Registration for VESTA Spring 2016 classes closes on January 15

Time is running out! Course information at www.vesta-usa.org. Contact VESTA at vesta@missouristate.edu for any questions or concerns regarding registration. We look forward to you joining the alliance in expanding your knowledge of viticulture and enology.

Register before February 5 to receive the early-bird discount!

Reserve your hotel before February 2 to ensure the reduced room rate

The 2016 Michigan Grape and Wine Conference and Northern Grapes Symposium will be held at the Radisson Plaza Hotel in Kalamazoo February 24-26. Complete conference details are available at www.michiganwines.com/conference. 

The hotel is holding a block of rooms until February 2, 2016, at a reduced rate of $110 per night, plus tax. Reserve online at www.radissonkz.com, enter promotional code MGWI; or by phone at 800-967-9033, and reference the Michigan Grape and Wine Conference.

Sponsorship and exhibitor information is available at www.michiganwines.com/conference. Prospective sponsors and exhibitors may contact Sherri Goodreau at goodreaus@michigan.gov or 517-284-5733 with questions. As you are speaking with suppliers to the industry, please encourage them to participate.

New Addition to the Agenda: Tour of Arcadia Ales

To close out the conference, we've organized a tour of Arcadia Ales in Kalamazoo. Established in 1996 in Battle Creek, Arcadia Ales continues to carve out its niche in the craft beer community with world-class, medal-winning ales handcrafted with British inspiration on an authentic Peter Austin brick kettle brewing system from England.

We will tour Arcadia Ales $7 million Kalamazoo facility, which opened in 2014 and was designed with performance and energy efficiency in mind. This is a unique opportunity for a firsthand experience of a production brewery working glycol system and methods for precision fermentation temperature control. Arcadia's 90-ton internal refrigeration system offers the ability to modulate according to the brewery load and keep performance high while minimizing energy and operating cost. This latest technology is controlled through a central automation system that offers precision control of fermentation temperatures while also providing email notifications, remote control and monitoring, continuous data logging, and graphical trend data.

Our tour will be guided by the chiller designer, Ryan Stockinger, who will be available to discuss all of your chiller and automation questions.

Register for this no-fee tour at the Conference Registration Desk before 3 pm on Thursday, February 25, so we may provide an estimate of our group size to our hosts.

The pub opens at 11 am. Enjoy a sandwich and brew at the deli-style eatery before you head home. (Lunch is not included with the tour.) www.arcadiaales.com

2016 Northern Grapes Symposium Kicks Off the Conference February 24

Super Hardy Grape Cultivars: An Option for Michigan and the Upper Midwest
Like a conference within a conference, the Northern Grapes Symposium features a series of sessions to share results of USDA-funded research conducted over the past four years through the Northern Grapes Project. These research projects were conducted by more than 30 researchers in 12 states, targeted to improve knowledge in viticulture, enology and marketing of super cold hardy varieties bred specifically for northern climates at plant breeding programs in the Midwest and New York. Examples of the varieties that are gaining increased support from the industry in the Midwest and other colder regions of the U.S. include Marquette, Frontenac, Petite Pearl, La Crescent and many others. The goal of the Northern Grapes Project is to help producers overcome production and marketing challenges of making and selling wine from these varieties and increase the profitability and sustainability of emerging cold climate grape and wine industries. Visit www.northerngrapesproject.org for more information about the Northern Grapes Project.

Winter Doldrums Giveaway

Anyone who completes a new 2016 EWE registration between January 12 and January 31 will be entered into a drawing to receive a full refund. The winner will be announced on February 3.
Contact Sherri Goodreau to get a discount code to get 10% off registration - goodreaus@michigan.gov, or 517-284-5733. Full program details are available at www.easternwineryexposition.com.

The Michigan Wine Collaborative (MWC) is planning two meetings to coincide with the Michigan Grape and Wine Conference at the Kalamazoo Radisson in late February.

The first, Tuesday, February 23, from noon to 5:00 will be a working meeting to 1) update bylaws and organizational structure; 2) form working committees; and 3) develop goals for the organization for the 2106 calendar year.

The second meeting, Thursday, February 25 from 5 to 6 pm is an information session to update the wine industry on activities of the MWC.

You are invited to participate in the discussion and be part of the MWC. This is an important time for the MWC to come together and take action. As the Michigan grape and wine industry grows, it needs organizations like the MWC to present a unified voice for the industry in the future. 

Please plan to join us in February to learn more and find out how you can contribute to the future growth of our industry. Registration is required to participate in the February 23rd working meeting. To register, contact Tom Smith, smitht48@anr.msu.edu, 517-353-4822.

More information about the Michigan Wine Collaborative at www.michiganwinecollaborative.com.

