Loess Hills AVA Wine Trail Will Require Local Grapes
One advantage of the American Viticultural Area (AVA) designation is that under federal law, any wine with an AVA name on the label must be made from grapes at least 85% local grapes. Any wine...
Monthly Archive: February 2014
New School for Midwest Grape Growers
An intensive three-day grape growing school has been announced by the University of Wisconsin’s Center for Integrated Agriculture Systems. This “crash course” will demonstrate what it takes to set up and run a successful vineyard business....
Midwest Wine Press Hosting Midwest Wine Tasting
Midwest Wine Press will be hosting a Midwest Wine Tasting Event on March 8th in Chicago. More than 20 wines from across the Midwest will be featured including award-winning wines made from cold hardy...
Cold Hardy Grapes Having Big Impact
Cold-hardy wine grapes developed by the University of Minnesota and private breeders since the late 1990’s have generated a new and vibrant farm winery industry, pumping $401 million and 12,600 jobs into the United...
Ozonated Water Replacing Chemicals In More Vineyards
Ernie Wilmink, owner of AgriOzein, the Nebraska based company that designs and builds ozonators, has come a long way since Midwest Wine Press last spoke with him during early 2013. There’s now growing evidence that...
Indiana Launches New Wine Websites
The Indiana Wine Grape Council (IWGC) launched a revamped Indiana Wines website this month, as well as two other newly redesigned websites. According to Jeanette Merritt, the marketing director at the IWGC, the new...
Freeze Damage Report from Michigan, NY, Ontario
Cortney Casey has an excellent story about freeze damage to this year’s Michigan wine grape crop in the latest Michigan By the Bottle. The February return of the polar vortex was especially troubling...
New Winemaker at Chankaska Creek
Michael Drash has been hired as winemaker at Chankaska Creek Winery in Kasota, MN. Drash has extensive winemaking experience in California, including assistant winemaker at Far Niente Winery and at his own winery, Tallulah...
New Kansas Winery Trail Website
The Kansas Grape Growers and Winemakers Association has rolled out a new website for consumers called Kansas Wineries. The website has a state map with 26 wineries and links and addresses for all...
Winter’s Effect on American and Midwest Vines
The Washington Post ran a story yesterday about the damage cold weather has done to Eastern vineyards, particularly in New York and Pennsylvania. (Cornell University is reporting damage to Riesling and Merlot on Seneca Lake.) ...