September 2023 Newsletter
Listen to the first episode from Music in the Bottle’s MI Governor’s Cup Series, Indulge in the data from our most recent grower’s survey and participate in a final survey, Get excited for the upcoming Field Blends Michigan tour, Help us expand the MWC Talent Pipeline/4-H Viticulture Club, Join the 2024 MI Governor’s Cup Planning Committee, Read a note about the latest Dirt to Glass Conference, Make your voice heard about a PA-232 revival, Connect with MWC Sponsor KEEN, Check out our September classifieds, and More! |
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2023 Michigan Wine Collaborative Membership Drive and Renewals
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It’s that time again! The Michigan Wine Collaborative (MWC) membership drive is still in effect. Help us sustain and expand our organization by ensuring your membership information is up to date including preferred payment method and if you are not yet a member of MWC the time to join is NOW! Memberships are billed annually each September 15th. Get a bit more out of your membership by joining TODAY!
Learn more about MWC membership here:
Membership – Michigan Wine Collaborative |
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Music in the Bottle Kicks Off 2023 MI Governor’s Cup Series
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| MWC is excited to announce our current collaboration with Music in the Bottle podcast featuring the winning wines from the 2023 Michigan Governor’s Cup! The series kicks off with an episode on all things MAWBY!! Indulge in the first episode of the series and hear from Mike Laing of MAWBY as well as get some feedback from Darryl and Jamele of Music in the Bottle on what they really think of MAWBY’s Grace Brut Rosé and 2017 Mille Brut Methode Champenoise.
Follow Music in the Bottle on Instagram, Facebook, and wherever you listen to your favorite podcasts to stay updated with our Governor’s Cup series and all of the episodes from the duo. |
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The Michigan Wine Collaborative (MWC) received a MDARD / USDA Specialty Crop Block Grant award for 2021-2022 to increase the competitiveness of Michigan Grape and Wine Producers. As a part of this campaign the MWC collected information on a specific outcome indicator that measured the change in Wine Grape Sales from 2021 to 2022. The results of two industry surveys indicate that Michigan grape and wine producers assigned a total value of $22.5M to their grape crop in 2022, an increase of 78% over the 2021 crop value of $12.6M. The total number of cases of wine sold across all sales channels was 950K, an increase of 58%. It should be noted, an additional 39 responses were collected in 2022 and an additional 1,000 acres were represented in the 2022 survey results when compared to the 2021 results. Follow the link below to access the full reports on our website and explore our findings.
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We have one final survey to conduct as we complete reporting for this impactful grant project. Please take a few moments to complete the survey below.
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Field Blends Takes Michigan Wine!
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| Field Blends is coming to Michigan where the next wave of winemaking is captivating the palates of wine pros and pleasure seekers alike. This immersive 5-day food + wine excursion is focused on spotlighting the vintners, growers, farmers, chefs, and community members in and around Traverse City who shaping change and shifting the narrative on wine.
The tastemakers of of the Great Lakes’ winemaking epicenter are making waves and securing a promising future in the world of wine and beyond. MWC has known this for some time, and now Field Blends is helping us spread the word! |
| MWC has partnered with Field Blends to assist in planning and promoting their epic event taking place in Traverse City June 2024. We will be hosting a virtual Meet & Greet/Informational Session/Webinar to introduce the team at Field Blends to our members who may be interested in sponsoring or partnering with the event.
MWC members should keep an eye on their emails for an official invitation to the virtual event where we will learn more about the event organizers, the concept and purpose of Field Blends, and how we are working together to elevate Michigan wine. |
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Help Sustain the MWC Talent Pipeline & 4-H Viticulture Clubs
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| MWC is hard at work maintaining and expanding our work on the MWC Talent Pipeline and 4-H Viticulture Clubs throughout the state of Michigan. A focal point of this project is establishing educational vineyards in the city of Detroit in an attempt to both expand Michigan wine country east as well as create a more accessible industry. Our current partners in Detroit include Pingree Farms (featured in the photo above), Drew Ryan Wines, Detroit Vineyards, and MSUE’s Detroit Partnership for Food, Learning, and Innovation.
We have developed a broad curriculum which will serve as an introductory course for youths learning how to establish and maintain a vineyard. We are hopeful that this opportunity for kids to connect with vines will create an emotional connection with Michigan grapes and feed into the talent pipeline for the entire state which we hope can help alleviate labor stressors on many of our vineyards and wineries in the future.
You can view our current video curriculum HERE!
We need your help to continue the momentum on this innovative and essential project! We are seeking additional partners, sponsors, and club leaders. Some specific needs include:
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Help Us Plan the 2024 MI Governor’s Cup
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| MWC members are encouraged to volunteer to assist us with the planning of the 2024 MI Governor’s Cup. We are working on forming a committee of energetic and committed members to aid us in planning a successful event in 2024. We will soon be working on a request for RFPs to select a location and venue, itinerary for the event(s), format of competition, sourcing sponsors and partners, and more!
