the Michigan Wine Collaborative. In 2017 MWC helped to establish the Great Lakes Sustainable Wine Alliance which is aiding the industry in creating standards for Michigan vineyards and producers to become more eco-friendly in sustainable ways. We were also honored to host the Detroit Association of Business Economist’s final stakeholder meeting at the Federal Reserve Bank of Chicago. This event focused on the amazing growth we have seen in the Michigan wine industry and also resulted in some new memberships. Another notable catalyst for achievement of 2017 was Tom Petzold of Ten Hands Vineyards and Tom Smith of MSU spearheading Michigan’s apprenticeship program. These paid, comprehensive training contracts are work-focused but augmented by course work, instead of vice-versa, to enforce hands-on experiencebeforeapprentices enter or re-enter the formal workforce. In addition to those accolades we saw an increase in number of award winning Michigan wines and wineries, hired a project and marketing director to help us further reach our goals, and collaborated with so many of our colleagues and members within the industry on projects in the works and on the docket for 2018. And we would not have been able to do any of it without our members. So thank you for making this past year an excellent vintage for the Michigan wine industry…let’s do it again in 2018. Happy New Year!

Catching up with Lake Michigan College Enology & Viticulture Alumni

The next generation of winemakers, viticulturists, and wine industry professionals are being cultivated at Lake Michigan College in Benton Harbor, MI. Students in this program enjoy the opportunity of receiving a well rounded education that touches on nearly every aspect of the wine industry. One of the most exciting and valuable projects the students interact with are small trials of experimental varieties in Michigan. The results of these trials could greatly influence the future of the Michigan wine industry as a whole. Mike Moyer is the director of the program at LMC. He has extensive experience in enology and viticulture from California to Oregon to Washington and envisions a bright future for the Michigan wine industry. The hope for this program is that it will work as a catalyst to provide the industry with a steady stream knowledgeable and trained prospects. Moyer had this to say in reference to the program and the desired effects on the industry,

“The Wine and Viticulture program at Lake Michigan College is currently in its third year, and already has graduates and current students taking positions in the Michigan wine industry and beyond. The program’s emphasis on hands-on, experiential learning from the vineyard to the tasting room prepares students for a successful career in the wine business. Our mission is to contribute positively to the growth and success of the Michigan wine industry.”

Pictured: Sherrie Williams, current student in the LMC Enology & Viticulture program, giving a tour of the wine list to program alumni Taylor Hollis. Brand manager, Laura Morris can be seen at the other end of the tasting bar enaging a group of patrons.

In December we had the opportunity to visit the student run tasting room, Lake Michigan Vintners Winery Tasting Room in Baroda, MI. We found a comfortable, modern, and approachable environment, an impressive wine list, and knowledgeable staff. Sherri, who is a veteran student of the program, took us through each and every one of the wines and provided insight on varietal history, production of the wine, and was able to answer many questions regarding harvests, wine-making techniques, and barrel programming. The tasting room often hosts live music, wine pairing events, educational lectures, and also private events all of which assist students in the hospitality side of the wine industry. Periodically we will be catching up with alumni from the program to see how they are influencing and advancing the industry.

2017 GLEXPO

MWC was thrilled to have been able to attend the 2017 Great Lakes Expo in Grand Rapids on December 5th. We enjoyed a full day of informative, innovative, and engaging presentations by accomplished professionals and scholars including Paolo Sabbatini, Tom Todaro, Josh VanderWeide, Keith Mason, Brian Matchett, and Alex Boyle of MSU and NMC. In addition to our hometown favorites we were also given the opportunity to learn management techniques of cover crops from Hans Walter-Peterson from Cornell University and root zone management Cain Hickey from University of Georgia. A big thank you to Brad Baughman for moderating a great event.

Additional News:

Do you have an event, news, or accolade you would like published through MWC? To submit material E-mail Emily at [email protected]
Are you involved in any of MWC’s valuable and dynamic committees? We are looking for motivated and industrious members to help our committees thrive. For more information on available committee seats email Emily at [email protected]
The 2018 Michigan Grape & Wine Conference is in Kalamazoo, MI from Feb. 28- March 2. Early registration ends January 31. MWC members receive $20 off of their registration fees with an exclusive promo code that will be sent out to renewed members. Contact us if you would like the code before the e-mails go out.
The annual Michigan Wine Collaborative meeting will take place at the Michigan Grape & Wine Conference on Thursday March 1st from 4:30-5:30. Join us for an update on our activities from 2017 and goals for 2018.
Have you renewed your membership to MWC yet? The membership renewal deadline was on December 31. We have extended this so you still have an opportunity to renew and stay up to date with MWC happenings. Email [email protected] if you need assistance in renewing.
Communications committee meeting is scheduled for Monday January 8th at 10 am. Any inquiries may be directed to committee chair Brian Lesperance.
Sustainability committee meeting is scheduled for Thursday February 1st at 2 pm. Any inquiries may be directed to committee chair Matt Moersch

Reminder that board meetings take place bi-monthly. All members (voting and non-voting) are welcomed to attend. In addition, time is allotted for public comments or questions. The next board meeting is scheduled forJanuary 9 at 10 am. For call-in information e-mail Emily: [email protected]

For more news and information, please visit us atwww.michiganwinecollaborative.com. As always, please like us on Facebook, follow us on Instagram @michiganwinecollaborative, and on Twitter @MIWineCollab. We look forward to seeing you online!

Cheers,

Dave Miller, President