John Marshall: Spring Pruning and Frost Protection
As I write, it is easily the warmest March in my lifetime. In fact, it is seems like the warmest winter in history. I was watching the weather the other night and the weatherman...
Midwest Wine Press Blog
Creating a Regional Flavor
Last fall, I was having a discussion with one of my volunteer pickers about tasting local wines. He had recently visited some local wineries and mentioned one in particular. “It didn’t feel right. It...
Regional Wine Bloggers Expanding Influence
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...
New Chicago Wine Trail Tour Company Opens
Evanston Cellars, LLC has started offering guided tours of the Lake Michigan Shore Wine Trail and the Illinois River Wine Trail. The nine-hour tours will leave from downtown Chicago and the North Shore...
Welch’s Reports 90% Bud Loss in SW Michigan
The South Bend Tribune reports today Welch’s Foods is not optimistic about the harvest this year as a result of last week’s freeze. http://www.southbendtribune.com/news/wsbt-report-welchs-juice-crop-mostly-wiped-out-in-southwestern-michigan-20120415,0,351211.story
Midwest Wineries Winners at Finger Lakes
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...
Freeze Damage At Wollersheim Extensive
The Wisconsin State Journal reports that Wollersheim Winery, Wisconsin’s largest winery and largest estate winery, sustained significant crop damage this week. The WSJ story also includes a slightly more optimistic assessment from Sara...
Southwest Michigan Freeze Damage Report from Kalamazoo News
The Kalamazoo News ran a story Friday morning that looked various fruit crop conidtions, including grapes, in Southwest Michigan. Please also see the frost damage report on the Midwest Wine Press homepage for more...
Fennville, MI Grower Reports 90% Loss
On April 12th, fruit grower John Mann told The Holland Sentinel that he had lost 90% of the grapes in his vineyard near Fennville, MI. http://www.hollandsentinel.com/topstories/x1157748870/Farmers-don-t-yet-know-effect-of-recent-frosts More information on Michigan frost damage can be accessed...
Des Moines KCCI-TV Report On Freeze Damage
Matt Nissen owner of Prairie Moon Winery in Ames, IA and Dr. Paul Domoto from Iowa State University explain the effect of recent crop losses in Story County Iowa to KCCI reporter Angie Hunt http://www.kcci.com/weather/Frost-damages-Iowa-s-grape-crop/-/9358602/10660576/-/7wywtyz/-/index.html