$100 Million Michigan Wine Industry Growing

The 50 commercial wineries that make up Michigan’s $100 million wine industry produce more than 357,000 cases of wine each year and are expected to generate even more revenue for the state in the upcoming years.

According to excerpts from the article:

 Michigan winemakers are unique in that they are known for both cool-weather wines, such as white Riesling, and warmer weather reds like Pinot Noir. You might even be surprised to know the state produces a fine Ice Wine. The diversity of Michigan wines is enough to make a viticulturist blush with excitement!

It’s a fact that wine grapes love Michigan’s mesoclimate created by Lake Michigan. The vast majority of Michigan grapes are grown within 25 miles of Lake Michigan, which provides a favorable “lake effect” microclimate of more moderate temperatures compared to interior portions of the state.

The Michigan Grape and Wine Industry Council, which was founded in 1985 to support development of the state’s wine growing industry and is a division within the Michigan Department of Agriculture, estimates that 1,800 agricultural acres in the state are cultivated to grow wine grapes. That makes the state eighth in wine grape production in the nation.

“The Michigan wine industry is growing quite rapidly. There is great interest in wine development and investment around the state,” said Linda Jones, executive director of the Michigan Grape and Wine Industry Council. “The priorities of the council are encouraging growth of the winemaking industry, promotion of Michigan wines and funding research to support wine grape growing in Michigan.”

The council also publishes the Wine Country magazine and sponsors numerous wine tasting events and competitions across the state each year.

The more than 50 commercial wineries in Michigan produce over 375,000 cases of wine annually, Jones said. The wineries are a popular destination for wine connoisseurs, attracting more than 800,000 visitors annually. Wine and wine tourism are estimated to be a $100 million industry in Michigan.

Read the entire article here.