Midwest Wine Press

Lake Michigan Shore Wine Festival Sizzles and Shines

by · June 17, 2012

The Lake Michigan Shore Wine Festival was held on June 16th at Weko Beach in Bridgman.  Thirteen wineries participated in the event.  Tastings were conducted in a large tent in the parking lot near the beach and just a few hundred feet from Lake Michigan.  Admission was $10 for age 21 and over and included a souvenir wine glass.  Tasting tickets were $1 each.

“Where else can you taste this many selections of great Michigan wines at one place,?”  asked Wally Maurer of Domaine Berrien Cellars in Berrien Springs.  Maurer poured four wines at the Fest including his Lake Michigan Shore AVA Merlot and Pinot Noir.

 

Harding’s Friendly Markets of Bridgman, Michigan was the main sponsor of the event.   Harding’s in Bridgman has one the most extensive selections of Michigan wines in the state, according to store and wine department manager, Dennis Bellaire.  “We installed the Michigan wine section five years ago and we now have over 12 feet of shelf space and over 150 different kinds of Michigan wine,” he said.  “Our customers really like Michigan wine and they appreciate our selection, especially in the winter when the wineries’ hours are limited.”

(Lemon Creek and “Wine on the Beach Photo” courtesy of Joshua Nowicki.)

 

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Mark Ganchiff

Mark Ganchiff is the publisher of Midwest Wine Press, the leading source of news on the growing wine industry in the central United States. Mark has been a wine judge at the 2012 and 2014 INDY International Wine Competition, the 2014 Cold Climate Wine Competition, the 2013 Mid-American Wine Competition, the 2012 Illinois State Fair Wine Competition and the 2013 Michigan Wine Competition. He also enjoys speaking at wine events including the Cold Climate Wine Conference, the Illinois Grape Growers and Vintners Association Annual Meeting, the Midwest Grape and Wine Conference and the Wisconsin Fruit and Vegetable Conference. Mark's articles about regional wine have appeared in Vineyard & Winery Management, WineMaker and several regional magazines. Mark is a Level One Sommelier in the Court of Master Sommeliers. He lives in Louisville, but also has a residence in Chicago.

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