The Michigan Grape and Wine Industry Council is partnering with the Northern Grapes Project to conduct a study of the economic impact of vineyards and wineries specializing in cold-hardy grapes. The study will help demonstrate the importance of the industry in our state.
 
By early February, you should receive an invitation to participate in an online survey. We encourage you to participate! The survey should take about 20-30 minutes to complete. All survey responses will remain confidential. The survey does ask questions regarding expenditures for your operation, so you may wish to have those records on hand.

In addition to questions to determine the economic impact of the industry, you will also be asked a few questions to establish a snap shot of the industry in 2015. The Northern Grapes Project has been working to improve the industry. Responses to the survey will be compared to the results from 2012, to see if measurable change has been made.

The survey in 2012 resulted in the publication of 11 reports – 3 which highlighted the importance of the cold-hardy industry in the northern United States. You can view the reports from 2012 by following this link and scrolling down to the results from year 1, baseline survey: http://northerngrapesproject.org/?page_id=544.

You can learn more about the project at: www.northerngrapesproject.org. If you have any questions, you can contact Brigid Tuck, tuckb@umn.edu or 507-389-6979.

Interested in increasing your international business in new or existing markets? Then join the International Marketing Program for an export seminar on February 9, 2016, from 9:00 am-1:30 pm at the Henry Center in East Lansing, with registration opening at 8:30 am. The seminar is offered in conjunction with the Mid-Michigan Global Business Club, and will include valuable information for Michigan exporters that are looking to expand their company’s export reach. Seminar topics include:

• Opportunities and Challenges for Export Growth 
• How to Identify Export Opportunities and Enter New Markets 
• Export Financing 
• Overview of Export Programs & Services

Featured presenter, Matt Tripodi, is the Government & Trade Relations Manager for Euromonitor International. Mr. Tripodi will discuss "Expanding Your Exports in the 21st Century: Opportunities & Challenges for Growth". Scott Hibbard, Vice President of Comerica Bank, will provide valuable insight into export financing.

The seminar will include Keynote Lunch Speaker, Star of the West Milling Company, the 2015 Michigan Ag Exporter of the Year.

Register online at: global.broad.msu.edu/gbclub.

The registration fee is $35 ($15 for students). This fee includes lunch in addition to snacks and beverages throughout the seminar. For questions, please contact Jamie Zmitko-Somers at 517-284-5738 or zmitkoj@michigan.gov or Allie Fox at 517-284-5737 or foxa1@michigan.gov.

Deadline for 2016 membership is February 1

Join the other wineries who have become members of the Michigan Agritourism Association! It's a great way to connect with agritourism operations across the state and to attract new customers to your business -- especially those interested in weddings, farm-to-table dinners and vineyard tours.

The association is offering new members a special $150 Early Bird Rate. Membership provides a listing in the popular Michigan Agritourism Directory -- the only statewide directory of its kind in Michigan. 70,000 copies are distributed at 14 Michigan Welcome Centers that attract 10 million visitors each year, 450 Farm Bureau Insurance offices, over 250 agritourism destinations, more than 30 Convention and Visitor Bureaus, and additional locations and events across the state.

You’ll also get a listing at www.michiganfarmfun.com and promotion through social media, press releases and events. Visit www.michiganfarmfun.com for more information. Deadline is February 1, 2016.

The 2016 Pure Michigan Governor’s Conference on Tourism is April 17-19 at the Lansing Center in downtown Lansing. Meet with over 1,000 industry stakeholders and hear from an array of visionary speakers representing business, tourism and state government.

This year's conference will include a keynote speech from Mo Rocca, a correspondent for CBS Sunday Morning and host and creator of the Cooking Channel's My Grandmother's Ravioli. He also hosts the CBS show The Henry Ford's Innovation Nation and is a frequent panelist on NPR's hit weekly quiz show Wait, Wait ... Don't Tell Me!

Visit www.milodging.org/conference for more information and to register online.

From the December TTB Newsletter:

We maintain and oversee a thorough application process, which is prescribed by law, for each TTB-regulated industry. This application process ensures that those who operate a TTB-regulated business are duly qualified to do so and will conduct their operations fairly and legally.

We've created a tutorial that guides you through the application process for your chosen industry. You can conveniently submit your application using Permits Online. If you are thinking about starting a business, see this comprehensive information about starting a new business, including resources from the Internal Revenue Service, BusinessUSA, and the U.S. Small Business Administration.

If you have any question about your business process or obtaining a permit to operate a TTB-regulated business, please contact the National Revenue Center.

... Linda Jones, upon her retirement, for 17 years of leadership and dedication to the Michigan grape and wine industry.

"The Changing of the Guard"