Channel 5 (abc) in Cleveland interviewed Ferrante Winery and other Lake Erie area grape growers last week. In the report, Ferrante, which produces 11o,000 gallons per year, disclosed that there will be no 2012 signature of reserve wines because of freeze damage and loss. http://www.newsnet5.com/dpp/weather/weather_news/northeast-ohio-wine-grapes-devastated-by-hard-freeze … [Read more...]
Grape Freeze Damage Extensive in Ohio, New York, Michigan
May 2, 2012 By 1 Comment
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...]
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...]
License To Steal: Wine Marketing Summit in Ohio
April 23, 2012 By Leave a Comment
Creating a buzz about wine was on every participant’s mind at “License to Steal 2012,” a national wine marketing conference in Geneva-on-the-Lake, Ohio. More than 100 winemakers, distributors, and promoters came to this wine-country resort town from as far away as New Mexico and California to trade ideas and make new connections. For three days last week, attendees compared notes on … [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...]
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...]
New Ohio Wine Magazine Due Out in May
April 10, 2012 By Leave a Comment
150,000 copies of the debut edition of "Exploring Ohio Wine Country" will be distributed starting on May 23rd according to Christy Eckstein, executive director of the Ohio Grape Industries Committee. The 40 page, full color magazine was inspired by Michigan's annual "Wine Country Wine & Touring Guide." The Michigan Wine Guide has a press run of 200,000 and is produced by the Michigan … [Read more...]
Keg Wine Comes to the Midwest
April 2, 2012 By Leave a Comment
Could bottled wine become passe? Wineries aren't ready to move out of glass containers yet, but a future with fewer wine bottles seems more plausible than ever. Boxed wine, after all, is roaring back into style and now there's a new trend -- keg wine -- which is making headway on both coasts and has now come to the Midwest. The Gotham Project, a collaborative effort between New York winemakers … [Read more...]
Frost Damage Reported in Northeast Ohio
March 28, 2012 By Leave a Comment
In this morning's Ashtabula Star Beacon, writer Carl E. Feather reports some damage to the Lake Erie grape crop Monday night. Feather said apples and peaches in some area orchards were virtually wiped out by temperatures as low as 22 degrees. Please see: http://starbeacon.com/local/x1437240836/Fruit-trees-hit-hard-by-freeze-grapes-fare-better Also Tuesday morning, David Scurlock, an … [Read more...]
