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March 4, 2006
Old Mission Peninsula vineyards, such as this one at Chateau Grand Traverse, benefit from the warmer waters of the east and west arms of Grand Traverse Bay, which protect the grape vines from harsh winters. No sour grapes as wineries proliferateVines, vines, everywhere a vineyard
David Creighton, of Michigan Grape and Wine Industry Council, smells a wine from the Ciccone Vineyards at the council's annual meeting. "I think we're looking at a significant number of new wineries over the next three to five years," said Larry Mawby, one of the region's first vintners, and who's been making wine in Leelanau County since the early '70s. Mawby expects the wine boom to continue on the Leelanau and Old Mission peninsulas - and spread to fruit-growing regions of Antrim and Benzie counties. He also anticipates larger operations that bottle up to 50,000 cases per year will set up shop in the region. Michigan presently has around 43 commercial wineries - almost half in the Grand Traverse area - that produce more than 200,000 cases of wine annually. The state has around 13,500 acres of vineyards, a 24 percent increase over the past nine years. And those in the wine industry said there's no sign of a slowdown - and some expect production will continue to accelerate. "I think there's still lots of room for growth," said Linda Jones of the state Department of Agriculture. Jones gets at least one inquiry a week from parties interested in wine-making or grape production. Dan Matthies, owner of Chateau Fontaine near Lake Leelanau, also sells wine-related real estate. He said interest in grape-growing property took off late last year after a wine- shipping dispute was resolved by the state Legislature. Matthies said he's sold $2.5 million worth of land for vineyard production in the last two months, and expects interest to remain strong. "We're still in our infancy," he said. Most of the state's high-quality wine grapes grow within 25 miles of Lake Michigan's shoreline. The impact of the lake protects grape vines with more snow in the winter, keeps buds from developing too early in the spring and adds up to four weeks to the growing season. Jones also expects pockets of wineries to take root in regions like the "fruit ridge" north of Grand Rapids and in southern counties like Allegan and Jackson. But there are obstacles, she said. The industry requires a large amount of capital for land and equipment, plus the growing regulatory maze that vintners must maneuver. "If we can't get the wines to the people that want them, it makes it harder for the industry to grow," Jones said. Mawby said he's not worried about the industry getting drunk on its success. State wineries only produce about 5 percent of the amount consumed by Michigan residents, so there's room for more production. "The more people we have who are making a real serious effort at growing good grapes and making good wine, the better off we all are," Mawby said. Winery and vineyard owners from throughout Michigan gathered at Crystal Mountain Resort this week for the annual meeting of the Michigan wine industry. They reviewed the state's new direct shipping rules and other pending regulatory changes, with other seminars on wine-tasting and production and marketing strategies. [an error occurred while processing this directive] |