February 28-March 2, 2018

Radisson Plaza Hotel, Kalamazoo

Reserve your hotel before Feb. 5 for reduced room rate!

The hotel is holding a block of rooms until February 5, 2018, at a reduced rate starting at $119 per night plus tax. Reserve online at www.radissonkz.com and enter promotion code MGWC18, or call the hotel at 800-967-9033 and reference the Michigan Grape and Wine Conference.

Details and register online at www.michiganwines.com/conference

Join more than 250 members of Michigan's wine industry for this annual conference, featuring educational sessions on grape and wine production, business management, sales and marketing.

Highlights for the 2018 conference:

Michigan Wine Collaborative members receive a $20 discount!
Not a member yet? Visit www.michiganwinecollaborative.com for information and to join.

Lab Analyses for Beginning to Intermediate Winemaking Operations
Barry Gump, Ph.D., Professor of Beverage Management, Chaplin School of Hospitality & Tourism Management, Florida International University

Flash Détente - Observations and Expectations
Rick Jones, Della Toffola USA; Lee Lutes, Black Star Farms

Current Viticultural Challenges - a German Perspective
Dr. Manfred Stoll, Geisenheim University, will present this session virtually from Germany
Sponsored by Truly Michigan Vines

Vinegar, Nail Polish and Fruit Flies: Keeping Sour Rot at Bay
Dr. Wendy McFadden-Smith, Brock University, Ontario

Rethinking the Wine Consumer
Tim Hanni, MW, myVinotype

What Story Does Your Label Tell?
Adam Sullivan, Balzac Communications
Sponsored by Graphic Solid Inks

Michigan Certified Alcohol Service Training (Mi-CAST)
Are you a brand new winery with a tasting room? Or … did your tasting room strike gold with a hire but have no time to develop them into the employee that you need to start on day one? Or … are you a manager or business owner interested in teaching your team basics in making the sale in your tasting room with memorable customer service? This training is for you!

The Annual Meeting of the Michigan Wine Collaborative will be held on Thursday, March 1, 2018 at 4:30 PM, at the Radisson Plaza Hotel in Kalamazoo, Michigan, during the Michigan Grape & Wine Conference. The purpose of the meeting is for the election of directors and the transaction of such other business as may be properly brought before the meeting, including proposed bylaws changes. All are welcome to attend.

The Michigan Wine Collaborative (MWC) is a non-profit organization formed with the following mission…

To enhance the sustainability and profitability of the Michigan wine industry by supporting wineries, growers and other businesses and individuals connected to the industry - today and for future generations.

Conference will provide essential elements for those exploring entry into Michigan’s expanding winery industry

A wine grape establishment conference, held by Michigan State University Extension, will take place Feb. 9, 2018, at two locations using a webinar hybrid format. The program agenda calls for speakers from four states to address basic topics such as soil fertility, site selection, varieties, establishment costs, site preparation, planting and care, trellis construction and pest management in Benton Harbor and Traverse City.

Did you know the Vintage Michigan program currently has more than 5,000 consumer members? Customers love their Vintage Michigan membership because of the discounts they receive throughout the state. A $25 lifetime membership fee provides them with a list of all participating business discounts, as well as a complimentary corkscrew or bottle stopper. Members also receive the Michigan Wine Country magazine mailed to them annually.

Would you like to be a part of this program? Participation is easy. Tell us what discount works best for you and we’ll include your business and discount information in Vintage Michigan promotional materials. We’ll also send you a starter kit with Vintage Michigan brochures and point-of-sale materials.

Currently, 67 wineries, 47 retailers, 13 restaurants and 6 lodging facilities offer discounts to Vintage Michigan members. A list of participating vendors is online at www.michiganwines.com/VintageMichigan.

To participate in the Vintage Michigan program, please contact Jenelle Jagmin, jagminj@michigan.gov, 517-284-5790.

A new mobile application for vineyard managers has been released for free download for iPhone and Android mobile phones. The Vineyard Advisor provides recommendations for managing some 350 problems afflicting grapes nationwide, from diseases, insects, mites, nematodes and wildlife, to environmental stress, physiological disorders and weeds.

Ed Hellman, Professor of Viticulture at Texas Tech University, led development of The Vineyard Advisor while holding a joint appointment as Viticulture Extension Specialist with Texas A&M AgriLife Extension. Dr. Hellman is now full-time with Texas Tech, based in Fredericksburg where he is leading expansion of viticulture and enology teaching and research programs in the Texas Hill Country. 

The Vineyard Advisor provides recommendations on control strategies and action thresholds, natural controls and cultural practices, organic materials and pesticides. The most current list of all pesticides labeled for use on grapes to control a specific problem is retrieved from the EPA label database. Full labels are available in PDF format for most pesticide products. Weed management recommendations provide cultural practices and general recommendations, as well as special considerations for difficult to control weeds, or those that have developed tolerance to herbicides. 

Two search options are available to the user: search The Vineyard Advisor database for grape problems, or search for pesticides labeled for use on grapes. The pesticide search can be done by product name or active ingredient. Customized links are provided to the app user's state agricultural extension service and pesticide regulatory agency based on the user’s location. 

The Vineyard Advisor can be downloaded for free at:

iTunes App Store:
https://itunes.apple.com/us/app/vineyard-advisor/id1187381601?mt=8

Google Play (Android):
https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=edu.tamu.agrilife.VineyardAdvisorApp

Now in its 7th year, the Eastern Winery Exposition returns to Lancaster, PA and continues to be the largest winery and vineyard trade show held east of the Pacific states. You’ll have access to the experts from more than 180 exhibiting companies, 30 workshop and conference sessions, numerous networking opportunities and social events, two auctions, a blogging station, Meet the Experts, and the License to Steal wine marketing conference.

Michigan wineries receive a 25% discount on their registration. Contact Sherri Goodreau, goodreaus@michigan.gov, for the discount code.

Register online at www.easternwineryexposition.com.

On December 22, 2017, the President signed into law the Tax Cuts and Jobs Act of 2017, which makes extensive changes to the Internal Revenue Code of 1986, including to the excise tax rates for alcohol.

Tax savings for wineries

On their website, WineAmerica has summarized the changes that impact wineries and created a tool that will allow you to calculate what your tax savings are. For more details, visit wineamerica.org.

How did this happen?

Through a ton of hard work over several years, and a great coalition. WineAmerica partnered with Wine Institute, Beer Institute, Brewers Association, American Craft Spirits Association, and Distilled Spirits Council, creating a great combination of communication and collaboration. They worked for more than three years to recruit bipartisan co-sponsors from across the U.S. - 304 House and 55 Senate members.

Visit the TTB Craft Beverage Modernization and Tax Reform page

View charts with the new tax rates