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Michigan wine industry honored by Governor

Governor Gretchen Whitmer has declared May as Wine Month in Michigan to celebrate the $5.4 billion industry.

Director of wine and viticulture Michael Moyer at Lake Michigan College tells Brownfield the Polar Vortex this winter caused significant damage to wine grapes in the southwest. “The guys up north are fine.  It’s the guys in the southwest that did not bury canes—there’ll be some pain this growing season because there won’t be any grapes.”    

The Michigan Craft Beverage Council has announced the first round of grant funding for the newly expanded council which includes studying grapevine cold hardiness to overcome increasing winter injury issues.

There are more than 400 small winemaker licenses in the state—and more than 140 of those use a majority of Michigan-grown fruit in production.

Michigan has more than 3,000 acres devoted to wine grape vineyards.