Photos: 2014 Illinois Winter Wine Festival and Conference
Photos from the 2014 Illinois Winter Wine Festival and Annual Conference, January 30-February 1, 2014. ...
Midwest Wine Press Blog
Nebraska Reports Limited Winter Damage
From Nebraska’s VineLines, which is produced by the University of Nebraska at Lincoln, comes a positive report about grape vine freeze damage. The University recently checked buds and canes and found no significant damage....
San Francisco 2014 Competition Midwest Winners
Ferrante Winery was a “Sweepstake Winner” in the 2014 San Francisco Chronicle Wine Competition for its 2012 Vidal Blanc Ice Wine from the Grand River AVA in Ohio. The Sweepstake Winner title was awarded...
Nitrogen and Its Importance in Fermentation Management
Winemaking begins in the vineyard, and so does nitrogen. Nitrogen is one of the most common elements in the universe. On Earth, in its elemental form, it exists as a gas that forms 80%...
When Winter Ends, Black Rot Season Begins
Black rot is the most common grape disease in the region. If left unprotected, vineyards can suffer high economic losses. Infection occurs early in the season, usually before bloom, at temperatures as low as...
Solving the Distribution Dilemma at Smaller Wineries
Ever considered self-distribution? Or, does the prospect of doing it all yourself make you cringe at the thought of doing it ALL yourself? As with anything, there are advantages and disadvantages to self-distribution. Obviously,...
Mike White Talks About Drift at NIWG Meeting
In spite of the wintry weather, we had 30 attendees at the Northern Illinois Wine Growers (NIWG) meeting on Saturday, January 25, at Famous Fossil Vineyard and Winery in Freeport, Illinois, west of Rockford. In addition...
Tepid Report From Michigan on Recent Crop Damage
Understandably, most grape growers are cautiously optimistic in public about how regional grapes are surviving this winter. However, we have heard decidedly negative news from Ohio, Minnesota and the Finger Lakes. These reports would lead...
US Winery Numbers Up Again
Wines & Vines magazine reports that during the last year the total number of wineries in the United States has increased from 7,498 to 7,762. Quoting research from their 2014 Directory & Buyer’s Guide,...
Bud Loss in Southern Ontario is 40%-50%
CTV-News reports that Southern Ontario grape bud mortality this winter is in “the neighborhood of 40 to 50 percent.” This quote comes from Bill George with the Ontario Grape Growers Association. In Georgian Bay,...