Record March warmth and severe April frosts have combined to destroy most of the Concord and Niagara grape crop in states bordering the Great Lakes from Michigan to Upstate New York. Some labrusca growers in Southwest Michigan and Northern Ohio say the repeated freezes have completely wiped out their grapes. Dr. Tom Zabadal, who coordinates Michigan State University’s viticulture … [Read more...]
Chateau Chantal: From Three Room B&B to Culinary Destination
May 1, 2012 By Leave a Comment
Publisher's note: In this three-part series, Midwest Wine Press will explore how wineries in Northern Michigan, Indianapolis, and Columbus, Ohio structure successful events that are coordinated with the operations of the winery and tasting room client expectations. Hosting events can expose wineries to new patrons, diversify an existing customer base by offering a variety of activities, … [Read more...]
Midwest Winery Rankings by State
April 26, 2012 By Leave a Comment
Midwest Wine Press recently compiled current TTB data to arrive at the number of wineries in the Midwest. (This tabulation method entails acceptance of the TTB definition of a winery which is subject to debate.) The number of wineries in the Midwest as defined by the 11 states in the Midwest Wine Press market area is now 1,132. There are now also 43 organized wine trails in the Midwest. … [Read more...]
Regional Wine Bloggers Expanding Influence
April 17, 2012 By 1 Comment
What if your winery could reach thousands of new potential customers by sending one bottle of wine? With extensive internet and social media followings, leading Midwest wine bloggers reach thousands of interested consumers each month. For example, Michigan by the Bottle, a blog that only reviews wines from Michigan, averages over 7,000 unique visits per month. And the Indiana based … [Read more...]
Midwest Wineries Winners at Finger Lakes
April 15, 2012 By 1 Comment
Midwest Wineries were well represented in the winner's circle at the recent 2012 Finger Lakes International Wine Competition: Best of Competition Best Riesling- Chateau Fontaine, Lake Leelanau, MI, Don and Lucie Matthies, owners Best Ice Wine- Black Star Farms, Suttons Bay, MI, Lee Lutes, head wine maker. Double Gold Medals Cherry, Ackerman Winery, Amana, IA, Linda and … [Read more...]
Outlook Bright for 2012 Midwest Wine Tourism
April 11, 2012 By Leave a Comment
Record-high gas prices this spring threatened to deflate plans for tasting rooms to welcome a steady stream of visitors coaxed by unusually mild temperatures. But, according to tourism officials in wine regions throughout the Midwest, wine lovers don’t mind paying current gas prices, as high as $4.25 a gallon in some areas. Midwest wine tourism officials interviewed last week reported no … [Read more...]
April Frost and Freeze Damage Reports
April 11, 2012 By Leave a Comment
Midwest Wine Press reported on conditions in Midwest vineyards throughout April 2012. The information below was compiled from conversations with grape growers across the Midwest between April 11th and April 26th, 2012. Updates on recent growing conditions can be found in the News section on the homepage and a related story published May 2nd, 2012: Grape Freeze Damage Extensive in Ohio, New … [Read more...]
Great Lakes Grape Growers Grapple with Freezing Nights
March 27, 2012 By Leave a Comment
Editors note: This story was updated Wednesday morning and was originally posted Tuesday morning, March 27th 2012 Arnie Esterer of Markko Vineyard in Conneaut, Ohio, near Lake Erie, reported temperatures of 23 degrees in the area Monday night. Esterer, who has been tending his vineyards for 45 years, reported that his grape buds are still mainly tight so he does not expect much … [Read more...]
Viticulture Advice For Warmest March Ever from MSU and UW Experts
March 24, 2012 By Leave a Comment
According to Diane Brown at the Berrien County Michigan State University Extension, with the weather this warm this early, grape growers are in uncharted waters in terms of vineyard management practices. Brown, who is a Commercial Horticulture Educator at MSU, said that there has never been an earlier bud break in Michigan than 2012. The National Grape Cooperative officially set bud … [Read more...]
How Michigan Wineries Are Expanding Sales
March 20, 2012 By Leave a Comment
To comprehend Chateau Grand Traverse’s (CTG) reach beyond its home state of Michigan, you need only check out the winery’s Facebook page. One recent post: “Spring Break: CGT Late Harvest Riesling and Ship of Fools spotted at Sharky's On The Pier in Venice, Florida,” along with an image of a table placard perched against a backdrop of blue, sunny skies. Scrolling down the page, another … [Read more...]