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Notes on the 2023 Dirt to Glass Conference
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“A quick, but important SHOUT OUT to the key organizers of the 2nd Annual Dirt to Glass Conference in Traverse City (Aug 24-25), to include particularly, but not limited to, Amanda Danielson, Paolo Sabbatini, Annette Kleinschmit, Mike Moyer, Esmaeil Nasrollahiazar and Thomas Houseman. The two-day event was most interesting, informative, but also very enjoyable. It is always nice to get back together with our winemaking, wine growing or just wine drinking colleagues from all across the state and beyond. Thanks to all of the participants and certainly the many sponsors, who seem to “always be there” when we need them to make these gatherings possible. A final note would be to highlight my observation and appreciation for their digging into (forgive the PUN) the difficult area of sustainable or even regenerative viticulture, which could well be one of the distinguishing hallmarks of Michigan viticulture in the future.”
-Tom Petzold, MWC Board Member
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Make Your Voice Heard: PA 232 Revival
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MWC is revisiting the possibility of establishing a PA-232 initiative to help fund the Michigan grape and wine industries. Please RSVP to [email protected] by 9/20 if you want to be in the conversation regarding PA 232.
Plans for PA-232 discussions are scheduled for Southwest Michigan on 11/3 and Northwest Michigan on 12/1. |
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Few industries embrace age-old traditions and modern technology like wineries. In the past decade, wineries and vineyards have prioritized energy efficiency and broader sustainability efforts to increase profitability, reduce the impact of energy price volatility, and meet their own green commitments. There are several ways Michigan wineries can improve energy efficiency and reduce their environmental impact, including on-site renewable energy generation.
KEEN is a trusted Michigan company that excels at leveraging energy efficiency solutions. Our innovative approach helps clients achieve sustainability goals while reducing energy consumption and maximizing environmental benefits. With top-notch services, KEEN is a leading authority, providing comprehensive solutions for a greener future – Improve your winery’s energy efficiency with KEEN!
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Calling All MI Wine Events!!
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| We want to help promote your vineyard and winery events!! MWC members are welcomed to submit events at any time for promotion in the Vintage Michigan Event Calendar. These events are shared with the over 4000 Vintage Michigan members. Please submit via the form below or contact Emily with event information, links, graphics, and invitations. |
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September MI Wine Classifieds
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Dablon Vineyards has a surplus of grapes this year and the following varieties are available for purchase:
Traminette 4-5 tons – $900/ton
Chardonnay 8 tons – $1600/ton
Pinot Noir 8 tons – $2300/ton
Arandell (red hybrid) 7-8 tons – $900/ton
Malbec 5 tons – $2500/ton
Riesling 8 tons – $1600/ton
Cab Franc 4 tons – $2500/ton
Merlot 4 tons – $2500/ton
Cab Sauvignon 3-5 tons – $2500/ton
Pinot Gris 3 tons – $1600/ton
REACH OUT TO RUDY HERE!
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NW MICHIGAN
Left Foot Charley is seeking a 2 year Apprenticeship candidate which will include 299 hours of related technical instruction and rotations in the cellar (~1 year), the tasting room (~6 months), and the vineyard (~6 months). A winemaker, also known as an enologist or vintner, oversees the entire production process of creating wine, including grape harvesting, crushing, fermentation, aging, blending and bottling.
Contact Kristy McClellan at 231-620-1170 (Mobile)
SE MICHIGAN
Position: Skilled Winemaker
Experience: 5+ years preferred; experience-appropriate candidates welcomed
Type: Part-time/contractual (with potential for expansion)
The Vineyard: Nestled in a prime location between the vibrant college town of Ann Arbor and the charming city of Dexter, our boutique vineyard promises a unique and invigorating experience.
Contact Lori at [email protected]
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| Modales Wines is seeking a diaphragm air pump and a must auger and would prefer to purchase from someone in Michigan. Contact Andrew Backlin for more information. |
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Michigan Wine in the News
Check out notable mentions in the media featuring Michigan Wine Collaborative members and promoting the Michigan Wine Industry.
Click Here to Read the News!
*Did we miss an important Michigan wine news story? We love featuring our member wineries! E-mail us HERE! |
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The Michigan Wine Collaborative appreciates support from the following Sponsors and Supplier/Vendor Members:
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| 2023 MWC Sponsors & Donors |
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| 2023 MWC Suppliers & Vendors |
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Are you interested in promotional opportunities for your business? Check out our partnership opportunities HERE!
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